RULES OF THUMB FOR FAULTY

COMPARISONS

From Real Good

Grammar, Too by
Mamie Webb Hixon

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Can you find the man
in the coffee beans?
 This is bizarre –

After you find the guy, it's so obvious.

Once you find him - it's embarrassing, and you
think, “Why didn't I see him immediately?”
 And, yes, the man is really there.
 Doctors have concluded that, if you find the man in 3 seconds, then the
right half of your brain is better developed than most people.

 If you find the man between 3 seconds and one minute, then your right
half of the brain is developed normally.

 If you find the man between one minute and 3 minutes, then the right half
of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to Eat more
protein.

 If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the right half of your brain
is a mess, and the only advice is to look for more of these types
of exercises to make that part of the brain stronger.
 Now that you have found the man in the pile
of coffee beans, can you find the faulty
comparison error in the sentence below?
 Doctors have concluded that if you find
the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds,
the right half of your brain is better
developed than most people.
 FAULTY COMPARISON ERROR

 Doctors have concluded that if you find

the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds,
the right half of your brain is better
developed than most people.
 CORRECTION

 Doctors have concluded that if you find the

man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, the
right half of your brain is better developed
than the right half of the brain of most
people.
 TRUE OR FALSE?
 According to the data released in September 2010
by the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States is
“one nation under the poverty line,” and Mississippi
is the most poorest state in the country.

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 TRUE OR FALSE?
 The statement is true, but the grammar is false –
bad!
 BAD GRAMMAR (Both most and –est are incorrectly added
to the adjective poor, creating a faulty (ungrammatical)
comparison): According to the data released in September
2010 by the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States is “one
nation under the poverty line,” and Mississippi is the most
poorest state in the country.
 CORRECT: According to the data released in September 2010
by the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States is “one nation
under the poverty line,” and Mississippi is the poorest state in
the country.
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 Correct or Incorrect?
 Gas costs are higher than last year.
 Gas costs twenty cents more than last year.

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 Incorrect
 Gas costs are higher than last year.
 Gas costs twenty cents more than last year.
 THE INFORMATION MAY BE CORRECT, BUT THE
GRAMMAR IS INCORRECT.
 THE SENTENCES ABOVE CONTAIN FAULTY
COMPARISONS.
 Both sentences compare two dissimilar things: “gas
costs” and “gas” to “last year.”

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 Corrections
 CHANGE: Gas costs are higher than last year.
 TO: Gas costs are higher than they were last year.
 Gas costs are higher than last year’s.
 CHANGE: Gas costs twenty cents more than last
year.
 TO: Gas costs twenty cents more than it did last
year.

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 More Better English
 Try to make your writing more clear by using logical
comparisons.
 Obviously, “more better” and “more clear” are
grammatically incorrect. These are typical faulty
comparisons.
 REVISED
BETTER ENGLISH (No need for “more” and
“better”)
Try to make your writing clearer by using logical
comparisons. (one-syllable adjective – add only –er)
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  Comparisons occur when a writer establishes
a logical or grammatical relationship between
two or more similar people or things by
comparing them to each other. Usually, a
word such as than appears in the
comparison, or -er (or more) or -est or most
indicates the comparison.

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  Faulty comparisons occur when a writer
establishes an illogical or ungrammatical
relationship by comparing two or more
dissimilar people or things. Usually, -er and
more or -est and most appear with an
adjective (more clearer, for instance); or an
illogical statement is made (Gas prices are
higher than last year).

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 The following sentences are both
illogical and ungrammatical.
 The people in the South are more friendlier than they
are in the North.
 The summer temperatures in Los Angeles are much
higher than San Francisco.
 My British accent is not as noticeable as Carlos.
 The Celtics beat the Lakers worse than the Heat.
 Our team is as good, or better than, the Wildcats.
 Of the two weightlifters, he is the strongest.
 Tyson hit Holyfield harder than Spinks.

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 The following sentences are both
illogical and ungrammatical.
 The people in the South are more friendlier friendlier than they
are in the North.
 The summer temperatures in Los Angeles are much higher
than San Francisco than they are in San Francisco.
 My British accent is not as noticeable as Carlos not as
noticeable as Carlos’s accent.
 The Celtics beat the Lakers worse than the Heat than they beat
the Heat.
 Our team is as good, as good as, or better than, the Wildcats.
 Of the two weightlifters, he is the strongest stronger.
 Tyson hit Holyfield harder than Spinks than he hit Spinks.

