by dmitryknowsbest Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:31 pm
I see what you're saying. We can't drop verbs in a comparison. If we do have verbs in both parts, then we are comparing clauses, and therefore need "as." If we are using "like," we are comparing nouns, so the meaning is slightly different. Let's compare:
Like Ankit, Rohan rebelled against the government.
This means that Ankit is similar to Rohan, in that both rebelled against the government.
As Ankit did, Rohan rebelled against the government.
Here, we are saying that the actions are similar, but we are not drawing a comparison between the people. I know this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference all the same. Depending on the context, one or other comparison might work better. For isntance, here's a sentence where a "like" comparison works well:
Like the GRE, the GMAT is a computer-adaptive exam.
This is much better than saying "As is the GRE." We are drawing a similarity between the two exams. On the other hand, here's one where "as" is better:
Melanie agrees with me, as does Fred.
This is better than saying "Like Fred, Melanie agrees with me," because I am able to better emphasize the point that more than one person agrees with me. I'm not trying to say that Melanie and Fred are alike; I'm just trying to drum up support for myself.
Dmitry Farber
Manhattan GMAT Instructor