5/29/2020 Comparison: clauses ( bigger than we had imagined ) - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary

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Comparison: clauses (bigger than we had imagined)

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Grammar > Adjectives and adverbs > Adjectives > Comparative and superlative adjectives > Comparison: clauses (bigger than we had
imagined)

from English Grammar Today

The second part of a comparison (underlined) is often a clause:

The price was higher than we had expected.

That restaurant is not as good as it used to be.
It was the best nature documentary I’ve ever seen.

Than-clauses
We can use than to introduce a clause after a comparative adjective, adverb or noun phrase. The
clause (underlined) is usually a reduced clause (a clause with ellipsis) or one with a substitute verb
do:

The house was bigger than we had imagined. (… bigger than we had imagined it was)
The journey took longer than expected. (… longer than people expected it to take)

He finished the second part more quickly than he did the first part. (… more quickly than he
finished the first part.)
He always spent more money than George did. (… more money than George spent.)

Warning:
We use than, not that or as, to introduce a clause after a comparative adjective or adverb:

We finished the job quicker than we had expected.

Not: … quicker that we had expected. or … quicker as we had expected.
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Ellipsis
Substitution

That-clauses
We can use a that-clause after a superlative:

Until 2005, the film had made the most money that any British film had ever made.

In informal situations, we can omit that:

It was the biggest fire (that) anyone had ever seen.

It was the least expensive restaurant (that) we ate at, but the food was excellent.

See also:
Comparative and superlative adjectives

Adverbs: comparative and superlative forms

Popular searches
01 Advice or advise?

02 As well (as)

03 Word formation

04 Adverbs and adverb phrases: position

05 At, on and in (place)

06 Open or opened?

07 Discourse markers (so, right, okay)

08 Verbs

09 As … as

10 If or whether?

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