Sentence Improvement
🔒 Log in to trackComparison and structural fixes
🔒 Log in to trackComparison questions test four things. These are a doubled marker (more better), unlike things compared, to after senior and its kin, and the count of items. The right option is usually the smallest change. An option that rewrites half the sentence is only there to distract you.
Four repairs for comparisons
1. Double marker. More better, most shortest and more preferable mark the degree twice. Drop the extra word: better, shortest, preferable.
2. Compare like with like. Compare a thing with the same kind of thing.
- The climate of Shimla is cooler than that of Delhi. (climate with climate)
- The roads of Bhopal are wider than those of Indore. (roads with roads)
Use that for a singular noun and those for a plural noun.
3. Latin comparatives take to. After senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, preferable and prefer, use to. Never use than.
- He is senior to me.
- I prefer tea to coffee.
4. Count the items. Exactly two items need the comparative: the larger of the two. Three or more need the superlative: the largest of the five. Of all needs the superlative.
Rule: Read the count phrase (of the two, of all, of the five) before you judge the form.
Words that are already marked
These words carry their degree inside them. They refuse more or most.
better, worse, elder, former, latter, major, minor, superior, inferior, prior, senior, junior, preferable, perfect, unique, ideal, complete.
Say better, never more better. Say unique, never most unique. A unique thing has no scale to climb.
How the options are built
- One option repeats the fault in new clothes: more better becomes more good. Senior than becomes more senior than.
- One option fixes the marker but breaks the count. The most effective stays where only two items exist.
- One option turns than Delhi into a full clause like Delhi's streets are. This doubles the sentence and is never the cleanest fix.
- The clean repair changes only what the fault needs.
Tip: Two options both fix the fault? Choose the smaller change.
Worked pass
Take this sentence: The climate of Shimla is more cooler than Delhi. Work through it in three steps.
- More cooler marks the degree twice. Drop more.
- Climate is compared with Delhi, a city. Use that of Delhi.
- The repaired line is The climate of Shimla is cooler than that of Delhi.
A good answer often fixes two small things at once. Look for both before you choose.
Check the fix
After you substitute, read the whole sentence again. A new fault can hide inside the fix.
- Those of with a singular noun is wrong.
- Prefer to with than still after it is wrong.
- A superlative without the is wrong.
Watch: Than that of is not always right. Use it only when the comparison is between things that belong to a place or person.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Double-marker fix
The bold part has more + an -er word or most + an -est word (more better, far more better, most shortest).
Find the form that is already marked (better, shortest).
Delete the extra marker. The fix is a subtraction.
Reject options that swap one doubling for another (more good) or break the comparison.
The double marker is pure repetition. The right option stops marking twice.
The second model is far more better than the first. (far better / No substitution required / more good / best)
Show solutionHide solution
'Better' already means 'more good'.
Keep the word 'far' and drop 'more'.
'Best' does not fit a comparison with 'than'.
far better
That of / those of repair
The sentence compares 'the X of A' with a bare name ('than Delhi'), so unlike things are compared.
Name the two things being compared.
They must be the same kind: X with X.
Add 'that of' (singular) or 'those of' (plural) before the second name.
'Those of' quietly brings back the missing 'the streets of'.
The streets of Mysuru are cleaner than Bangalore. (those of Bangalore / that of Bangalore / No substitution required / Bangalore's streets)
Show solutionHide solution
Streets are compared with a city. That is unlike.
Streets must be compared with streets.
Plural noun takes 'those of Bangalore'.
those of Bangalore
Latin comparative and prefer
The bold part joins senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, preferable or prefer with 'than' or another wrong partner.
Spot the Latin comparative or 'prefer'.
Its partner is always 'to'.
Reject options that keep 'than' in any form (more senior than).
These words came into English with 'to' attached. 'Than' belongs only to -er and more forms.
My sister prefers coffee than tea in winter. (prefers coffee to / No substitution required / prefer coffee to / is preferring coffee than)
Show solutionHide solution
The verb is 'prefers'. Its partner is 'to'.
The subject 'my sister' is singular, so keep 'prefers'.
'Prefer coffee to' drops the -s and breaks agreement.
prefers coffee to
Count of items (two or more)
The sentence says how many items there are (of the two, of all, of the five) and the bold form has the wrong degree.
Find the count phrase.
Two items: comparative with 'the'. Three or more: superlative with 'the'.
Pick the option with the right degree. Keep 'the'.
The count fixes the degree. The neighbouring degree is the decoy.
Iron is the most useful of the two metals for building bridges. (the more useful / No substitution required / more useful / useful most)
Show solutionHide solution
'Of the two metals' gives a count of two.
Two items need the comparative: 'more useful'.
Keep 'the': 'the more useful'.
the more useful
Words that are already absolute
The bold part adds more, most or very to a word like unique, perfect, ideal or complete.
Spot the absolute word.
Remove the extra marker.
Keep the plain word.
An absolute word has no scale, so it cannot be compared.
Every fingerprint is most unique, so police rely on it. (unique / No substitution required / more unique / very much unique)
Show solutionHide solution
'Unique' means one of a kind.
A word like that has no degrees.
Drop 'most': 'unique'.
unique
Shortcuts that save time
Two 'the X of A' phrases are compared, but the second is bare. Add 'that of' for a singular noun or 'those of' for a plural noun.
The roads of Bhopal are wider than Indore. (those of Indore / that of Indore / Indore's roads are / No substitution required)
Show solutionHide solution
The first noun is 'roads', which is plural.
Roads must be compared with roads.
Plural takes 'those of'.
those of Indore
Look for more + a word that already has -er, or most + a word that already has -est. If you find one, the repair is a subtraction.
Find the count phrase in the sentence. 'Of the two' means the comparative with 'the'. 'Of all' means the superlative.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Choosing 'than that of' when the sentence does not compare two possessive phrases.
Use 'that of' or 'those of' only when unlike things are compared.
Fixing more better into more good.
Drop the extra marker. Say 'better'.
Writing 'senior than' or 'prefer X than Y'.
Say 'senior to' and 'prefer X to Y'.
Using the superlative when the sentence says 'of the two'.
Two items need the comparative with 'the': the more useful.
Treating 'No substitution required' as wrong because the sentence looks plain.
Plain and correct are different from wrong.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
more better and most shortest: cut the doubled marker.
Compare like with like: that of (singular), those of (plural).
senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, preferable, prefer: use to.
Of the two: comparative with the. Of all: superlative with the.
Already-marked words: better, elder, unique, perfect, ideal.
Reject options that fix the marker but break the count.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.