Comparatives review (Total English)

Expressions to show if the difference between two things is big or small

• Small diference: slightly, a little bit, a tiny bit, marginally (formal)…
  • I’m slightly taller than Peter
  • The population is marginally larger than that of Ghana
• Large difference: much, far, miles (informal), considerably (formal)…
  • They are far betterthan us at football
  • The government was considerably more corrupt a hundred years ago
• If two things are equal: as + adjective + as
  • I’m as intelligent as my sister
  • It took me as long to drive to Cardiff as it did to travel there by train
• If two things aren’t equal: not as + adjective + as
  • She’s not as big as me
  • The new menu isn’t as nice as the one they had during the summer
• Other expressions with as + adjective + as
  • for a small difference: not quite as adjective + as
    • This bed isn’t quite as comfortable as the other one
  • for a big difference: nowhere near, nothing like
    • He is not nowhere as good as me at tennis

Constructions to express preference:

• would sooner + infinitive (without to) than …
  •  I’d sooner leave now than tomorrow
• would rather + infinitive (without to) than …
• rather than, prefer to
  • Rather than eat potatoes, I’d prefer to have a steak
• would prefer
  • I’d prefer tea to coffee, if you have any

Double comparatives with the to say that one thing causes another:

• The longer you take, the less cahance we have of catching the plane
• The more you write down, the more you’ll remember