0

What's the error in following sentence?

I am better adapted to the climate than you.

The book says it's error free but I guess it's printing mistake because from what I have learned is that when we compare, we compare two equal things so the correct sentence should be : I am better adapted to the climate than you are. Am I right ?

Consider this example:
Incorrect:

The streets of London are cleaner than New York.

Correct:

The streets of London are cleaner than those of New York.

4
  • 1
    I like your version better, but I think the book is correct that the ending verb is optional. Perhaps someone with more grammar knowledge than I (have) will give a more informed opinion.
    – Andrew
    May 27, 2017 at 17:34
  • @Andrew I am saying so because consider this example if I say The streets of London are cleaner than Newyork then this sentence is wrong . Correct sentence will be The streets of London are cleaner than those of Newyork.
    – user212388
    May 27, 2017 at 17:42
  • 1
    "The streets of London are cleaner than New York's. "
    – Kreiri
    May 27, 2017 at 18:20
  • 1
    @user212388 I think your examples are better style but I suspect they're not more grammatical.
    – Andrew
    May 27, 2017 at 19:33

2 Answers 2

4

In your examples the parts that are left are are assumed, and it is a standard construction to do it this way.

I am better adapted to the climate than you (are adapted).
The streets of London are cleaner than New York' (are clean).
I am taller than you (are tall).

2
  • 1
    To be explicit. Both sentences that the OP says are "incorrect" are perfectly well formed complete English sentences.
    – James K
    Aug 1, 2017 at 9:27
  • It is also important to note that the trailing verb are is optional. Both versions are commonly heard. The trailing adjectives (clean, tall, etc.) are NOT optional. In my experience they are never spoken.
    – EllieK
    Sep 21, 2021 at 13:16
3

Both sentences involve a form of ellipsis called comparative deletion. Unlike some other forms of ellipsis, comparative deletion allows the omission of non-identical verb, for example am/are, so the section in brackets in the following sentence can be deleted:

I am better adapted to the climate than you [are adapted]

This sentence would never be written in full, but it could be written with or without [are]- it's a question of personal style which you would choose and, for a particular person, might depend on the context.

The streets of London are cleaner than New York [is clean].

This sentence is grammatically correct, but there may well be a semantic error, because it compares the streets of London with the whole of New York.

If the intention is to compare streets with streets, this could be done in two ways:

The streets of London are cleaner than New York's [streets]
The streets of London are cleaner than those of New York.

Note the apostrophe-s in the first version. The second version is more formal the first.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .