2A Comparison

1.25 Modifying comparisons with than 1.27 so / such

We use so + adjective/adverb (+ that ) and such +
A big difference: a good/great deal, a lot, The total silence was a lot worse than
a + noun (+ that ) to describe a very high level:
considerably, decidedly, far, infinitely, any sound could ever be.
It’s so loud here that I can’t hear myself think!
miles (informal), much, significantly, There’s considerably more noise when
If this is such a bad job, why don’t you find a
three/four/many times (etc.), way you get inside the venue.*
better one?
(informal) I listen to live music far more frequently
A small difference: a (little ) bit, barely than I used to. 1.28 not enough / sufficiently / too
any, fractionally, marginally, slightly Tickets are slightly more expensive this We use too / (not ) enough to compare things with
No difference: no, not any year. a standard. Sufficiently has the same meaning as
I’m no happier than I was in my last job. enough but is more formal:
Modifying comparisons with as … as … Jones is good enough to win the race.
We haven’t got enough petrol for the journey.
A big difference: not nearly, nothing like, The smell was not nearly as bad as we The children were not sufficiently well-behaved
nowhere near, twice / three times (etc.) thought it would be. to receive any sweets.
A small difference: almost, nearly, not Stella knows almost as much about cars The weather is too cold to go outside.
quite as me. This jumper is too big for me.
No difference: equally, just There are just as many people who want
1.29 Superlative patterns
to study French.*
We usually use superlatives to highlight
*We often omit the than or second as part of a comparative form if it is obvious: something exceptional. We often limit the range
There’s considerably more noise (than there is here ) when you get inside the of superlatives with relative clauses or adverbs:
venue. She’s the most talkative person I know. / ever! /
There are just as many people who want to study French (as people who want to in the world. / of all.
study Spanish ). I did the best I possibly could.
1.26 Comparative patterns
We can modify the strength of a superlative with
adverbs like by far, easily, (not ) nearly, almost,
We use double comparatives with adjectives and adverbs to say that somebody or
not quite.
something is changing:
That was by far the best lesson this year.
These exams are getting harder and harder.
He’s easily the happiest I’ve ever seen him
Time seemed to go more and more slowly. NOT Time seemed to go more slowly and
these days.
more slowly.
We use the … the … with comparatives or more/less to say that things change
It wasn’t quite the most difficult test I’ve ever had
but it was close!
together because they depend on each other:
The harder you train, the longer you can run.
The more I think about it, the more I realise it was a mistake.
The more hours I work, the less time I have for my family.

a Write a sentence for each picture using the words. b Complete the text with the words in the box.
Use each expression once.

not ​
miles ​and ​more ​
so ​
nowhere ​the ​
far than ​
get

Last year I went to Glastonbury Festival of Performing

Arts. It was a real eye-opener. The festival takes place
1 considerably / small 4 no / heavy in a remote valley and after you come off the motorway
the roads get smaller 1 smaller. The closer you
The pizza was considerably
get to the site 2 more cars full of festival-goers
smaller than the box.
you see. Everyone is 3 excited just to be there.
Then when you finally get into a car park you have to
get through the gates and find a place to camp. This is
considerably harder 4 it sounds, because you’re
basically going hill-climbing whilst carrying a tent and
bedding and clothes and all your food and drink for the
next five days. The site is 5 bigger than any other
festival I’ve ever been to. As you sit by your tent on the
2 grew / not nearly / expected 5 marginally / good / since June
first night, these huge cheers roll towards you across the
valley and 6 louder and louder until they’re all
around you and it’s your turn to cheer. Tickets are slightly
7
expensive than other festivals but, when you
consider that there are 8 nearly as many acts and
installations and 9 near as many people at other
festivals, Glastonbury is by 10 the greatest party on
3 strong / not enough / control 6 hard / the rain fell / difficult / the planet.
the game became
c Now go back to p.21

140