faulty comparisons
"She has more fun than anyone I know on this planet. She's pure passion, that girl." - Hugh Jackman, in People, about his wife Deborra-Lee Furness
Hugh has made a type of faulty comparison that is commonly found in questions on standardized examinations. The comparison in the first sentence is between "she" (his wife) and "anyone I know on this planet." The literal interpretation of Hugh's statement is that his wife does not live on this planet because comparing her to a group of people excludes her from the group.
To make a logical comparison, insert "else" into Hugh's sentence:
"She has more fun than anyone else I know on this planet."
This syntax creates a comparison between Hugh's wife and anyone else in the group of people on this planet.
This type of faulty comparison, which excludes a person or thing from a group, is also associated with the word "other." Read a discussion of the difference between "any" and "any other" in comparisons.
faulty comparisons
"I’ve always mixed with people older than me. I’m often told I appeal to older men more than guys my own age, and I think that’s pretty cool. Older men understand women more. They usually have better taste." - Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett has made an error that is very common in informal speech and writing: she has used an objective pronoun in place of a subjective pronoun in an elliptical clause. She has also made a confusing comparison.
An ellipsis is the omission of one or more words that are not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. However, the missing words must be kept in mind when determining the proper grammatical structure of the sentence.
When “as” or “than” is used to make a comparison in a clause or phrase that features an ellipsis, the subjective case must be used because the missing word is a verb that requires a subject. The noun phrase “people older than me” features an ellipsis, and the word that is missing is a form of "to be." However, you would not say, “people older than me am” because “me” is an objective pronoun. Change the objective pronoun to a subjective pronoun to correct the error.
While it is easy to understand that Scarlett is comparing her appeal to older men to her appeal to guys her own age, her choice of syntax does not clearly express this meaning. The comparison can be interpreted in two ways:
- I appeal to older men more than to guys my own age
- I appeal to older men more than guys my own age appeal to older men
The first meaning would be more clearly expressed if the preposition "to" were to be placed before the noun phrase "guys my own age."
"I’ve always mixed with people older than I am. I’m often told I appeal to older men more than to guys my own age, and I think that’s pretty cool."
The ellipsis in the original statement is avoided by adding the verb "am," which makes the statement sound less formal.
faulty comparisons
A faulty comparison is one that is not logical. Items that are compared must in fact be similar.
I like Bruce Springsteen's songs more than Madonna.
This sentence is illogical. What is being compared? A person's songs should not be compared to a person. Songs should be compared to songs.
These sentences contain logical comparisons:
I like Bruce Springsteen's songs more than Madonna's songs.
I like Bruce Springsteen's songs more than Madonna's.
I like Bruce Springsteen's songs more than those of Madonna.
The following sentence is incorrect:
The weather in Canada is colder than Mexico.
Weather should not be compared to a country.
These sentences contain logical comparisons:
The weather in Canada is colder than the weather in Mexico.
The weather in Canada is colder than that in Mexico.
When you see a word or phrase that indicates that there is a comparison in the sentence, ask yourself, "What is being compared?" Here are some such words and phrases:
- like
- as
- less than
- more than
- compared to
