15. Word Pairs and Comparisons (SAT) (SAT WRITING)

​Digital SAT

Grammar Section


Lesson 15

​Correlative Pairs

​Word Pairs
Word pairs can be used to create comparisons indicating either similarity or difference. These words must always appear together; they cannot be mixed and matched with each other or paired with other words.

As ... as

As ... as is used to indicate that two people or things are equal.

Incorrect: Among pioneers of modern dance, Isadora Duncan is as renowned a dancer and choreographer than Martha Graham.

Correct: Among pioneers of modern dance, Isadora Duncan is as renowned a dancer and choreographer as Martha Graham.

Not only ... but (also)
Saying that something is not only x & but (also) y means that it is x as well as y

Incorrect: Martha Graham was not only a great dancer and (also) a great choreographer.

Correct: Martha Graham was not only a great dancer but also a great choreographer.

More/-ER ... than, Less ... than

Incorrect: At 25 feet, a python named Medusa is longer as any other snake in the world.

Correct: At 25 feet, a python named Medusa is longer than any other snake in the world.

(N)either ... (n)or

Incorrect: In the United States, neither Nikola Tesla or James Joule is as famous as Thomas Edison.

Correct: In the United States, neither Nikola Tesla nor James Joule is as famous as Thomas Edison.

​Correlative pairs are pairs of words that must go together.

not only ... but also ...
neither ... nor ...
between ... and ...
not for ... but for ...
at once ... and ...
either ... or ...
both ... and ...
from ... to ...
not so much for ... as for ...

​Correlative pairs must be followed by grammatically parallel structures.
Incorrect: He is at once brilliant and a criminal.
Correct: He is at once brilliant and insane.

​Faulty Comparisons

Faulty Comparisons
Always compare people to people and things to things.
Singular Faulty Comparison
Incorrect: Throughout the 1950s, the music of composer Charles Ives was far less popular among audiences in the United States than John Philip Sousa.
Correct: Throughout the 1950s, Charles Ives's music was far less popular among audiehces in the United States than John Philip Sousa's music.

Correct: Throughout the 1950s, Charles Ives' s music was far less popular among audiences in the United States than the music of John Philip Sousa.
A singular noun can also be replaced with the phrase that of

Correct: Throughout the 1950s, Charles Ives' s music was far less popular among audiences in the United States than that of John Philip Sousa. (That of= the music of)

Plural Faulty Comparison
Plural faulty comparisons can also be fixed either with nouns or with the phrase those of

Incorrect: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to human toddlers.

Correct: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to the skills of human toddlers.

Correct: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to those of human toddlers. (Those of= the skills of)

Plural Faulty Comparison
Alternately, that of may be incorrectly used to refer to a plural noun.

Incorrect: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to human toddlers.

Incorrect: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to that of human toddlers.

Correct: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess skills similar to those of human toddlers.

Those of may also be incorrectly used to refer to a singular noun.

Incorrect: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess a level of understanding similar to human toddlers.

Incorrect: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess a level of understanding similar to those of human toddlers.

Correct: Although birds are not generally known for their intelligence, recent findings have established that parrots often possess a level of understanding similar to that of human toddlers.

Furthermore, when two things are compared, they must be the same type of thing. Otherwise, a faulty comparison is created.

Incorrect: Unlike a train, the length of a tram is usually limited to one or two cars, which may run either on train tracks or directly on the street.

Even though both train and length are things, they are not equivalent. We can either compare a train to a train or a length to a length, but we cannot compare a train to a length.

Correct: Unlike the length of a train, the length of a tram is usually limited to one or two cars, which may run either on train tracks or directly on the street.

Correct: Unlike that of a train, the length of a tram is usually limited to one or two cars, which may run either on train tracks or directly on the street. (That of= the length of)

Comparing Amounts: Fewer vs. Less, Many vs. Much

• Fewer and many refer to things that are quantifiable-things that can be counted. They are followed by plural nouns.

• Less and much refer to things that are not quantifiable-things that cannot be counted. They are

followed by singular nouns.

Fewer vs. Less
Incorrect: Because Antarctica is characterized by extreme temperatures and harsh living conditions, it supports less animal species than any other continent does.

Correct: Because Antarctica is characterized by extreme temperatures and harsh living conditions, it supports fewer animal species than any other continent does.

Animal species is plural and can be counted, so fewer should be used.

Incorrect: Because Antarctica is characterized by extreme temperatures and harsh living conditions, it supports fewer animal life than any other continent does.

Correct: Because Antarctica is characterized by extreme temperatures and harsh living conditions, it supports less animal life than any other continent does.

Animal life is singular and cannot be counted, so less should be used.

Many vs. Much
Incorrect: Despite blazing heat and constant threats from predators, much more types of animals inhabit the African savannah than inhabit other, more moderate

environments.

Correct: Despite blazing heat and constant threats from predators, many more types of animals inhabit the African savannah than inhabit other, more moderate

environments.

Types of animals is plural and can be counted, so many should be used.

Incorrect: With over 1,100 animal species of mammals and over 2,600 species of bird, Africa hosts many more animal life than any other continent does.

Correct: With over 1,100 animal species of mammals and over 2,600 species of bird, Africa hosts much more animal life than any other continent does.

Animal life is singular and cannot be counted, so much should be used.

​Practice