Like most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the

Like most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the diet of the swamp wallaby consists of leaves and other sorts of vegetation.

A. Like most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the diet of the swamp wallaby consists
B. Like those of most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the diets of the swamp wallaby consists
C. Just like the diet of most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the diet of the swamp wallaby consists
D. Similar to the diets of most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the swamp wallabies consists
E. Like most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the swamp wallaby has a diet consisting






"diets" in C must be plurals. No reasons to use "just like"

Hi Mike,

I am confused in E
I rejected it because it was comparing a verb to a noun

Like X, Y has ...
for me it should be

As X has, Y has ..

RAHUL_GMAT

correct structure is -- Like X , Y
so, like X , Y is ....or like X , Y has .... like X , Y also ..stc

Like is used for comparison
A B and D are wrong because the comparison is wrong. In A and B species is compared with the diet. In D the diet is compared to the swamp wallaby. C is wrong because of the use of the word Just like. So E is right answer

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Dear RAHUL_GMAT,

I'm happy to respond.

The structure
Like X, Y [verb]
is 100% correct. What we are comparing here are the two nouns. What is comparable about those two nouns are that the same action, the same verb, applies to both of them, but the objects of the comparison itself are the nouns. Thus, we use "like."

The structure
As X [verb], Y [verb]
is 100% grammatically correct, but if we are repeating the same full verb, this probably would sound redundant and excessively wordy--such an answer would never be right on the GMAT. Remember, grammar is never the only consideration on the GMAT SC: many incorrect answers on the GMAT SC are 100% grammatically correct but wrong for other reasons.

Think about the two different versions of (E):
(E) Like most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species, the swamp wallaby has a diet consisting . . .
(E2) As most other marsupial species and all other kangaroo species have, the swamp wallaby has a diet consisting . . .
The first, the original version of (E), is sleek, elegant, and direct. It's an exceptionally well crafted sentence. The second, (E2), is grammatically correct, but it's stuffy, flabby--just not as sparklingly powerful as the original. It sounds as if someone was trying to sound intelligent and didn't pull off the effect successfully. Changing to the "as" construction definitely was not an improvement.

You may find this blog and the related blogs helpful:
GMAT Sentence Corrections: Comparison

Does all this make sense?
Mike

A makes a comparison error, compares species to diets.
B uses ‘diets’ instead of diet.
C is correct, but ‘just like’ is a rather informal colloquialism.
D again compares ‘diets’ to ‘species’
E is the only correct answer.

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Step 1: Read the Original Sentence Carefully, Looking for Errors
This sentence begins with the word “Like,” which signals that you have a comparison to check.
Look at the items being compared and make sure they are comparable. In the original sentence,
species are compared to a diet. That’s an incorrect comparison.

Step 2: Scan and Group the Answer Choices
All the answer choices contain “like” or “similar to,” so they all contain comparisons. As you
examine each choice, look to ensure that it makes a proper comparison. Notice how Attention to
the Right Detail—to the words that signal a comparison—has helped you to quickly form a strategy
for this question.

Step 3: Eliminate Choices Until Only One Remains
The incorrect comparison in the original sentence means that you would automatically eliminate
(A). Aside from sounding awkward, (B) contains a subject/verb agreement problem—the plural noun
“diets” takes the singular verb “consists,” which is incorrect. (C) should be eliminated because in
the introductory phrase “diet” should be plural; also, there’s no reason to use “Just like” rather than
“Like.” In addition, “Like” is preferable to “Similar to” in (D), which also incorrectly compares diets
to wallabies. Only (E) correctly compares the swamp wallaby to other species.