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555-605 Level|   Comparisons|   Idioms/Diction/Redundancy|               
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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 27 Apr 2022, 02:04
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in option E, "some another other one" is unidiomatic, and "another one" is preferable

egmat
Hi All,

More than 30 years ago Dr, Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can “jump”, as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another.



“Like” and “As”, both are used to convey comparison is a sentence. However, there is a difference between their usages. “Like” is always followed only by a “noun” or a “pronoun” whereas “As” is always followed by a “clause”.

Going by this rule, the original sentence is incorrect because here “as” is not followed by a clause. This error can be rectified either by placing a clause after “as” or by replacing “as” with “like”.

POE:

Choice A: as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another. Incorrect for the reason stated above.

Choice B: like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another. Correct.

Choice C: as pearls do that move from one necklace to others. Incorrect. Firstly, “that” is relative pronoun that modifies a noun. So “that” should touch the noun it modifies. But in this choice, “that” is away. Also, the use of “others” is not correct here. The intended meaning is that pearls move from necklace to another necklace. Using “others” make it ambiguous as to where the pearls move to.

Choice D: like pearls do that move from one necklace to others. Incorrect. Apart from repeating the “that” and “others” errors of choice C, this choice has another error. “like” has been followed by a clause here.

Choice E: as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one. Incorrect. This sentence distorts the meaning of the sentence. By using the modifier "that move" and verb "do" for pearls, it appears that pearls to two actions - pearls jump and by the way these pearls also move mysteriously...This is not the intended meaning. The author actually wants to say that genes jump like the pearls. And then he describes the manner in which these pearls jump - by moving mysteriously.



1. “Like” is followed by a noun and “as” is followed by a clause.
2. Be careful of any change in words that appear in the original sentence.

Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Shraddha
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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 12 Mar 2023, 22:09
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126. More than thirty years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can
"jump," as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another.
(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one

I am responding to a p.m. from venmic, vvho vvrote: "The correct ansvver to this one is C not B." I am sorry to differ, but the correct ansvver is B

Idea #1
"like" is used for nouns only, to compare a noun to a noun
"as" introduces a full clause, that must have a full noun + verb structure
See these blog post:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... ike-vs-as/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... omparison/

Idea #2
DO NOT confuse a [noun + participle] structure for a full [noun + verb] structure. This is a very common mistake, the GMAT loves to catch folks in it.
A participle is a verb form, but it's not acting as a verb in the sentence --- rather, it's acting as a noun modifier.
See this blog:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/participl ... -the-gmat/

The phrase "pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another" is not a full [noun + verb] clause --- it would not stand on it's own as a sentence. Rather, it's simply a noun plus a long noun modifier. All we have is the noun and stuff decorating the noun, so "as" is incorrect, and "like" is correct. That's why (A) is wrong and (B) is right.

Once we have the words "pearls do", that's a noun + verb, a clause all on its own --- then "like" is wrong: this is why (D) is wrong. Choices (C) & (E) have the correct word "as" followed by a full clause --- they avoid the "as"/"like" mistake. BUT, (C) & (E) are wordier, less polished, less elegant, more awkward. (B) is much more sleek and efficient, which makes (B) the correct answer.

Does all that make sense?

Mike :-)
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Hi Sir

kindly explain whether a clause "genes can "jump"" can be compared to a noun. I have read that clauses can be compared to clauses, nouns to nouns etc.

Please explain

Thanks
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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 14 Mar 2023, 01:55
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desertEagle
mikemcgarry
rohansherry
126. More than thirty years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can
"jump," as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another.
(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one

I am responding to a p.m. from venmic, vvho vvrote: "The correct ansvver to this one is C not B." I am sorry to differ, but the correct ansvver is B

Idea #1
"like" is used for nouns only, to compare a noun to a noun
"as" introduces a full clause, that must have a full noun + verb structure
See these blog post:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... ike-vs-as/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... omparison/

Idea #2
DO NOT confuse a [noun + participle] structure for a full [noun + verb] structure. This is a very common mistake, the GMAT loves to catch folks in it.
A participle is a verb form, but it's not acting as a verb in the sentence --- rather, it's acting as a noun modifier.
See this blog:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/participl ... -the-gmat/

The phrase "pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another" is not a full [noun + verb] clause --- it would not stand on it's own as a sentence. Rather, it's simply a noun plus a long noun modifier. All we have is the noun and stuff decorating the noun, so "as" is incorrect, and "like" is correct. That's why (A) is wrong and (B) is right.

