Comparison

As ... as ...

This structure is used to say that people, things, actions or events are equal in a particular way.

Positive:

• A car is as fast as a bus.
• Alice is as beautiful as Mary.
• Tom is as tall as Harry.

If we want to say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use not so ... as ... or not as ... as ...

• Negative:
• Tom is not as/so tall as Harry.
• A car is not as/so fast as a train.
• Alice is not as/so beautiful as Susie.

No other as ... as ...

This structure can be used to compare one person or thing with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.

• No other girl is as intelligent as Alice.
• No other metal is as useful as iron.
• No other river is as long as the Niles.

As much/many ... as .../as few/little ... as ...

This structure is used to make a comparison of quantity.

• I earn as much money as you. (informal)
• Alice has as many children as Mary. (informal)
• Tom earns as much as Harry. (informal)
• We have as many cars as them. (informal)
• They have as few visitors as we have. (formal)
• They have as little money as we have. (formal)

Not as much/many ... as ...

This structure can be used to say that quantities are not equal in a particular way.

• He does not earn as much as I do.
• Harry does not eat as much food as Tom does.
• We do not have as many visitors as them.
• ==============================================================

We use the comparative to compare one person, thing, action or group with another person, thing etc.

We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that he/she/it belongs to.

All / any / none the + comparative

In this structure the means ‘by as much’.

• The journey was all the more difficult because our car broke down in the middle.
• Her high blood pressure made it all the more important to seek immediate medical attention.

X times + comparative than

The structure three / four times + comparative can be used instead of three / four times as much as.

• I can run three times faster than you. (= I can run three times as fast as you.)
• The task was ten times more difficult than I expected. (OR The task was ten times as much difficult as I expected.)
• The journey took four times longer than I had expected. (OR The journey took four times as long as I had expected.)

Note

twice and half cannot be followed by the above structure.

Instead, we use the structures twice as…as and half as…as.

• You are not half as beautiful as you think you are. (NOT You are not half times less beautiful…)
• She is going out with a man twice as old as her.

Pronouns after as and than

In an informal style, the pronouns (me, him, them, her, us) are used after as and than.

In a more formal style, subject pronouns (I, he, they, she, we) are used usually with verbs.

• I earn as much as him. (Less formal)
• I earn as much as he does. (More formal)
• She is older than me. (Less formal)
• She is older than I am. (More formal)

Infinitives (=to + verb) after superlatives

We can use the infinitive after a superlative.

• She is the youngest woman ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. (= She is the youngest woman who has ever won the Nobel Peace Prize.)

This structure is also possible after first, last and next.

• Who was the first woman to become the Prime Minister of the UK? (= Who was the first woman who became the Prime Minister of the UK?)

Non-assertive words after superlatives

words like ever, yet and any can follow comparatives and superlatives.

• It’s the best book I have ever read.
• This is my hardest job yet.

================================================================================================================================================

Fill in the comparison with as ... as.

1. John is (tall) Glen.
2. Janet is (beautiful) Jeniffer.
3. You are (crazy) my sister.
4. We can run (fast) they can.
5. My mom is (not / strict) your mum.
6. Your mobile phone is (not / trendy) mine.
7. Matrix II was (not / interesting) Matrix I.
8. This yoghurt (not / taste / good) the one I bought yesterday.
9. I can do (many / press-ups) you.
10. I (not / earn / much / money) you do.

Put the adjectives into the correct form.

1. Los Angeles is (large) than Chicago.
2. But New York is the (large) city of the United States.
3. The weather in Hollywood is (good) than in New York or New Jersey.
4. Nestor Studios is the (old) movie company in Hollywood.
5. Disneyland is (interesting) than any other amusement park.

Exercise on Comparison of Adverbs

Fill in the correct adverb form (comparative or superlative) of the adjectives in brackets.

1. I speak English (fluent) now than last year.
2. She greeted me (polite) of all.
3. She smiled (happy) than before.
4. This girl dances (graceful) of all.
5. Could you write (clear) ?
6. Planes can fly (high) than birds.
7. He had an accident last year. Now, he drives (careful) than before.
8. Jim can run (fast) than John.
9. Our team played (bad) of all.
10. He worked (hard) than ever before.

===============================================================

Rewrite each sentence with the word(s) in parentheses.

1. My watch is less attractive than yours.

My watch isn’t as attractive as yours.

2. Sally’s shoes aren’t as fancy as Jill’s.

3. Adam exercises less frequently than he used to.

4. This supermarket isn’t as expensive as the one across the street.

5. The actor’s new movie isn’t as exciting as his last one.

6. This gym is less convenient than the one near my house.

7. This review is less positive than that one.

8. The new tablet doesn’t start up as quickly as the old one.

==========================================

Use the words in parentheses to write superlative sentences. Use least when not is included in the parentheses. Make the nouns plural if necessary.

1. This is a state park. (not popular / in California)

This is the least popular state park in California.

2. Canada is a country. (large / in North America)

3. Tokyo has a population. (big / in Japan)

4. This is an apartment. (not expensive / in the building)

5. Alan drives. (fast / of my three brothers)

6. Jane is a student. (one of the / intelligent / in her class)

7. That was a class. (one of the / not interesting / I’ve ever taken)

8. Mel works. (not efficiently / all the people in this office)

9. This is a computer. (cheap / in the store)

10. That’s a street. (one of the / pretty / in this city)