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Comparisons (between, among, like, with, than)

Comparisons are frequently made in the Results sections of papers. When making a comparison, remember to:

  • Compare “like” with “like”
  • Avoid being vague – be as specific as possible
  • Words such as “reduced,” “increased,” and “decreased” can only be used to compare something to the way it was before, not to compare two different things. To compare two different things (e.g., groups of patients), use words such as “higher,” “shorter,” or “more”
  • Use “between” when comparing two things, but “among” for comparisons of more than two things

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Original URL: http://www.springer.com/authors/journal+authors/journal+authors+academy?SGWID=0-1726414-12-837817-0

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Examples:

BAD: The material from the riverbank was compared with the landfill.

GOOD: The material from the riverbank was compared with that from the landfill.

It doesn’t make sense to compare material to a landfill. Instead, we need to compare like with like – that is, material from the riverbank with material from the landfill.

GOOD: Expression levels of p53 in smokers were compared with p53 levels in non-smokers.

BETTER: Expression levels of p53 in smokers were compared with those in non-smokers.

Here “those” means “expression levels of p53.” It’s best not to repeat the same words in a sentence, since it can bore readers.

BAD: Reactions with the new machine were faster.
GOOD: Reactions with the new machine were faster than those with the old machine.

The first sentence makes the reader wonder “Faster than what?”

BAD: In our study, time until eating and inpatient time after surgery were reduced in the L Group compared with the T Group.
GOOD: In our study, time until eating and inpatient time after surgery were shorter in the L Group than in the T Group.


“Reduced” cannot be used to compare two different things.