I do not understand the explanation for the following SC:

Teachers in this country have generally been trained either to approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles without truly understanding how to apply them.


to approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles

to approach mathematics like a creative activity or to force students to memorize rules and principles

to approach mathematics as a creative activity or to force students to memorize rules and principles

that they should approach mathematics as a creative activity or to force students to memorize rules and principles

that they should approach mathematics like a creative activity or that they should force students to memorize rules and principles

The explanation says: “Like” is used to compare the similarities between things, while “as” is used in comparisons that show equality. In this case, mathematics is a creative activity; thus, “as” is necessary.
I do not understand this difference. Please give me another example!!

Take a look at my response to the previous like vs. as question you posted (two before this one). That may clear things up. "like" is used when you want to say one thing is similar to something else: ManhattanGMAT's CAT is like GMATPrep (similar but not the same thing). "as" is used when you want to say one thing equals or is another thing: I approach the GMAT as a creative activity (GMAT = creative activity; I'm not saying the GMAT is merely "similar to" a creative activity.)

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Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT

Why can't the meaning of the original sentence be interpreted as ' similar to'
Mathematics similar to creative activity.

to approach mathematics like (similar to) creative activity.

Then do I go down a wrong path of comparing approach and creative activity ?

Here's a simpler example: I give you advice as a friend.
In this sentence, the "as" does not mean that advice = friend. If anything, I = friend. The "as" can be interpreted as "in the role of": I give you advice in the role of a friend.

When you say "I approach math as a creative activity" the "as" basically can be interpreted "as if it were" or "as I would approach."

You could use "as" to mean "similar to," as long as actions are what is similar. This requires having two verbs in the sentence: I give advice to you as a friend would. give advice = would (give advice).

We certainly can't use "like": I give you advice like a friend.
Since like must compare nouns, this sentence seems to say advice = friend, equating the wrong nouns.

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Emily Sledge
Instructor
ManhattanGMAT

Also:

César works like a slave (i.e. he works very hard and is paid very little)

César works as a personal shopper (this is his job)

This joke works wonderfully as an ice-breaker. (It breaks the ice during a presentation)

nice examples, kevin

_________________
Stacey Koprince
Instructor
Director of Online Community
ManhattanGMAT

Can someone please address this question?
What is wrong in saying Mathematics needs to be approached like a creative activity?

The answer key states:
"“Like” is used to compare the similarities between things, while “as” is used in comparisons that show equality. In this case, mathematics is a creative activity"

Why can't Mathematics and Creative activity be two different things suggesting that the comparison is metaphorical in nature? Mathematics might be a creative activity for some but not for all.

I think Like should be used,

Creative Activity is a noun here, thus like should be used, answer should be B


Whats the OA please.

This is a fair point.
Can someone from the MGMAT staff address this query..??

César works like a slave

Why like is right here how here works= slave cannot be true
César works as a slave is wrong



César works as a personal shopper
Does this requires a "does" after personal shopper to be true
why can't we use like here

Even i felt the same, looking at the above examples...:
Cesar works like a slave [works..]
Since we are saying about "how hard cesar works and how little he is paid"- which is an action/verb, so "like" should be wrong here (comparing verbs rather nouns- cesar himself is not compared to slave, his externt of WORK is compared to WORK done by slave). Any thoughts??

Most of the time, when you see a LIKE/AS split, it is about whether you are comparing nouns or actions, so I can see why this is giving people trouble.

Remember, as the examples above indicate, there are exceptions or alternative uses of LIKE and AS.

For those of you arguing that mathematics is similar to a creative activity, thus this is a noun comparison requiring "like," check out this example:

The filmmakers have been trained to create movies like political statements.

Sounds weird, doesn't it?
Have the filmmakers been trained like political statements? (i.e. the way political statements are trained? Nonsensical.)
Have the filmmakers been trained to create political statments, and are also learning about movies the same way?

"Movies" may be "like political expression," but you can't get tunnel vision on just that part of the sentence!

The important GMAT knowledge to take from this "Mathematics" question is
(1) Eliminate the choices with bad parallelism first. A and D eliminated.
(2) "to approach/force" is more concise and idiomatic than "that they should approach/force." E eliminated.

The parallelism (after all, the main concept of this question...) can help you select correct answer (C):

Teachers in this country have generally been trained
(1) either to approach mathematics (a certain way)
(2) or to force students to memorize rules and principles (a certain way).

The missing piece after "mathematics" is NOT what is similar to it, but what way mathematics should be approached. Thus, "as" is perfect.

_________________
Emily Sledge
Instructor
ManhattanGMAT