Incomplete comparison

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An incomplete comparison is a misleading argument popular in advertising. For example, an advertiser might say "product X is better". This is an incomplete assertion, so it can't be refuted. A complete assertion, such as "product X sells for a lower price than product Y" or "the new product X lasts longer than the old product X" could be tested and possibly refuted.

In grammar, an incomplete comparison is a comparison that leaves out one of the item being compared. Unacceptable: Learning Chinese is more difficult. [More difficult than what?] Acceptable: Learning Chinese is more difficult than learning Spanish.^[1]

See also[]

• Inconsistent comparison
• Fallacy
• False advertising

References[]