Incomplete comparison

{{Short description|Informal fallacy}}

{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}

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 not 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 items being compared. Unacceptable: Learning Chinese is more difficult. [More difficult than what?]. Acceptable: Learning Chinese is more difficult than learning Spanish.{{cite web |title=Incomplete Comparisons |url=http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/tsw/comp-i.htm |access-date=6 October 2012}}