Once we have the words "pearls do", that's a noun + verb, a clause all on its own --- then "like" is wrong: this is why (D) is wrong. Choices (C) & (E) have the correct word "as" followed by a full clause --- they avoid the "as"/"like" mistake. BUT, (C) & (E) are wordier, less polished, less elegant, more awkward. (B) is much more sleek and efficient, which makes (B) the correct answer.

Does all that make sense?

Mike :-)

Hi Sir

kindly explain whether a clause "genes can "jump"" can be compared to a noun. I have read that clauses can be compared to clauses, nouns to nouns etc.

Please explain

Thanks
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Hello desertEagle,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, here the comparison is actually between the nouns "genes" and "pearls"; this becomes clearer if we restructure this portion of the sentence as "genes, like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another, can "jump".

We hope this helps.
All the best!
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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 21 Mar 2023, 13:33
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desertEagle
mikemcgarry
rohansherry
126. More than thirty years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, reported that genes can
"jump," as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another.
(A) as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(B) like pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another
(C) as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(D) like pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to others
(E) as do pearls that move mysteriously from one necklace to some other one

I am responding to a p.m. from venmic, vvho vvrote: "The correct ansvver to this one is C not B." I am sorry to differ, but the correct ansvver is B

Idea #1
"like" is used for nouns only, to compare a noun to a noun
"as" introduces a full clause, that must have a full noun + verb structure
See these blog post:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... ike-vs-as/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-sent ... omparison/

Idea #2
DO NOT confuse a [noun + participle] structure for a full [noun + verb] structure. This is a very common mistake, the GMAT loves to catch folks in it.
A participle is a verb form, but it's not acting as a verb in the sentence --- rather, it's acting as a noun modifier.
See this blog:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/participl ... -the-gmat/

The phrase "pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another" is not a full [noun + verb] clause --- it would not stand on it's own as a sentence. Rather, it's simply a noun plus a long noun modifier. All we have is the noun and stuff decorating the noun, so "as" is incorrect, and "like" is correct. That's why (A) is wrong and (B) is right.

Once we have the words "pearls do", that's a noun + verb, a clause all on its own --- then "like" is wrong: this is why (D) is wrong. Choices (C) & (E) have the correct word "as" followed by a full clause --- they avoid the "as"/"like" mistake. BUT, (C) & (E) are wordier, less polished, less elegant, more awkward. (B) is much more sleek and efficient, which makes (B) the correct answer.

Does all that make sense?

Mike :-)

Hi Sir

kindly explain whether a clause "genes can "jump"" can be compared to a noun. I have read that clauses can be compared to clauses, nouns to nouns etc.

Please explain

Thanks
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First consider these two simpler examples:

    "Like Tim, Barbara McClintock is a Nobel Prize winner."

Here, we're using "like" to compare two nouns (Tim and Barbara). Sure, "Barbara" is part of a clause (Barbara IS...), but that doesn't mean that this sentence incorrectly compares a clause (Barbara IS) to a noun (Tim).

Here, have another example:

    "Like pearls, genes can jump."

Again, we're using "like" to compare two nouns (pearls and genes), even though "genes" is in fact part of a clause (genes CAN jump)

(B) is basically the same as the second example above, just shuffled around a bit ("Genes can jump, like pearls."). Sure, "genes" is part of a clause, but the comparison is still between two nouns (pearls and genes).

I hope that helps!
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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 08 Jun 2023, 02:49
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KarishmaB why is E not correct when it’s given as a clause basically? We can be comparing the two actions here of jumping and moving mysteriously

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More than 30 years ago, Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner 08 Jun 2023, 05:39
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Elite097
KarishmaB why is E not correct when it’s given as a clause basically? We can be comparing the two actions here of jumping and moving mysteriously

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Note that we usually use ‘like’ in the case of hypothetical comparisons such as

She screams like a banshee.
Here, it would be odd to say, ‘She screams as a banshee does,’ because we don’t really know how a banshee screams.

Hence, we should say 'like pearls ...' not 'as do pearls ...' because pearls don't actually move mysteriously.
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