Conventions of Composition Rule 162

Rule: In comparisons, the word as generally comes in pairs.


Examples:

Wrong: He is as tall, if not taller, than his brother. [As tall needs another as, but taller needs than.]

Better: He is as tall as, if not taller than, his brother.

Even better: He is as tall as his brother, if not taller.

Correct: Judy read as many books as anybody else in the university.


Practice using as:

  1. Andy hikes as many miles per day if not more than Taylor.
  2. The Night's Watch do as many pushups per day if not more than the Faith of the Seven.
  3. We ate as little on that hike if not less than the counselors did.


Resources for further explanation of the correct use of as and than in comparisons:

Grammar with Dan's Comparisons with As...As

Cambridge Dictionary's As...As