Think: some differences are easy to see. One city feels calm, while another never seems to sleep. One explanation helps a little, while another suddenly makes everything clear. However, in English, it is not enough to say that something is better, bigger, cheaper or more interesting. Strong speakers and writers can show how big the difference is.
Is the difference huge?
Is it small?
Are two things almost the same?
Or does one thing clearly stand out from all the others?
In this unit, you will learn how words can change the strength of a comparison and make your ideas sound more accurate, natural and convincing.
Is the difference huge?
Is it small?
Are two things almost the same?
Or does one thing clearly stand out from all the others?
In this unit, you will learn how words can change the strength of a comparison and make your ideas sound more accurate, natural and convincing.
Revise: before we start, let’s revise what you already know about adjectives. You studied about adjectives in Form 7: Adjectives, Comparison Degrees – Different Structures
1. Big Difference with Comparative Adjectives
We can use these intensifiers before comparative adjectives: quite / much / a lot / far / way / a good deal
The basic structure is: intensifier + comparative adjective + than
The basic structure is: intensifier + comparative adjective + than
quite — [kwaɪt] — can show that the difference is noticeable. It is not the strongest intensifier, but it tells us that the difference is clear enough to matter.
This dress is quite cheaper than the one I saw yesterday.
This dress is quite cheaper than the one I saw yesterday.
much — [mʌtʃ] — makes a comparison clearly stronger. It shows that the difference is large. Use "much" when the difference is easy to notice.
It’s much hotter today than it was yesterday.
It’s much hotter today than it was yesterday.
a lot — [lɒt] — has a similar meaning to "much". It shows a big and noticeable difference. "A lot" is common in spoken English.
He’s a lot less experienced than his brother.
He’s a lot less experienced than his brother.
far — [fɑːr] — makes the comparison strong and often sounds more formal than "a lot". It is very useful when you want to sound precise and confident.
The journey to the city is far longer than I anticipated.
The journey to the city is far longer than I anticipated.
way — [weɪ] — is a strong informal intensifier. It is very common in conversation. In formal writing, it is usually better to use much or far.
Informal: This is way more difficult than I expected.
More formal: This is far more difficult than I expected.
More formal: This is far more difficult than I expected.
a good deal — [ɡʊd diːl] — means “considerably” or “quite a lot”. It sounds more formal and is useful when you want to make a careful, serious comparison. It is especially useful in written English. It makes the comparison sound thoughtful and precise.
The final version is a good deal better than the first draft.
Sometimes we use as + adjective + as to compare two things.
Basic equality: This restaurant is as popular as the one downtown.
Basic equality: This restaurant is as popular as the one downtown.
But if we want to show a big negative difference, we can add these intensifier before the first "as": nowhere near / not nearly / not at all
The basic structure is: nowhere near / not nearly / not at all + as + adjective + as
The basic structure is: nowhere near / not nearly / not at all + as + adjective + as
nowhere near as … as — is very strong. It means that two things are not close at all in quality, size, level or amount.
The new restaurant is nowhere near as crowded as the one downtown.
The new restaurant is nowhere near as crowded as the one downtown.
not nearly as … as — also shows a big difference. It is strong, but usually a little less dramatic than "nowhere near as … as". Use "not nearly as … as" when someone or something is much lower than expected in a particular quality.
She’s not nearly as experienced as she claims to be.
She’s not nearly as experienced as she claims to be.
not at all as … as — strongly says that the comparison is not true. It often corrects an expectation or first impression.
This book is not at all as interesting as the one I read last week.
This book is not at all as interesting as the one I read last week.
2. Big Difference with Superlatives: The Clear Winner
Sometimes we are not comparing only two things.
We are comparing one person, place, object or idea with a whole group. Then we can use: by far + the + superlative adjective
by far — [baɪ fɑːr] — makes a superlative stronger. It means that one thing clearly stands above all the others. The difference is not small — it is obvious.
This is by far the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.
This is by far the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.
3. Small Difference with Comparative Adjectives
We can use these intensifiers before comparative adjectives: a bit / a little / slightly / not much.
The basic structure is: intensifier + comparative adjective + than
a bit — [bɪt] — shows a small difference. It is common in everyday English and sounds friendly in conversation.
This shirt is a bit less expensive than the one I bought last month.
This shirt is a bit less expensive than the one I bought last month.
a little — [ˈlɪt.əl] — also shows a small difference. It is very similar to "a bit", but it can sound slightly more neutral. "A little" is useful when you want to describe a small change carefully. It does not make the comparison strong.
It’s a little warmer today than yesterday.
It’s a little warmer today than yesterday.
slightly — [ˈslaɪt.li] —means that the difference is very small. It is more formal and precise than "a bit" or "a little". It is especially useful in written answers, reports, descriptions of data. It helps the sentence sound accurate and controlled.
The coffee is slightly colder than I prefer.
The coffee is slightly colder than I prefer.
not much — [nɒt mʌtʃ] — means that the difference is very small. It often suggests that the difference is not impressive or not important enough. Use "not much" when the comparison is weak. It often sounds as if the speaker expected a bigger difference, but the difference is actually small.
This option is not much cheaper than the one I suggested.
This option is not much cheaper than the one I suggested.
4. No Difference or Almost No Difference with “as … as”
Sometimes two things are not really different. Or the difference is so small that it almost disappears.
