OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



• HIGHLIGHTS

Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).

Like means "similar to."
Use like to compare nouns.
Do not use "like" to compare clauses. Clauses have verbs!
That is, the word like means "similar to" and must be followed by a noun or a noun phrase.
(Literally, substitute "similar to" in place of "like"; you may "hear" the need for a noun.)

As means "in the same way that."
Use as to compare clauses. Look for verbs!
→ In comparisons, as should be followed by a subject and a verb (a clause).

If "in the same WAY that" works, then you need AS and you should not use LIKE.
Use a mnemonic: sAme wAy thAt → → As

I explain these concepts in Notes, below, with examples.

THE OPTIONS


• Like should be followed by a noun or noun phrase only: no clauses! A clause has a verb.
Like is incorrectly followed by have.

• not parallel at best, illogical at worst
It sounds as though growth rings on the scales of some fish also "have rings to determine their age."
What does do stand in for?
Trees . . . should be parallel with fish
ELIMINATE A


• Like should be followed by a noun or noun phrase. No verbs!
Like is incorrectly followed by have.

• This option avoids the parallelism problem in option A, but repeats its incorrect use of like.
ELIMINATE B


• AS must be followed by a verb in a comparison. AS compares clauses. A clause contains a subject and a verb.
AS is not followed by a verb and should be.
ELIMINATE C


• The comparison clauses are not parallel
LHS = trees have rings
RHS = growth rings appear on fish
Trees and fish should be parallel: they're the things under comparison.
ELIMINATE D


• like is correctly followed by the noun trees.
This part may sound strange, but like is not followed by a verb.
Yes, I know that [comma + have] comes right after "like trees."
That verb, have, belongs to fish. Not to trees. Why? Because the word trees is "cordoned off" from the verb have by the comma.

• we have a parallel comparison between the rings of both fish and trees.
KEEP

The best answer is E.

NOTES

• LIKE/AS
I pulled out my MGMAT Sentence Correction 6th Edition because I recalled that it contained three effective examples.
About 70 percent of the text in this bullet point is verbatim.

(1) "Like" is used to compare nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases.
Never put a clause or a prepositional phrase after "like"!
(Remember, a clause contains a working verb, [my emphasis] one that can be the main verb in a sentence.)

Take a look at this example:

Right: LIKE her brother, Ava aced the test.
→ Here, like is followed by the noun phrase her brother.
The whole phrase Like her brother indicates a comparison between Ava and her brother (two nouns).
[In the phrase Like her brother, there is no verb.]

(2) On the other hand, as can be used to compare two clauses [i.e., WITH verbs].
Wrong: LIKE her brother DID, Ava aced the test.
Right: AS her brother DID, Ava aced the test.

["Like" cannot be used because like should not be followed by verbs and] [t]he words her brother did form a clause (did is a working verb).
Therefore, use as to make the comparison between the two clauses Ana aced the test and her brother did, too.

On the GMAT, these two sentences mean the same thing:
Like her brother, Ava aced the test
and
As her brother did, Ava aced the test.

In one sentence, you compare Ava and her brother directly [using like followed by only a noun].
In the other sentence, you compare what Ava did and what her brother did [using as followed by a verb].

• Please, be slightly specific in your explanations.
Labels are not explanations.
"Logical shift" or "pronoun error" tells me very little.

If the meaning in an option is nonsensical or illogical, say so, but also explain why the option is illogical or nonsensical.

• TAKEAWAYS
Try not to worry too much about jargon, except these parts:
Like must be followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.
Like must not be followed by a clause (with a verb) or a prepositional phrase.
As must be followed by a noun and verb (a clause).

COMMENTS

GMAC tests like and as in ways very similar to those in this question.
I like the question.
Good questions are very hard to find.

This question gets easier the more you review it.

I am glad to see a mix of people: new, tenured, and in between.
(As always, there is a standing invitation to all aspirants to post. Be brave. )
Stay safe.

Like is used as a preposition, telling where, when or how the noun in the sentence is doing whatever it may be doing.
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.

A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales.
Like- cannot be followed by a clause.
C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
As is used as a conjunction, joining two clauses.
D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
Trees and growth rings are not be compared for what they have/do.
E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
Correct comparison of two nouns.

IMO E

IMO B

Interesting question , had to re-read the options to understand the meaning.
IMO - E
Heres the reasoning - There must be proper comparison between the rings of trees and fish and since it is a comparison question we would prefer like over as.
Now lets eliminate:-
A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish. - What is being compared to what it is unclear.

B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales. --- Run on Sentence.

C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age. - Like is needed for comparison not as.

D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age. - like needed to bring out the comparison. Also this sentence is awkward

E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age. - Bingo

IMO E

Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.

Skeleton: Trees have rings , some fish have growth rings
Criteria : Age

A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.

B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales. <for what?>

C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
<whose age?>

D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
Grammatically wrong/distorted parallelism

E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
Correct.

notes: we are comparing two nouns, trees and some fish = we use "like"; if we were comp clauses, we would use "as".

(E)

Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.


A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.
Incorrect comparison between trees and growth rings.

B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales.
Different comparisons (rings for age vs rings for growth). Incorrect.

C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age.
'As' is incorrect since we are comparing nouns.

D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age.
Same reasoning as C.

E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age.
Correct comparison and correct use of 'like'

Incorrect comparison. After comma usage of so do is incorrect. Comparison should be between Like X, Y where X and Y should be logically same.Eliminate


Comparison is correct trees vs fish but meaning not conveyed. Some fish have growth rings on their scales is just a fact. It is not conveying the actual meaning of sentence that like trees, fish have growth rings that determined their age.


Usage of as in correct. Use like for noun to noun comparison.Eliminate


After comma, Incorrect construct.Eliminate


Correct comparison by using like. Also meaning conveyed

IMO E
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Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish.


A) Like trees have rings to determine their age, so do growth rings on the scales of some fish. Incorrect

comparison error- Like uses wrong, As is correct, As compare action

B) Like trees have rings to determine their age, some fish have growth rings on their scales. Incorrect

comparison error- same as A
Meaning change - 'fish growth rings use to determine age' missing

C) Trees, as some fish, have growth rings that determine their age. Incorrect

comparison error - Like uses correct, Like compare noun

D) As trees have rings, growth rings also appear on some fish to determine their age. Incorrect

comparison error - trees compare with growth rings
As uses wrong

E) Some fish, like trees, have growth rings that determine their age. Correct

A is comparing clause with a clause. Like is incorrect. It also has another error in the sense that first clauses is in active voice while the second clause is in passive voice

B - same as A. We are comparing clauses here

C - like needed to compare nouns. Out.

D - growth rings do not appear with the purpose to tel age. Also compared clauses are not structurally similar.

E - right. Like used to compare nouns. Restrictive modifier “that” added to modify growth rings.

Posted from my mobile device

The official explanation is here.

Like followed by that/who/which clause is fine ? Since they form a subordinate clause and not an independent clause .

Also, could you please elucidate more on Like followed by Prepositonal phrase with some example ?

Best !!
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