Comparative structures: Modifying comparatives

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Modifying Comparatives

Colourful grammar chart titled 'Modifying Comparatives' showing phrases for big difference (e.g., 'much cheaper'), small difference (e.g., 'a bit colder'), and almost no difference (e.g., 'not quite as tall as'), categorized in red, blue, and yellow sections.

When comparing things in English, we often use modifiers to show how big, small, or nearly nonexistent the difference is. These modifiers make your comparisons more precise and natural-sounding at B2 level.

🔴 Describing a Big Difference

➤ With comparative adjectives: much, a lot, far, way, quite, a good deal

  • It’s much hotter today than yesterday.
  • He’s a lot less experienced than his brother.
  • The journey is far longer than I anticipated.
  • This project is way more complicated than the last one.
  • This phone is a good deal more expensive than the previous model.

➤ With as ... as: nowhere near, not nearly, not at all

  • The new restaurant is nowhere near as crowded as the one downtown.
  • She’s not nearly as experienced as she claims.
  • This book is not at all as interesting as the one I read last week.

➤ With superlatives: by far

  • This is by far the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.
  • He is by far the most talented musician in the band.

🔵 Describing a Small Difference

Use these modifiers to show a slight or minimal difference:

  • This shirt is a bit less expensive than the one I bought last month.
  • It’s a little warmer today than yesterday.
  • The coffee is slightly colder than I prefer.
  • This option is not much cheaper than the one I suggested.

🟡 Describing No or Almost No Difference

Use these before as + adjective + as or the same as:

  • She’s almost as tall as her brother.
  • He’s nearly as fast as Mike in running races.
  • The flavour is not quite as spicy as I expected.
  • The distance is roughly the same as to the park.
  • The party was more or less as boring as I’d expected.
  • I’m just / exactly as capable as you are.

🟢 Modifying Comparisons with Nouns

We can also modify more and less when comparing quantities:

  • I have far more games than you.
  • They owe much less money than we thought.
  • She has a lot more experience than her colleague.
  • She has only a little more time than I do.
  • There is not much more traffic today than yesterday.
  • He has slightly more food left than his friend.
  • She has not quite as many friends as she used to.
  • We have roughly the same number of cars as our neighbours.
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