OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
Quote:
Like when scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
A) Like when
B) As is often the case when
C) In such a way as
D) Just as if
E) Similar to when
• Meaning?
The new study is typical because its results are very interesting but not straightforward—a common situation when studies are first conducted using human beings rather than animals.
• A general rule:
like is used to compare
nouns, whereas
as is used to compare
clauses. • idiomatic expressions that are not mentioned often enough:
as is the case, as was the caseSee option B
Quote:
A) Like when scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
• Not correct.
-- in this case
when means
"like or similar to
instances in which"
or
"like the situations in which"
• Like is a preposition and should be followed by a noun
→ in this case it is followed by a noun clause, which typically can do everything a noun does (but not so in this case)
--
when scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans is a noun clause (see
here).
-- noun clauses
can be the object of prepositions, but not in this case
--
when is called a relative adverb and can anchor noun clauses but cannot follow the preposition
like.(where, when, and why are the most common relative adverbs)
-- GMAC has been fairly consistent about
when:When should almost always refer to a time, OR
When should be in a statement of general fact
→ a zero conditional: If THIS thing happens, then THAT thing happens).
→ We can also say in such conditionals:
When THIS thing happens, then THAT thing happens.
We can use
when in zero conditionals because they are
always true. (At what time is "when" true? Always.)
In this case,
when is neither a time nor part of a zero conditional (a general truth or scientific fact).
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) As is often the case when scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
• I see no errors
•
as is the case in this sentence means
--
"In this situation it is true that" or
"Something frequently happens in the situation I am about to describe"→ the most honest recommendation I can give is that you
memorize the phrase
as is the caseYep. Memorize it.
It's fairly common on the GMAT.
The phrase usually makes a claim about a situation and can stand in for entire clauses (as can the phrase
do so).
The phrase is extremely versatile.
Spoiler alert: I link to three GMAT prep questions.These official questions are but three of many that use some version of
as is the case:
hereand
hereand
here(Do you all read these links? If not, I am going to stop finding and posting them.)
• this option is logical; the sentence compares two clauses that describe a common situation when studies are first conducted using human beings rather than animals.
In that situation, results are intriguing but not straightforward.
KEEP
Quote:
C) In such a way as scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
• Huh? This sentence is illogical and not idiomatic
→
In such a way means
in this particular way or
in this fashionIn this particular way AS scientists turn . . . That sentence does not make sense.
As is often the case in option B is idiomatic; option B is better than C.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) Just as if scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
• nonsensical. The phrase
just as if is used to say that something is theoretically similar to something else
→
She paid no attention to him, just as if he were not in the living room.• not as good as option B
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
Similar to when scientists turn from experiments on animals to ones on humans, the results of the new study are provocative but hardly clear-cut.
• This option has the same problem as that in option A
→ we really mean, "Similar to instances in which" or more informally, "Similar to the times when"
• On the GMAT and in formal writing, do not use
like, unlike, similar to, or
dissimilar to before a noun clause that begins with
where, when, or
whyThe best answer is B
COMMENTSEDIT:
ArindamLucky , welcome to SC Butler.
I am not terribly fond of idiom-only questions, but I used this one because I realized that
as is the case is not often discussed—and the phrase is often used in formal writing.
These answers range from good to very good. Nice work!
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