Comparatives

1. Making comparisons with as … as:
Examples:
She is 32 years old. He is 32.
She is as old as he is.
She works as quickly as she can.

 As ... asis used to say 
that the two parts of a comparison are either equal or the same.
 As+ adjective  + as
As + adverb   + as


Negative form:  Not as  … as 
Also possible: Not so … as

She is not as old as he is.
 
Common modifiers of as … as:
Just as … as.  (Exactly)
Not quite as … as  (a small difference)
Not nearly as … as  (a big difference)
Nearly/almost as … as 

Quite & nearly are often used with the negative.


2. Comparative & superlative:
 

She is older than he is. She is the oldest.
He is more courageous than she is. He is the most courageous.

 The comparative compares this/ these to that/ those by using -ER 
or MORE.

A comparative is followed by THAN.

The superlative compares one part of a whole group to 
all the rest of the group by using -EST or MOST.
A superlative begins with THE.

 

3. Comparative & superlative forms of adjectives & adverbs:
3.1. Adjective:

One syllable:  … -ER than / The …EST
Two syllables: … MORE than / The MOST …
For an adjective that end in –y, we use: –ER/ -EST
Some two-syllable adjectives use –ER/-EST or MORE/MOST
Able, angry, clever, friendly, common, cruel, gentle, 
handsome, narrow, pleasant, polite, quiet, simple, sour. 
Three or more syllables (long adjectives): … MORE / MOST …
Irregular adjectives: They have irregular forms.
- Good: better the best
- Bad: worse, the worst

 
3.2. Adverbs:

-Ly adverbs: … MORE / MOST. Except early: earlier/ the earliest
One syllable:  … -ER / -EST
Irregular adjectives: They have irregular forms.
- Well: better, the best
- Badly: worse, the worst
- Far: farther/further, the farthest/the furthest

Farther/farthest: for distance & information
Further/furthest: for information (additional) only   

Early is an adjective and an adverb.

 

4. Using comparatives:
She is younger than her sister.
She is younger than he is.
She is younger than him. (Informal)
She works better than he does.
She drew clearer than they did.

 
A subject pronoun (He) follows than in very formal English.
Frequently, an auxiliary verb follows the subject after than.
In informal spoken English, an object pronoun (Him) follows than.

She is much / far / a lot younger than he is.
He travels much/ a lot / far more frequently than he used to.
He is a little friendlier than she is (her).
She drives less carefully than he does. 

Very modifies adjectives and adverbs. But Very is not used to 
modify comparative adjectives and adverbs. Instead, they are 
modified by: Much, far or a lot.

 
Other common modifiers:
Much – a lot – far,
A little – a little bit.
The opposite of –er/most is: not as … as or LESS.
Less is not used with one-syllable adjectives or adverbs.

 

 
5. Using MORE with nouns:

More before a noun expresses: additional (not than with).
They needed some more friends.

We use than to make comparisons.
They have seen more birds than stars in the sky.


When the meaning is clear, the noun is omitted.
She will send to him some money that he asks her. She ask
him after if he need more.


 

6. Repeating a comparative:

 
He traveled farther and farther. 
His situation became more and more difficult.
Something becomes progressively greater (in quality, 
quantity and intensity)

 
7. Using double comparatives:
The more developed, the more complicated.
The sooner, the better.
The double comparative has two parts. Both parts begin with: 
The. The second part is the result of the first.
 

8. Using superlatives:
Alaska is the largest state in The United States. (+ In a place)
He has about seven ideas to figure out the problem. One of 
them is  the best (idea) of all. (+ Of all)
He met the person the most interesting he has never seen. 
(+ Adjective clause)
There are many modals in the language, but shall is the least 
important to use. (+ Adjective clause)

We use often the superlative in these cases:
- Superlative + in a place.
- Superlative + of all.
- Superlative + adjective clause.

The least has the opposite meaning of the most.

9. Using the same, similar, different, like  & alike:
9.1. The same, similar & different:
They had the same ideas.
The two ideas are the same.
She and he had similar cars.
The cars were similar.
Call off and cross out have different meaning.
The meaning is different.
The always precedes same.
The same, similar & different are used as adjectives.
This car is the same as that one. (as)
This car is similar to that one. (to)
This car is different from that one. (from or a clause after)
This car has the same price as that one. (Noun between same and as)

9.2. like & alike:
This car is like that one.
This car and that car are alike.

Noun + be like + noun
Noun and noun + be alike.
 The woman looks like girl. 
The soup tastes like soup.
Those cars look alike
They smell alike.

Like follows be. Like follows also some verbs mainly those 
dealing with the senses: look, sound, feel, smell, taste, act, seem.