Ways of Comparing

The Warehouse MadridUpper Intermediate Class

Far more addictive than

• Cocaine is far more addictive than marijuana (or so I’ve been told).

• Skiing is far more fun than skydiving.

Nowhere near as high as

• The Sears Tower is nowhere near as high as the Twin Towers were.

• I’m nowhere near as drunk as I’d like to be. • He’s nowhere near as intelligent as she is.

Considerably less than

• He’s considerably less athletic than her.• Madrid is considerably less spread out than

Los Angeles.• She’s considerably nicer than I’d imagined her

to be.

Not nearly as beautiful as

• She’s not nearly as beautiful as her sister.• He’s not nearly as gifted as his mother.

A great deal cheaper than

• Booking is flight with RYAN AIR is a great deal cheaper than flying with Iberia.

• He’s a great deal more enthusiastic about learning English than she is.

Almost as much as

• Flying to Europe costs almost as much as flying to South America.

• He’s almost as talented as his sister.• He rides the metro almost as much as me.

Nearly as expensive as

• Going out to the cinema these days is nearly as expensive as going our to dinner.

Slightly bigger than

• He’s slightly bigger than her.• She’s slightly taller than him.

Not quite as enthusiastic as

• I’m not quite as enthusiastic as Angel about going to Guadalajara this weekend.

• They’re not quite as tired as I am.

As beautiful as

• She’s as beautiful as the day she was born.• She’s as beautiful as the day I married her.• That’s as right as rain.

Not any nicer than

• His house isn’t any nicer than my house.• I’m not any taller than her.

No harder than

• Learning to drive a car is no harder than learning to ride a bike.

• It’s no easier getting a job these days than it was in the 1970’s.

Comparatives with “than”

• He’s slightly better looking than his brother.• She’s much better at Math than I am.• He’s much more charming than he looks.

As….as (with adjectives)

• He’s just as competitive as his sister.• She’s just as good looking as he is. • They’re just as smart as I am.

Much/a lot (comparatives)

• She’s much more responsible than he is.• Keeping koi is much more expensive than

having a dog as a pet.• He’s a lot more help around the house than

she is.

Just … as… as

• She’s just as beautiful as her sister.• He’s just as smart as his brother.

More or less (with nouns)

• There are far more people here then I was expecting.

• The shampoo at the supermarket was much less than its advertised price.

Less vs. fewer

• Less with uncountable nouns• Fewer with countable nouns

• There were fewer people at the party than I’d expected.

• There was less food than what I thought there would be.

He/she is or him her

• She’s as rich as he is.– She’s as rich as him.

• He’s as handsome as they are.• He’s as handsome as them.

Twice/three times, four times

• I’m twice as smart as she is. • I’m twice as smart as her.

get + more (and more)

• He’s getting more and more handsome every day!

• She’s looking better and better every day! Soon I’m sure they’ll let her come home from the hospital.

get + comparative + and + comparative

• To describe something that continuously changes

• The housing market just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

The + comparative/more…, the + comparative/more …

• To say that one thing depends on the other

• The bigger they are, the harder they fall• The more lucrative the job, the more bosses

demand of you and your time. • The sooner you start studying English, the

better you’ll be.

#6

1. Goldfish don’t live anywhere near as long as koi.2. Most butterflies don’t live nearly as long as bees.3. Snakes are not nearly as dangerous as people think.4. Steel is nowhere near as strong as spider’s silk.5. Lions are slightly smaller than tigers.6. Elephants live twice as long as bears.7. A blue whale’s heart is as big as a small car.

#7

1. The older you get, the wiser you become.2. The harder you study, the more likely you are

to succeed.3. The more you earn the less free time you

have.4. The fitter you are the healthier you are.5. The more children you have, the more

chaotic your life becomes.

Two places, two things and two people• Places– Madrid is much more urban than Fort Wayne.– Madrid is far more multicultural than Fort Wayne.

• Things– Chocolate is way better than strawberry when it comes to ice

cream flavors.– Strawberry pie is considerably higher in calories than chocolate

silk pie. • People– My older sister looks much more like me than my younger sister.– My younger sister is much more independent than my older

sister.