Can I use the comparative without 'than'?

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Ahn

#424075 Thu, 27 Sep 07 12:27 AM

It explains why actual governance of USA seems to be much stronger when its economy superficially occupies only 27% of the world.

Is this sentence odd without 'than' part?

Ahn

Joined on Thu, Mar 1 2007

South Korea

Regular Member (506)

Clive

#424084 Thu, 27 Sep 07 12:45 AM

Hi,

It explains why actual governance of USA seems to be much stronger when its economy superficially occupies only 27% of the world.

Is this sentence odd without 'than' part?

No, as long as the context states or at least implies what the comparison is to.

Sentences like the following are fine. Yesterday, I was sick. Today, I feel much better.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (22,253)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Ahn

#424090 Thu, 27 Sep 07 01:22 AM

Does your answer 'No' means my sentence is not odd then?

I think the comparison in my sentence implies 'much stronger than it superficially is'.

Ahn

Clive

#424097 Thu, 27 Sep 07 01:39 AM

Hi,

It explains why actual governance of USA seems to be much stronger when its economy superficially occupies only 27% of the world.

Does your answer 'No' means my sentence is not odd then? Yes, I meant your use of 'much stronger' is not odd.

I think the comparison in my sentence implies 'much stronger than it superficially is'. That meaning is not clear to me.

Actually, without a context the whole sentence is not very clear to me. Here are a few comments.

'Governance' is not a common word. Do you perhap mean 'government',? I would say 'the government', and I would omit 'actual'.

What does it mean to say that the USA's economy 'occupies' part of the world? And what does 'superficially' mean here? I think you need to state your meaning in another way, perhaps in other words.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Ahn

#424102 Thu, 27 Sep 07 01:55 AM

Thank you for your pointing out the errors, Clive.

I used 'governance' as a meaning of 'governing power', but I didn't know what would be the best word for it.

And 'when its economy superficially occupies only 27% of the world' was to mean "the US economic scale occupies 27% of the world's economy."

I'll try to correct it more clear way.

Ahn