SAT Reasoning

Sub Topics

How to Structure Sentences in an Essay How to Write Better by Improving Your Sentence Structure Sentence Structure Identify And Avoid 'Mixed Structure' Sentences How to Write Logical Sentences And Avoid Faulty Comparisons Complete And Incomplete Sentences Examples Overview

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SAT Reasoning: Sentence Clarity: How to Write Clear Sentences
How to Write Logical Sentences And Avoid Faulty Comparisons

Writing essay without making errors of illogical comparison and incomplete sentence is often challenging. To get rid of this let’s discuss some important points. By knowing this you would be capable of writing effective essay.

How to Write Logical Sentences And Avoid Faulty Comparisons

How We Use Comparisons

I am going to tell you something about myself. I like eating at home better than swimming. Between net and The Umbrella, I'd say The umbrella is the best. I also think that walk has more importance in exercise.

Do you think the above all written seems correct? Absolutely not! As it is not making sense. So, comparisons are made between the interest and opinion of other’s and ours’.

Illogical Comparison Errors

I like eating at home better than swimming.

In this sentence, the comparison is made between two non-comparable things. Eating at home and swimming are poles apart and have no similarity. Let’s rectify it:

I like eating at home better than eating at swimming pool.

So, it was an error of illogical comparison.

S, while comparing we must ensure to compare the things of same nature.

Some time without using the words like 'other,' 'any,' or 'else' your sentence remain illogical.

Like we can’t say:

“This book is cheaper than any book”

So, you have to write:

“This book is cheaper than any other book”

Misused Comparatives and Superlatives

Look back to the 2nd sentence presented above that is:

“Between stone and The Umbrella, I'd say The umbrella is the best.”

This is the mistake of misused comparative forms

The comparative and superlative forms are used according to nature of word. Following are some examples your convenience:

Positive form:

When the single thing set of things are being discussed then it is called positive form. Like:

“He is his bad friend.”

Comparative form:

When the two things are being compared then the form which is used is comparative. Like:

“Tom is worse than Jack.”

You could not write bader in place of worse as “Tom is bader than Jack.” It would be wrong.

Superlative form:

When the three or more things are being compared then the form which is used is superlative. Like:

This red book is better than that green book, but yellow book is the best.

So, here best is superlative form.

For correcting our original example:

“Between net and The Umbrella, I'd say The umbrella is the better.”

No Comparison Errors

In the above third example we will make correction by completing the comparison. Sometimes we consider that the comparison we are making is correct. But that’s is not according to the mark. Like in our example:

I think that walking has more importance in exercise.

But to which thing I am comparing it? Something is misplaced – has more importance in exercise than what? Playing cricket? Bathing? So, we need to add something like:

I think that walk has more importance in exercise than jogging.

So, be ensure to complete sentence logically.

Ambiguous Comparison Errors

Clarity is much more important while writing ideas so that your writer should interpret the same you want to tell. Otherwise it would be regarded as ambiguous error. Like:

John is more affectionate of his father's advice than his mother.

This could be explained or interpreted more than one way. One is that John is more affectionate of his father's advice than his mother is affectionate of them. Second is John likes his father's advice more than he likes his mother! As it is ambiguous and needs correction so let’s write it as:

John was more affectionate of his father's advice than his mother was.

This sentence could be interpreted in two ways. First way is that John is more affectionate of his father's advice than his mother is affectionate of them. Secondly, John likes his father's advice more than he likes his mother!

So, to make it correct, we can write:

John was more affectionate of his father's advice than his mother was.,/p>

Now it's clear.

Lesson Summary

Here we have learnt that:

We should avoid illogical comparisons by comparing the items of same nature.
Avoid mixing the forms like positive, comparative, and superlative.
Make the clear and actual comparison so your reader could interpret the idea you want to present.
Revise your comparison to get yourself from presenting vague comparison.