Shrey9 wrote:
Can you elaborate a bit on similar to vs like here ?
Also I want to confirm, the errors I pointed out, in all options including B and D, can they be considered useful to eliminate if one doesn’t have such deep knowledge or knowing these details are essential to do well on SC ?
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Hi.
I actually edited the choices a little to make the question more focused on comparisons. So, the parallel structure issue that you pointed out in (D) is no longer there.
Regarding the other issues that you pointed out,
- The pronoun issue in (A) is a clear and strong reason to eliminate the choice.
- Version (B) does not actually compare the fox's tail to the cat. It mentions the fox's tail and "that of the cat," which is presumably the tail of the cat. So, the decision point that you mentioned does not exist.
- What you said about "which" in (C) is the way to go. On the other hand, the use of "similar to" is perfect in (C), which expresses the logical meaning that a fox's tail is similar to that of a cat. "Similar to" is synonymous with "like," but similar to is a bit more specific than "like." "Similar to" indicates that something is like something else, but not exactly like it.
- Here's the OE for (D).
(D)
Incorrect. This version mentions both a cat’s tail and a fox’s tail, but is illogical, because it says that “a fox’s tail is similar” without indicating what a fox’s tail is similar to. It may seem to convey that a fox’s tail is similar to a cat’s tail, but actually, it conveys that a fox’s tail is like a cat’s tail in that both a cat’s tail and a fox’s tail are similar to something not mentioned. So, the comparison expressed by “a fox’s tail is similar” is incomplete.
Here's the OE for (E).
(E)
Correct. This version clearly conveys that a fox’s tail helps a fox to balance. The use of the modifier “similar to a cat’s” is perhaps slightly awkward, but the modifier does clearly modify “a fox’s tail,” in a manner similar to the manner in which “red and shiny” modifies “cherry” in the following example:
A cherry, red and shiny, sat on the plate.
Also, it may seem that which noun or pronoun the pronoun “it” refers to is ambiguous, since “fox’s,” “tail,” “that,” and “cat” all precede “it” in the sentence. However, since “fox’s tail” is the clearly the subject of “helps,” and since the fox’s tail would help the fox, we can tell that “it” refers to “fox.”
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