OG-10-91

91. Like many self-taught artists, Perle Hessing did not begin to paint until she was well into middle age.

(A) Like

(B)
                         As have

(C) Just as with

(D) Just like (wordy)

(E)
                         As did

Choice A, the best answer, is concise and grammatically correct, using the comparative preposition like to express the comparison between many self-taught artists and Perle Hessing.
                Choices B and E, which replace A's prepositional phrase with clauses introduced by as, use auxiliary verbs that cannot properly be completed by any part of the verb phrase in the main clause: neither have ... did not begin nor did... did not begin is logically or grammatically sound.(后边是否定，找不到合适的助动词，而且即便这样，也没有用like简洁) In C and D, Just as with and Just like are both unnecessarily wordy.

请教: 如果E改成As didn't many self-taught artists, Perle Hessing did not... 可以吗?

我觉得从语法上应该可以,但从意思上很怪.

因为,as引导方式状语从句，目的是比较动作的相似性。而按照LZ的该法：

As A did not, B did not....., 那么就说明AB的动作完全一样，那还谈什么比较动作的相似性呢？干脆用like A, B...多简明！

是拉,谢谢again!