Question: For some reason the new consultant treats his clients like idiots, talking to them like they were mentally deficient and incapable of understanding more than the simplest ideas.
(A) like idiots, talking to them like they
(B) as if they were idiots, talking to them like they
(C) like idiots, talking to them as if they
(D) as idiots, talking to them like they
(E) like idiots who
“For some reason the new consultant treats his clients like” - is a GMAT sentence correction question. These sorts of questions possess grammatical errors in the underlined portion of the sentence, and the candidate needs to pick the correct statement. The GMAT sentence correction section detects the grammatical skills of the candidates. It enables the candidate to identify basic grammatical errors. It encourages the candidates to go through intricate and lengthy sentences precisely. GMAT sentence correction is part of GMAT verbal.
Answer: (C)
Explanation: There have already been many excellent observations made, but one is more significant. Although the functions of the words "like" and "as" are very similar, there is one significant difference. Nouns must be compared with "like," and clauses must be compared with "as." The "like" vs. "as" break at the start of the underlined portion is probably the first thing one should notice. Here, we are actually attempting to draw a direct analogy between the clients and "idiots" (at least, that's what the consultant seems to be doing).
Let us examine each choice separately to find the right answer with which the sentence is perfect.
Option – A : Incorrect
This option says, "talking to them like they're idiots." In the sentence, the second "like" is incorrect. This is because we are comparing actions, "as" is preferred. Therefore this option is ruled out.
Option – B : Incorrect
"As if they were idiots, talking to them like they," is what it says. Because nouns are being compared, the word "as" in the sentence must be "like." And the first word should be “like” instead of ”as”. Therefore this option is ruled out.
Option – C : Correct
It says “like idiots, talking to them as if they”. This is perfect and the words “as” and ”like” are used and placed in the right way to covey the accurate meaning. Also there are no grammatical errors here. Therefore this is the right option.
Option – D : Incorrect
This option has the sentence “as idiots, talking to them like they”. The same reason as the second option. Therefore this option is ruled out.
Option – E : Incorrect
It says “like idiots who”. There is undoubtedly a meaning issue here. However, in this option, the subordinate clause starting with "who" just modifies "idiots," stating that they are in fact mentally ill. In the original, we're trying to convey that he speaks to his clients as if they were mentally ill. Therefore this option is ruled out.
From the explanations it is clear that the third option is the right answer. The following is the right sentence structure.
For some reason the new consultant treats his clients like idiots, talking to them as if they were mentally deficient and incapable of understanding more than the simplest ideas.
Suggested GMAT Sentence Correction Samples
- Joan of Arc, a young Frenchwoman who claimed to be divinely inspired, turned the tide of English victories in her country GMAT Sentence Correction
- It ought to be her with whom you share your secrets, not me GMAT Sentence Correction
- The word vixen is a female fox GMAT Sentence Correction
- Among the world's famous volcanic mountains are Mount Vesuvius in Italy, which erupted in 1944 GMAT Sentence Correction
- Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty GMAT Sentence
- The first trenches that were cut into a 500-acre site at Tell Hamoukar, Syria, have yielded strong evidence GMAT Sentence Correction
- A study of children of divorced parents found that ten years after the parents' divorce, children who had been under six years of age at the time of the settlement were not preoccupied GMAT Sentence Correction
- It will not be possible to implicate melting sea ice in the coastal flooding that many global warming models have projected GMAT Sentence Correction
- A site once used as an observatory by the Anasazi, ancient pueblo dwellers of New Mexico GMAT Sentence Correction
- Whereas a ramjet generally cannot achieve high speeds without the initial assistance of a rocket GMAT Sentence Correction
- Many of the earliest known images of Hindu deities in India date from the time of the Kushan empire GMAT Sentence Correction
- Excavators at the Indus Valley site of Harappa in eastern Pakistan say the discovery GMAT Sentence Correction
- The Commerce Department reported that the nation's economy grew at a brisk annual pace of 3.7 percent in the second quarter GMAT Sentence Correction
- Dinosaur tracks show them walking with their feet directly under their bodies, like mammals and birds GMAT Sentence Correction
- Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by a parasitic worm, is prevalent in hot, humid climates, and it has become more widespread GMAT Sentence Correction
- Building on civilizations that preceded them in coastal Peru, the Mochica developed their own elaborate society GMAT Sentence Correction
- Scientists have recently found evidence that black holes—regions of space in which matter is so concentrated GMAT Sentence Correction
- Almost like clones in their similarity to one another, the cheetah species’ homogeneity makes them GMAT Sentence Correction
- In 1995 Richard Stallman, a well-known critic of the patent system GMAT Sentence Correction
- Heating-oil prices are expected to be higher this year than last because refiners are paying about $5 a barrel more for crude oil than they were last year GMAT Sentence Correction
Comments