FAULTY

COMPARISON
(ALSO KNOWN AS: BAD COMPARISON, FALSE
COMPARISON, INCONSISTENT COMPARISON
[FORM OF])
 3 KINDS OF FAULTY
COMPARISON
 Illogical comparisons occur when there is an implied
comparison between two things that are not actually being
compared or that cannot logically be compared.
 Illogical: The interest at a loan company is higher than a bank.
 Revised: The interest at a loan company is higher than that at a
bank.
 Revised: The interest at a loan company is higher than a
bank's.
My sister’s baking is as good
as Mom.
Revised: My sister’s baking is
as good as Mom’s baking
Ambiguous comparisons occur when elliptical
words (those omitted) create for the reader more
than one interpretation of the sentence.
Ambiguous: I like Nancy better than you.
Revised: I like Nancy better than I like you.
Revised: I like Nancy better than you do.
Father like Mother’s baking than
me.
Revised: Father like Mother’s
baking more than he likes mine.
Incomplete comparisons occur when the basis of
the comparison (the two categories being
compared) is not explicitly stated.
Incomplete: Watching television is more
interesting. (Than what?)
Revised: Watching television is more interesting
than reading books.
I like cakes the most.
Revised: I like cakes the most
among other desserts out there.
ÉMILIE WORKED HARDER ON
THIS ASSIGNMENT.
In the sentence above, one of the items
being compared is missing. Did Émilie
work harder than her classmates, or
harder than a specific classmate? Or did
she work harder on this assignment
than on another? We don't know: the
comparison is incomplete.
Emilie worked harder on this
assignment than Serafina.

Émilie worked harder on this

assignment than she did on the
previous ones.
FRANK IS FRIENDLIER THAN
ANYONE I KNOW.
In the sentence above, the expression
"anyone I know," includes Frank,
because she is someone that I know.
Frank is therefore being compared to
herself, among others. Can Frank be
friendlier than herself? No. The
comparison is illogical.
Frank is friendlier than Mia.
Frank is friendlier than my
cousins.
BRUNO SPENDS MORE MONEY
ON HER DOG THAN JEREMY.
In the sentence above, the comparison is faulty
because it is ambiguous. Does Bruno spend more
money on her dog than she spends on Jeremy? Does
she spend more money on her dog than Jeremy does
(i.e. than Jeremy spends on her dog)? Does she spend
more money on her dog than Jeremy spends on his
dog? We don't know. The sentence is ambiguous. To
write a clear comparative sentence, choose one of
these options:
 (1)Bruno spends more money on his dog than she
spends on Jeremy.
(OR Bruno spends more money on his dog
than on Jeremy.)
(2) Bruno spends more money on his dog
than Jeremy does.
(3) Bruno spends more money on his dog
than Jeremy spends on his dog.
PAGE 166. ACT 13. ACTIVITY
SHEET.