Bunuel
Personal trainers and fitness coaches are to the narcissistic 1980’s just like a private fencing master and dancing teacher was to an earlier time.
(A) just like a private fencing master and dancing teacher was
(B) as have been a private fencing master and dancing teacher
(C) what private fencing masters and dancing teachers were
(D) what private fencing masters and dancing teachers are
(E) just the same as private fencing masters and dancing teachers had been
Well, many of you are confused between Option C and Option D. And to be honest, the difference is so subtle that if you fail to absorb the meaning presented in it, you will definitely mark the wrong option D.
Option C is correct because the author wants to show the similarity between two different types of teachers in two different time frames.
X are to Y what A were to B. This shows that X is replicating the behavior exhibited by A in an earlier time. If you say, X are to Y what
A are to B. Then, it would seem as if both the events were happening simultaneously, which is not the intended meaning of the sentence.