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 Comp
 If your writing instructor has written this abbreviation (comp) above a
part of one of your sentences, you have likely committed one of these
errors:
 Misuse of the superlative – Of the two wars, the Civil War was
the longest.
 Double comparison – more friendlier, most highest honor, most
farthest, more rounder
 Illogical comparison – a car smaller than her brother
 Ambiguous comparison – I like Stewart better than you.
 Incomplete comparison – Smiladent gives you whiter teeth.
 Omission of “other” – A Toyota gets better gas mileage than
any Japanese car.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 OTHER is used with ANY to ensure that the

person or thing being compared is excluded
from the group of which it is a part.
 More people get their news from CNN than
from any other source.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 The -er ending or more is added to

adjectives and adverbs in comparisons of
two things or people.
 A competitive athlete practices daily to be
swifter, higher, and stronger than his or her
opponent.
 Of the two candidates, he is the more
qualified.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 The -est ending or most is added to

adjectives and adverbs in comparisons of
more than two things or people.
 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats closed in 2000
as the longest-running Broadway show ever
in the world; in 2006, Webber’s Phantom of
the Opera became the longest-running
Broadway show.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 More and -er are not combined in

comparisons; neither are most and -est.
 I was lonelier living in a large metropolitan
city than I am in a small town.
NOT
 I was more lonelier living in a large
metropolitan city than I am in a small town.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 More and -er are not combined in

comparisons; neither are most and -est.
 Among the high school seniors, Bland made
the highest score on the ACT.
NOT
 Among the high school seniors, Bland made
the most highest score on the ACT.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 Comparisons are made between two similar things.

 Colin Powell’s popularity was greater than anybody
else’s in the Bush cabinet.
NOT
 Colin Powell’s popularity was greater than anybody
else in the Bush cabinet.
 New York’s taxes are higher than California’s.
NOT
 New York’s taxes are higher than California.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 AS . . . AS is used when a point of equal or

superior comparison is made.
 Ammonia cleans most floors as well as or
better than many high-priced cleaners.
NOT
 Ammonia cleans most floors as well or better
than many high-priced cleaners.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 Comparisons between two people or things

are explicitly stated, not implied.
 I appreciate pop culture music better than my
roommate does.
NOT
 I appreciate pop culture music better than my
roommate. AMBIGUOUS

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 Comparisons are complete.

 The professor can do a better, more effective
job assisting students than she has in the
past.
NOT
 The professor can do a better, more effective
job assisting students.

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 Recognizing CORRECT Comparisons

 Comparisons are logical.

 My adviser notified me that my grades are
better than they were last semester.
NOT
 My adviser notified me that my grades are
better than last semester.

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  DEGREES OF COMPARISON
 Comparative Degree
 Superlative Degree

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 Degrees of Comparison - Examples
 POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
 gentle gentler gentlest
 charismatic more charismatic most charismatic
 dependable more dependable most dependable
 expensive more expensive most expensive
 clear clearer clearest
 lengthy lengthier lengthiest
 lucky luckier luckiest
 smart smarter smartest
 happy happier happiest
 good better best
 bad worse worst

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 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

 Most one-syllable and two-syllable modifiers

(adjectives and adverbs) change with the
addition of an –er and an –est.
 POSITIVE COMPARATIVE
SUPERLATIVE
 kind kinder kindest
 friendly friendlier friendliest
 witty wittier wittiest
 lonely lonelier loneliest
 relaxed more relaxed most relaxed
31  scary scarier scariest
 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

 Most three- to five-syllable modifiers and

some two-syllable modifiers (adjectives and
adverbs) change with the addition of more
and most.
 honest more honest most honest
 eager more eager most eager
 aggressive more aggressive most aggressive
 superstitious more superstitious most
superstitious
 efficient more efficient most efficient
 professional more professional most
professional
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 WHEN IN DOUBT, . . .

 Consult a dictionary.
 Look up the adjective or adverb, and the
dictionary will provide both the comparative
and superlative forms.
 lengthy lengthier lengthiest
 handsome more handsome most
handsome
 handsome handsomer handsomest

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 Rules for Comparing Things or People

 When comparing moretwo things

than or
twopeople,
things use
or people,
use -est
-er or or most.
more.

