UWF WRITING LAB RULES OF THUMB FOR FAULTY COMPARISONS

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UWF WRITING LABRULES 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?
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• 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?

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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
  moreprotein.
• 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 typesof
  exercises to make that part of the brain stronger.

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• 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.  

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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.  

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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.

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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 years.
• 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 Carloss 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 Webbers Cats closed in 2000 as the
  longest-running Broadway show ever in the world
  in 2006, Webbers 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 Powells popularity was greater than
  anybody elses in the Bush cabinet.
• NOT
• Colin Powells popularity was greater than
  anybody else in the Bush cabinet.
• New Yorks taxes are higher than Californias.
• NOT
• New Yorks 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
• scary scarier scariest

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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 two things or people, use
• -er or more.

• When comparing more than two things or people,
  use -est or most.

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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 womens
  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 banks.
• 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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LETS 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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LETS 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 lawyers.