SC's Question number - 973, 974

973). No matter how patiently they explain their reasons for confiscating certain items, travelers often treat customs inspectors like wanton poachers rather than government employees .

(A) travelers often treat customs inspectors like wanton poachers rather than government employees

(B) travelers often treat customs inspectors as wanton poachers instead of government employees

(C) travelers often treat customs inspectors as if they were not government employees but wanton poachers

(D) customs inspectors are often treated by travelers as if they were wanton poachers rather than government employees

(E) customs inspectors are often treated not like government employees but wanton poachers by travelers

974). One noted economist has made a comparison of the Federal Reserve and an automobile as racing through a tunnel, bouncing first off one wall, then the other: the car may get where it is going, but people may be hurt in the process.

(A) made a comparison of the Federal Reserve and an automobile as racing through a tunnel, bouncing

(B) made a comparison between the Federal Reserve and an automobile racing through a tunnel, bouncing

(C) compared the federal Reserve with an automobile as racing through a tunnel and which bounced

(D) compared the Federal Reserve to an automobile racing through a tunnel, bouncing

(E) compared the Federal Reserve with an automobile that races through a tunnel and it bounces


Answers --

973). Best answer - D

A, B, C - incorrect - Dangling modifiers. -- Link below explains the dangling modifier concept.
http://gmat-grammar.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_gmat-grammar_archive.html

E - incorrect - violating parallelism - "not... but..." parallelism rule. "not like government employees,"........."but like wanton poachers."
Also treat like - unidiomatic

NOTE - Pronouns refer not necessarily to the nearest eligible noun at times....there are many such examples in OG ---
Quasars are so distant that their light has taken billions of years to reach the Earth; consequently, we see them as they were during the formation of the universe.The pronouns "them" and "they" refer to "quasars," and not to the nearest eligible noun "years."

In D "they" clearly refers to "customs inspectors." The 1st "they" refers to "customs inspectors," which is the subject of the sentence.


974). D is the best choice.

"compared to" is used to compare to unlike things to emphasize their similarity.

The economist compared India's economy to a high-speed train. India's economy and the train are two different entities

A, C - incorrect - " compare as " is unidiomatic.

B - incorrect -"compare between X and Y" is unidomatic.
E - incorrect - referent of it not clear