Comparison

Comparative and superlative structures

MORE

1) … better than …

This film is better than the one we saw yesterday.

2) … more + adj. + (noun) + than

I feel more tired than I felt yesterday.

3) … more and more + adj.

They felt more and more tired.

4) … comparative and comparative

The night became colder and colder.

5) the + comparative + subject + verb

The older I get, the happier I am. The more money he makes, the more he spends.

The more dangerous it is, the more I like it. The more I study, the less I learn.

LESS

1) … less + adj. + than … (formal)

It is less cold than in Siberia.

2) … the least + adj. … (formal)

Let´s choose the least complicated solution.

3) … not + as/so + adj. + as … (informal)

It is not as cold as in Siberia.

SIMILAR

1) … as + adj. + as …

London is as expensive as Paris.

about, almost, just, just about, nearly (formal) *
not anything like, nothing like, nowhere near, not early (informal) *
Comparisons with as …
1) … words/phrases* + adj. + as + adj. + as …

The heat is nowhere near as bad as people say.

2) … not + so/as + adj. + as … (informal)

1
Corfu is certainly not as/so quiet as it used to be.

3) … as much/many as + noun phrase // … as little/few as …

We use these structures to say that
There are reasonable hotel rooms for as little as 40 euros a night. quantity or amount is larger or smaller
than expected.
There are as many as 12 flights a day to Athens from London.

4) … as much/many as + noun phrase/clause/ever/possible/usual

We want to see as much as possible.

5) … as + singular noun + adj. + as …

We use a/an in front of the noun.
We want as cheap a flight as possible.

6) … not as/not such + singular noun + adj. + as …

Getting there is not as big a problem as you might think. We use not as + adj. + a/an + noun but
not such a/an + adj. + noun.
That´s not such a bad idea.

 as + clause

We can use a clause after as to compare two situations.

Maybe we could hire a car, as we did last year.

 as or like

When followed by a noun, as is used to describe the job or role of someone, or the function of something.

My friend Mark used to work there as an English teacher.

Like is used to say that one person or thing is similar to another.

I stayed in a hotel like that one last year.

Comparisons with so …, too …, enough

1) … so + adj. + that-clause

It gets so hot that a lot of people leave the city.

2) … so + adj. + as + to-infinitive (formal)

The difference in price is so small as to not be worth bothering about. (formal)

The difference in price is so small that it´s not worth bothering about. (informal)

3) … too + adj. + to-infinitive

If we don´t decide soon, it´ll be too late (for us) to get anywhere to stay.

4) … adj. + enough + to-infinitive

2
It´s easy enough to get into the centre from here.