Bunuel wrote:
A sample of osmium metal powder has been compressed under high pressure and found to have hardness
higher than that of diamond.
A. higher than that of
B. higher than
C. more high than that of
D. more high than
E. that is higher than that of
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
A sample of osmium metal powder has been compressed under high pressure and found to have hardness higher than that of diamond.A. higher than that of
This answer logically and correctly compares the hardness of osmium metal powder with the hardness of diamond.B. higher than
This answer choice draws an illogical comparison between the hardness of osmium metal powder and diamond. In a comparison, the two elements compared should be comparable. Thus, one can compare two materials (osmium metal powder and diamond), or the hardness of two materials (the hardness of osmium metal powder and the hardness of diamond), but not the hardness of a material and another material.
What helps us identify this question as a Comparative question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:
Like, unlike, than, asC. more high than that of
This answer choice is stylistically flawed. Replacing the single word higher with the two-word phrase more high creates redundancy.D. more high than
This answer choice is both logically and stylistically flawed.
It draws an illogical comparison between the hardness of osmium metal powder and diamond. In a comparison, the two elements compared should be comparable. Thus, one can compare two materials (osmium metal powder and diamond), or the hardness of two materials (the hardness of osmium metal powder and the hardness of diamond), but not the hardness of a material and another material.
What helps us identify this question as a Comparative question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: Like, unlike, than, as
Stylistically, replacing the single word higher with the two-word phrase more high creates redundancy.E. that is higher than that of
While logically and grammatically correct, this answer choice is stylistically flawed. Adding the words that is creates redundancy.