Avoid double, illogical and unclear comparisons
key notes :
✅ 1. What Is a Comparison?
- A comparison is when two or more things are described by showing how they are similar or different.
- We often use words like more than, less than, as…as, and -er/-est for comparisons.
❌ 2. Avoid Double Comparisons
- Double comparisons happen when you use two comparison forms together by mistake.
🔍 Wrong:
This book is more better than that one.
✅ Correct:
This book is better than that one.
❗ Use only one form of comparison—either “more” or the comparative adjective like better, smarter, faster.
🤔 3. Avoid Illogical Comparisons
- An illogical comparison compares two things that are not alike or can’t logically be compared.
🔍 Wrong:
The price of this phone is higher than last year.
(What is it being compared to? The “price” is compared to a “year,” which is illogical.)
✅ Correct:
The price of this phone is higher than the price of the phone last year.
✔️ Make sure you are comparing the same type of things.
🌀 4. Avoid Unclear Comparisons
- Unclear comparisons confuse the reader because it’s not clear what is being compared.
🔍 Unclear:
She likes her dog more than her brother.
(Does she like her dog more than she likes her brother? Or does she like her dog more than her brother likes the dog?)
✅ Clear:
She likes her dog more than she likes her brother.
OR
She likes her dog more than her brother does.
💡 Be specific to remove confusion.
Learn with an example
▶️ Which text best completes the sentence?
‘Admit it, Simon. You don’t want to go to the amusement park because you’re ______.’
- more afraid of roller coasters than anyone
- even more afraid of roller coasters than Kevin is
- even more afraid of roller coasters than Kevin
Here is the correct text:
‘Admit it, Simon. You don’t want to go to the amusement park because you’re even more afraid of roller coasters than Kevin is.’
The other answer choices are incorrect:
x ‘Admit it, Simon. You don’t want to go to the amusement park because you’re more afraid of roller coasters than anyone.’ Comparing Simon to anyone is illogical. This comparison needs the word else to make sense.
x ‘Admit it, Simon. You don’t want to go to the amusement park because you’re even more afraid of roller coasters than Kevin.’ This comparison is unclear. It has two possible interpretations.
▶️ Which text best completes the sentence?
I prefer the landscapes of the desert ______.
- to those of the coast
- to any landscape
- to the coast
Here is the correct text:
I prefer the landscapes of the desert to those of the coast.
The other answer choices are incorrect:
x I prefer the landscapes of the desert to any landscape. Comparing landscapes to any landscape is illogical. The comparison needs the word other to make sense.
x I prefer the landscapes of the desert to the coast. Comparing landscapes to the coast is illogical.
▶️ Which text best completes the sentence?
Pip tends to be ______.
- calmer about tests than his brother is
- calmer about tests than anyone
- more calmer about tests than his brother is
Here is the correct text:
Pip tends to be calmer about tests than his brother is.
The other answer choices are incorrect:
x Pip tends to be calmer about tests than anyone. Comparing Pip to anyone is illogical. The comparison needs the word else to make sense.
x Pip tends to be more calmer about tests than his brother is. More calmer is a double comparison.
let’s practice!
