Advanced Ways of Comparing
Adding Nuance, Emphasis, and Idiomatic Flair to Comparisons
β° When do we use Advanced Comparisons?
We use these structures when a simple comparative or superlative is not descriptive enough. These forms allow us to:
- Indicate the exact degree of difference or similarity (e.g., “nowhere near as”).
- Correct an impression by shifting focus from one quality to another (e.g., “not so much X as Y”).
- Express maximum limits or impossibility of improvement (e.g., “couldn’t be better”).
- Use formal or idiomatic language to describe variance or inferiority.
π Structure
We can categorize these advanced structures into four main groups based on the source text.
1. Modifying “Like” To compare two nouns with nuance, we use like modified by adverbs/quantifiers.
- Formula:
Subject+be+modifier+like+Noun/Gerund. - Modifiers: a bit, a little, somewhat, rather, a lot, nothing.
2. Modifying “As … As” To emphasize equality or inequality, we place modifiers before the first as.
- Formula:
Subject+be+modifier+as+Adj+as+Noun/Clause. - Modifiers: easily, nothing like, nowhere near, equally.
3. Structural Phrases
- Result Clause: so +
adjective+ as to +infinitive. (Used to replace a “result” clause). - Correction: not so much +
noun/adj+ as +noun/adj. (Used to stress the second element). - One Subject, Two Qualities: more +
adjective+ than +adjective. (Emphasizing one trait over another within the same person/thing).
4. Limits and Idioms
- Maximum Degree: can’t/couldn’t +
verb+ any (more) +adv/adj+ (than). - Idioms of Difference:
- differ considerably (Formal).
- at complete variance with (Formal: total disagreement/difference).
- not a patch on (Informal: much worse than).
π Notes
“Not a patch on”: This is a distinctly British idiom. It means X is significantly inferior to Y.
- Example: The remake isn’t a patch on the original movie.
“So… as to”: This is very formal. In casual speech, we usually say “His handwriting was so bad that it was indecipherable.” The advanced form is: “His handwriting was so bad as to be almost indecipherable”.
Emphasis: Words like easily or nowhere near add significant emotive weight. Use them to sound more persuasive.
| Structure | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing like | Emphasizes total difference. | It is nothing like the ones I’ve seen. |
| Nowhere near as | Emphasizes a large gap in quality/degree. | The laptop was nowhere near as expensive as expected. |
| Not so much… as | Redefines or corrects a description. | It wasn’t so much an interview as an interrogation. |
| At complete variance | Formal description of contradiction. | His views are at complete variance with mine. |
π¬ Examples
- “The play we went to see last night was a lot like watching paint dry.” (Humorous/Negative comparison).
- “I can’t work any faster than I am, so please wait.” (Maximum capacity).
- “To be honest, I’m more nervous than worried about the test.” (Comparing two feelings rather than degree).
- “What heβs saying now is at complete variance with what he said six months ago.” (Formal contradiction).