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 EXAMPLES

 Of the two schools in the area, the state

college has the stricter entrance
requirements.
 Of the three schools in the area, the state
college has the strictest entrance
requirements.

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 Comparative Degree with –er
or more
 President George H.W. Bush advocated for a
kinder, gentler [not more kinder, more
gentler] nation.
 Dolphins are smarter [not more smarter]
than sharks.
 Skiing is riskier [not more riskier] than
skating.

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  The diagnostic test is more harder than the final exam.
 CORRECT: The diagnostic test is harder than the final
exam.
hard harder hardest
 Children from dysfunctional families are usually more
needier than families living in a stable environment.
 CORRECT: Children from dysfunctional families are
usually needier than families living in a stable
environment.
needy needier neediest
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  Jon Stewart is a more funnier comedian than Stephen
Colbert.
 CORRECT: Jon Stewart is a funnier comedian than
Stephen Colbert
funny funnier funniest

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 Superlative Degree with –est
or most
 Jake is the most aggressive player on the
team.
 St. Augustine is considered the oldest city in
Florida.
 Shena is the tallest player on the women’s
basketball team.

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 REMEMBER: The superlative
degree is the best in its class.

 Among the Senior Superlatives in my

graduating class were the Most Likely to
Succeed and the Prettiest.

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 DOUBLE COMPARISONS

 Do not use both an -er/-est ending with the

words more/most.
 Robots perform many tasks with greater [not
more greater] speed than people do.
 In fact, robots are often better [not more
better] at performing tasks than humans are.

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 DOUBLE COMPARISONS

 Do not use both an -er/-est ending with the

words more/most: friendliest, NOT most
friendliest.
 INCORRECT: She is the most happiest girl in
the world.
 CORRECT: She is the happiest girl in the
world.

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 DOUBLE COMPARISONS

 INCORRECT: Is the United States more

safer from terrorist attacks now than it was
September 11, 2001?
 CORRECT: Is the United States safer from
terrorist attacks now than it was September
11, 2001?

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 ILLOGICAL COMPARISONS
Do not compare dissimilar items.
CHANGE
 The interest at a loan company is higher than a bank.
TO
 higher than a bank’s.
OR
 higher than that of a bank.
OR
 higher than the interest at a bank.

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 AMBIGUOUS COMPARISONS
Make sure that the meaning of
the sentence is clear to the
reader.
CHANGE
 Jacob likes pizza better than
Juju.
TO
 better than Juju does.
OR
 better than he likes Juju.

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 INCOMPLETE COMPARISONS
CHANGE
 Television advertising is more effective.
TO
 more effective than magazine advertising.

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 INCOMPLETE COMPARISONS
CHANGE
 Millions more web users turn to real news
media for news.
TO
 Millions more web users turn to real news
media for news than to “citizen news.”
CHANGE
Real news media are more reliable and
responsible.
TO
Real news media are more reliable and
responsible than online news videos.

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 INCOMPLETE COMPARISONS
CHANGE
 The gap between rich and poor is growing
wider.
TO
 The gap between rich and poor is growing
wider than it has in the last decade.

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 OMISSION OF AS

CHANGE
 Online advertising is as effective if not more
so than television advertising. (as is missing)
TO
 Online advertising is as effective as
television advertising, if not more so.

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 OMISSION OF OTHER, ANY, and ELSE

CHANGE
 Los Angeles has more
freeway traffic than any
city in the U.S. (other is
missing)
TO
 than any other city in
the U.S.

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 OMISSION OF OTHER, ANY, and ELSE

CHANGE
 He has lost more jobs
than any president in
the last five years.
(other is missing)
TO
 than any other
president in the last five
years.

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 OMISSION OF OTHER, ANY, and ELSE

CHANGE
 More people voted this
year than in any
election. (other is
missing)
TO
 than in any other
election.

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 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 Does anyone
have any
questions about
recognizing or
correcting faulty
comparisons?

 PLEASE ASK!!!

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 LET’S PRACTICE!!!
 Roses are traditionally more symbolic than any
flower.
 any other flower
 I am more lonelier here than I was in California.
 I am lonelier
 Our new apartment is just as spacious, if not more
spacious than, our old one.
 just as spacious as

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 LET’S PRACTICE A LITTLE MORE!!!

 No one works harder.

 No one works harder than Dan works.

 The salary of a manager is lower than a

lawyer.
 lower than a lawyer’s.

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