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.

(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 other
(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

The correct answer is (B). The explanations says –

Clauses have subjects and verbs and are introduced by conjunctions or relative pronouns; phrases do not have subjects and verbs and are frequently introduced by preposition ‘like’, not the conjunction ‘as’, should introduce the underlined phrase.

My question – In the above sentence “More than 30 years ago Dr. Barbara McClintock, the Nobel Prize winner, report that genes can “jump” is a clause with the subject (Dr. Barbara McClintock) and the verb (reported). Also “as pearls moving mysteriously from one necklace to another” is a phrase. If we add ‘do’ and ‘that’ to this phrase, it will turn into a clause “as pearls do that move mysteriously from one necklace to another”.

In that case (C) is grammatically correct. Am I on track here? If yes, then how do we choose between (B) & (C)?

Can someone shed some light?

comparing genes to pearls. So have to use like. Only 2 choices with like. D is wordy. so "b"

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