Comparative Structures — English Grammar Exercises
as ... as, the same as, different from; much bigger, by far the best — 45 exercises on English comparison structures.
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as ... as / not as ... as
Use as + base form + as for equality: She is as tall as her brother.
Use not as + base form + as for inequality: I'm not as fast as I used to be.
Useful variations:
- just as ... as — equal, emphatic: just as good as a new one
- almost / nearly as ... as — close but not equal: almost as tall as me
- not nearly as ... as — much less: not nearly as expensive as I expected
- twice / three times as ... as — multiples: twice as big as our old flat
- as soon as possible — fixed phrase
the same / different / similar / like
| structure | example | |
|---|---|---|
| equal | the same as (+ noun) | Your bag is the same as mine. |
| equal in detail | the same + noun + as | We're the same age as our cousins. |
| different | different from | American English is different from British. |
| similar | similar to | This phone is similar to mine. |
| comparison | like | She looks like her mother. |
| role / function | as | She works as a teacher. |
Like compares two things; as states a role: ✅ She speaks like a native (similar). ✅ She works as a teacher (the actual role).
Stronger and weaker comparatives
To strengthen a comparative: much / far / a lot + comparative — much bigger, far more expensive, a lot better.
To weaken it: a bit / a little / slightly + comparative — a bit cheaper, slightly easier.
Watch out: ❌ very bigger — very is not used with comparatives.
For superlatives, emphasise with by far or easily: by far the best, easily the most expensive.
Comparative patterns
- warmer and warmer, more and more difficult — increasing change
- The more you practise, the easier it gets — parallel change
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| different than / of mine | different from mine |
| similar with mine | similar to mine |
| twice bigger than ours | twice as big as ours |
| very bigger than | much bigger than |
| She works like a teacher. | She works as a teacher. |
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My new car is as ___ as the old one.
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fast
Between 'as ... as' use the base form of the adjective — 'as fast as'.
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The new film isn't ___ the original.
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as good as
'Not as + base form + as' is the structure for inequality — 'not as good as'.
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Her opinion is ___ mine.
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the same as
Use 'the same as' to say two things are equal.
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American English is a little ___ British English.
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different from
The standard structure is 'different from' — not 'than' or 'of'.
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This phone is very ___ mine — same brand, same model.
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similar to
The structure is 'similar to' — never 'similar with' or 'similar than'.
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It's ___ colder today than yesterday — over ten degrees lower.
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much
Use 'much / far / a lot' with a comparative — never 'very colder' or 'so colder'.
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This jacket is ___ more expensive than that one — only €5 difference.
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a bit
'A bit / a little / slightly' weakens a comparative — 'a bit more expensive'. 'Much / far' would be a big difference.
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Their house is ___ ours.
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twice as big as
Multiples use 'twice/three times as + base form + as' — 'twice as big as'.
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She's the same ___ as me — we were born the same week.
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age
The structure is 'the same + noun + as' — 'the same age as'.
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You ___ your sister — same eyes, same smile.
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look like
Use 'look like + noun' to say two people resemble each other.
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She is ___ the best player in the team — nobody comes close.
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by far
'By far' is the standard emphasis for a superlative — 'by far the best'.
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Please come ___ soon as possible.
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as
'As soon as possible' is a fixed phrase using 'as ... as'.
Comparative Structures: A Complete Grammar Reference
Beyond the basic comparative and superlative (-er/-est, more/most), English has a family of fixed structures for comparing things in other ways: stating that two things are equal or unequal ('as...as'), stating that they are identical or different ('the same as', 'different from'), and adjusting how big a difference is ('much bigger' vs 'a bit bigger'). These structures don't follow a single unifying rule — each has its own fixed preposition or pattern that must be learned individually, which is why they remain a source of error well beyond the point where learners have mastered basic comparative formation. Analysis of learner writing shows 'different than' and 'similar with' among the most frequent preposition errors in comparison contexts, alongside the tendency to intensify a comparative with 'very' ('very bigger') instead of the correct 'much' or 'a lot'. These 45 exercises cover the three core systems: equality/inequality, sameness/difference, and comparative strength.