We can use these modifiers before the structure as + adjective + as: almost / nearly / not quite / more or less / just / exactly
The basic structure is: modifier + as + adjective + as
The basic structure is: modifier + as + adjective + as
almost as ... as — means that two things are very similar, but not completely equal. One thing is close to the other, but usually a little lower in degree.
The new café is almost as popular as the old one.
The new café is almost as popular as the old one.
nearly as … as — is very similar to "almost as … as". It also means that two things are close in quality, size, level or amount, but not exactly equal.
The new library is nearly as busy as the sports centre.
The new library is nearly as busy as the sports centre.
not quite as … as — means that something is close, but a little less than another thing. It is useful when the difference is small, but you want to be precise. It is softer and more polite than saying something is worse. It shows a small negative difference.
The second answer is not quite as detailed as the model answer.
The second answer is not quite as detailed as the model answer.
more or less as … as — means that two things are approximately equal. The speaker does not focus on exact details. Use "more or less" when the difference is not important or not worth discussing in detail. It sounds natural, but less exact than exactly.
The two methods are more or less as effective as each other.
The two methods are more or less as effective as each other.
just as … as — means that two things are equal in a particular quality. It often corrects the idea that one thing is weaker or less important.
This solution is just as effective as the original one.
This solution is just as effective as the original one.
exactly as … as — means that there is no difference at all in that quality. It is stronger and more precise than just "as … as".
The second task was exactly as difficult as the first one.
The second task was exactly as difficult as the first one.
5. No Difference or Almost No Difference with “the same as”
We can also use modifiers before "the same as". The basic structure is: modifier + the same as
almost the same as — means that two things are very similar, but there is still a small difference.
The new logo is almost the same as the old one.
The new logo is almost the same as the old one.
nearly the same as — also means that two things are very similar, with only a small difference. "Nearly the same as" and "almost the same as" are very close in meaning.
The price is nearly the same as it was last month.
The price is nearly the same as it was last month.
not quite the same as — means that two things are similar, but there is a small difference. It often suggests that the difference matters.
The online experience is not quite the same as being there in person.
The online experience is not quite the same as being there in person.
roughly the same as — means that two things are approximately equal. It is useful when exact numbers or details are not necessary. Use "roughly" when the comparison is approximate, not exact. It is very useful for describing statistics, data, prices, time and quantities.
The journey time is roughly the same as before.
The journey time is roughly the same as before.
more or less the same as — means that there is no important difference. It sounds natural and slightly informal. Use "more or less" when small details may be different, but the general idea is the same.
The results were more or less the same as before.
The results were more or less the same as before.
just the same as — means that something is the same in an important way. It often emphasises that there is no real difference. Use "just the same as" when you want to emphasise that nothing important has changed.
The rule is just the same as before.
The rule is just the same as before.
exactly the same as — means that there is no difference at all. It is the strongest and most precise way to show complete equality.
The two answers are exactly the same as each other.
The two answers are exactly the same as each other.
6. English is a language of patterns but it is also a language of exceptions. Most adjectives form the comparative and superlative in predictable ways: small — smaller — the smallest, interesting — more interesting — the most interesting. However, some words do not follow the usual rules. Their comparative and superlative forms have to be learned as special forms. These are called irregular comparative and superlative forms.
You already know these basic ones:
good — better — the best
bad — worse — the worst
bad — worse — the worst
Here are some more irregular forms that do not follow standard rules:
well — better — the best
far — farther/further — the farthest/furthest
little — less — the least
much — more — the most
many — more — the most
late — later — the latest
late — latter — the last
old — older/elder — the oldest/the eldest
far — farther/further — the farthest/furthest
little — less — the least
much — more — the most
many — more — the most
late — later — the latest
late — latter — the last
old — older/elder — the oldest/the eldest
"Older" and "oldest" are the general forms. Use them for people, animals, objects, buildings, places and things in general.
My older sister is coming to visit us.
The town hall is the oldest building in the area.
"Elder" and "eldest" are more limited. Use them mainly when talking about family relationships.
She is my elder sister.
Jack is the eldest of four brothers.
7. You might remember that we use "more" and "most" to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables. (Revise what you covered in Form 5: Formating Rules for Comparative and Superlative)
However, with these common adjectives, you can either add –er/–r and –est/–st or use "more" and "most": common, cruel, gentle, handsome, likely, narrow, pleasant, polite, simple, stupid
The road becomes narrower after the bridge.
The road becomes more narrow after the bridge.
The road becomes more narrow after the bridge.
That was the simplest answer to the question.
That was the most simple answer to the question.
That was the most simple answer to the question.
8. Usually, one-syllable adjectives take -er and -est: small — smaller — the smallest. Howewer, there are exceptions:
fun — more fun — the most fun (Not: funner / funnest)
real — more real — the most real (Not: realer / realest)
right — more right — the most right (Not: righter / rightest)
wrong — more wrong — the most wrong (Not: wronger / wrongest)
real — more real — the most real (Not: realer / realest)
right — more right — the most right (Not: righter / rightest)
wrong — more wrong — the most wrong (Not: wronger / wrongest)
Svarīgi!
Be careful: “fun” and “funny” are not the same word.
This story is funnier. = more amusing / stranger