UNIT 2 – BACHILLERATO – COMPARISON IN ENGLISH – GRAMMAR HELP AND PRACTICE Cf.: page 140

Using qualifying expressions

You can vary the strength of the comparison by using "qualifying" expressions.

1. Comparing two things

You can use "a lot", "much", "a little", "slightly" and "far" before "more / less than":

"She's a lot more intelligent than him."
"This car is much faster than the other one."
"They are much less wealthy than they used to be."
"He's a little taller than his sister."
"She's slightly less interested in football than him.
"We are far more involved in charity than they are."

When you use these qualifying expressions in English, remember the rules about using -er. If the adjective is one syllable, or ends in -y, add -er:

"He's far taller than her." (NOT "He's far more taller…")
"I'm much lazier than you!"

inequality: quantity

 The as...as structure (similes) is often used with quantity expressions such as 'much' and 'many'.

This phone doesn't have as many features as the other one.
(The other phone has more features than this one.)

My ticket didn't cost as much as yours.
(Your ticket cost more than mine.)

1.1)       Inequality: noun phrases

  

We can use not + such + noun phrase + as to compare things using noun phrases.

The journey to London doesn't take such a long time as it used to.
(The journey to London used to take longer.)

I don't have such an interesting job as Julia.
(Julia has a more interesting job than I do.)

1.2)        Inequality: modifying with adverbs nearly, quite, nowhere near

  

When we want to show that there is a big or a small difference between the things being compared we can use the adverbs 'nearly', 'nowhere near' and 'quite'.

Emphasizing a big difference:

England isn't nearly as big as Russia.
England is nowhere near as big as Russia.
(Russia is much bigger than England.)

My shoes didn't cost nearly as much as yours.
My shoes cost nowhere near as much as yours.
(Your shoes cost much more than mine.)

There aren't nearly as many people here today as there were yesterday.
There are nowhere near as many people here today as there were yesterday.
(There were far more people here yesterday than there are today.)

Setting up a business isn't nearly such a complicated process now as it used to be.
Setting up a business is nowhere near such a complicated process now as it used to be.

(Setting up a business used to be a much more complicated process than it is now.)

Emphasizing a small difference:

My flat isn't quite as big as Jenny's.
(Jenny's flat is a little / a bit / slightly bigger than mine.)

The journey didn't take quite as long as it did last time.
(The journey took a little / a bit / slightly longer last time.)

2. Saying how two things are similar

When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. that are to some respects equal, we may use the comparison of equality. This is formed by the use of (simile).

You can use "almost as … as", "not quite as … as", "(not) nearly as … as", "nowhere near as … as", "twice as … as" and "half as … as" to change the extent of the similarity.

"She's almost as good as you!"
"He's not quite as confident as Susie."
"I'm not nearly as intelligent as her!"
"This painting is nowhere near as famous as the first."
"She's twice as old as him!
"He's half as interesting as you!"

 When the comparison is negative, we use

so... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine.

In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped.

eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial.

Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties.

In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used.

eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it.

Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of:

the...the...with comparatives.

eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
The more he read, the less he understood.