Equality and Inequality: as...as, not as...as
'As + base adjective + as' expresses equality; 'not as + base adjective + as' expresses inequality. Both always use the base form of the adjective, never the comparative.
The new film isn't as good as the original. (unequal — the new film is worse)
Their house is twice as big as ours. (multiples use 'twice/three times as...as')
Ana isn't nearly as rich as Susie. (a big gap, not a small one)
Sameness and Difference: the same as, different from, similar to
Each of these three expressions has a fixed preposition that cannot be swapped for another: the same as, different from, and similar to.
American English is a little different from British English.
This phone is very similar to mine — same brand, same model.
She's the same age as me. ('the same + noun + as')
Strengthening and Weakening Comparatives: much, a bit, by far
Comparatives take their own set of degree modifiers instead of 'very'. Much, a lot, and far strengthen a comparative; a bit, a little, and slightly weaken it. Superlatives take by far or easily for emphasis.
This jacket is a bit more expensive than that one.
She is by far the best player in the team.
Double Comparatives: the more..., the more...
The pattern 'the + comparative..., the + comparative...' shows that two things change together.
The earlier we leave, the less traffic we'll find.
The weather is getting warmer and warmer every day. (comparative + and + comparative shows continuous change)
Common Mistakes
✗ American English is different than British English. → ✓ American English is different from British English.
✗ This phone is similar with mine. → ✓ This phone is similar to mine.
✗ It's very colder today. → ✓ It's much colder today.
✗ Their house is twice bigger than ours. → ✓ Their house is twice as big as ours.
✗ She is very the best player. → ✓ She is by far the best player.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'as...as' structure used for, and how is 'not as...as' different?
'As + base adjective + as' states that two things are equal: 'My new car is as fast as the old one' means the two cars have the same speed. 'Not as + base adjective + as' states inequality, meaning the first thing has less of the quality than the second: 'The new film isn't as good as the original' means the new film is worse. A useful variation is 'not nearly as...as', which signals a large gap rather than a small one: 'Ana isn't nearly as rich as Susie' means Susie is much richer, not just slightly richer. Both structures always use the base form of the adjective, never the comparative form.
Is it 'different from', 'different than', or 'different to'?
In standard British English, the preposition that follows 'different' is 'from': 'American English is a little different from British English'. 'Different than' is common in American English, especially before a full clause, but 'different from' is the safer, more universally accepted choice and the one taught at B1–B2 level. 'Different to' also appears in British English, particularly in speech, but 'different from' remains the standard form in writing and formal contexts. Whichever variant a learner encounters elsewhere, 'different from' is never wrong and works in every English-speaking context.
How do you make a comparative stronger or weaker — 'much bigger' or 'a bit bigger'?
Comparatives cannot be modified with 'very' ('very bigger' is always wrong); instead, English uses a separate set of modifiers before the comparative form. To strengthen a comparative, use 'much', 'a lot', or 'far': 'It's much colder today than yesterday'. To weaken it, use 'a bit', 'a little', or 'slightly': 'This jacket is a bit more expensive than that one'. For superlatives, the equivalent strengtheners are 'by far' and 'easily': 'She is by far the best player in the team'. Choosing the wrong strength modifier doesn't create a grammar error exactly, but it does misrepresent the size of the difference being described.
What does 'the more you practise, the easier it gets' mean?
This is the double comparative structure: 'the + comparative..., the + comparative...', used to show that two things change together — as one increases or decreases, so does the other. 'The more you practise, the easier it gets' means that increased practice directly causes increased ease. The same pattern works with adjectives and adverbs on both sides: 'The earlier we leave, the less traffic we'll find' pairs an earlier departure time with a smaller amount of traffic. Both halves of the structure need 'the' before the comparative, and the structure works with '-er' comparatives ('the earlier') as well as with 'more/less' comparatives ('the more, the less').
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