HANDOUT FOR 11th CLASSES Comparision using comparative adjectives and adverbs As as

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

A car is as fast as a bus. Alice is as beautiful as Mary. Tom is as tall as Harry. as or not as

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

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. as

No other as

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

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 /as few/little as

As much/many

This structure is used to make a comparison of quantity.

y y y y y y

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

In an informal style, we use object pronouns (us, them, him etc.) after as. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
y y

I earn as much money as he does. We have as many children as they have. as

Not as much/many

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

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.

Comparision using comparative adjectives and adverbs To say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use comparative adjectives/adverbs.
y y y y

She is older than me. Tom is taller than his brothers. Iron is more useful than any other metal. He is cleverer than her.

In an informal style, object pronouns are used after than. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
y y

He is cleverer than she is. He earns more than I do.

We can use double comparatives ( er and er or more and more ) to say that something is changing.
y y

You are getting fatter and fatter. We are going more and more slowly.

The + comparative expression + subject + verb We can use comparatives with the in both clauses.
y y

the

to say that things change or vary together. Note the word order

The more I study, the less I learn. (NOT The older I get, the happier I am. (NOT

I learn the less.) I am the happier.)

More can be used with a noun in this structure.

y

The more money he makes, the more useless things he buys.

Comparison using superlative adjectives and adverbs We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
y y

Tom is the tallest of the four brothers. Gold is the most precious of all metals. (OR Gold is the most precious metal.)

Grammar notes Nouns with superlative adjectives normally take the article the (unless there is a possessive).
y

She is the best girl in the class. (NOT She is best girl )

Superlative adjectives in predicative position also tend to take the, though it is sometimes dropped in an informal style.
y

This book is (the) best.

The is sometimes dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style.

y

Who can run (the) fastest?

After superlatives, we do not usually use of with a singular word referring to a place or a group.
y y

He is the richest man in the world. (NOT of the world.) Who is the fastest player in the team? (NOT of the team?)

But of can be used before plurals, and before singular quantifiers like lot and bunch.
y y

Iron is the most useful of all metals. He is the best of the lot.

Degree modifiers with comparatives and superlatives We cannot use very with comparatives. Instead we use other degree modifiers like much, far, very much, a lot, lots, any, no, rather, a little, a bit and even.
y y y y

She is much older than her husband. (NOT very older than ...) Is he any better? Russian is much/far more difficult than Spanish. You are no better than him.

Grammar Notes Note that any, no, a bit and a lot are not normally used to modify comparatives before nouns.
y

There are much better shops in the city. (NOT

a bit/a lot better )

Quite is not normally used with comparatives, but it is possible in the expression quite better, meaning recovered from an illness . Superlatives can be modified by much and by far, and by other adverbs of degree such as quite and almost.
y y

She is by far the oldest in the firm. He is quite the most stupid person I have ever met.

When more modifies a plural noun, it is modified by many.

y

many more opportunities

When more modifies a singular/uncountable noun, it is modified by much.

y

much more money