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
- Read Grammar Examples and Celebrity Quotes with faulty comparisons.
