⚖️ Lesson 6.2: Advanced Comparison
You learned the basics of comparison back at A2: bigger, more expensive, the best. Now you'll add the tools that let you compare with real precision and nuance — showing how much bigger, linking two changes together ("the more you practice, the better you get"), describing gradual change, and hedging a comparison so it doesn't sound too blunt. This is the grammar of describing trends, weighing options, and arguing a point.
📚 What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use the parallel comparison "the more… the more" to link two changes
- Add intensifiers and softeners to comparatives (far/much/slightly/a bit + comparative)
- Handle as… as, not as… as, the same as, and multiples (twice as… as)
- Describe gradual change with "comparative and comparative" (getting better and better)
⏱️ Estimated Time: 55–65 minutes
🎯 Project: Compare two real options or describe a trend, using at least six different advanced comparison structures in a short talk or piece of writing.
In This Lesson
Beyond "Bigger and Better"
A quick refresher on the foundation you already have. Short adjectives add -er / -est (cheap → cheaper → the cheapest); longer ones use more / most (expensive → more expensive → the most expensive); and a handful are irregular (good → better → best, bad → worse → worst, far → further/farther).
The blue phone is cheaper than the black one.
This route is more direct than the highway.
That's the A2 layer, and it works. But it's blunt: it tells you which is bigger, not by how much, and it can't link two things that change together. B2 comparison adds exactly that precision — the difference between "it's faster" and "it's considerably faster," between two separate facts and "the faster you go, the more you spend."
🧠 Mindset
Comparison is where a lot of real-life English lives — choosing between options, describing what's improving or declining, arguing that one thing is better value. The structures in this lesson aren't decoration; they're the difference between a flat opinion and a nuanced, persuasive one. You already have the foundation. Now you're learning to shade it — to say not just "bigger," but exactly how much, and why it matters. 🌱
Saying How Much: Intensifiers & Softeners
A plain comparative ("cheaper") leaves the size of the difference open. B2 speakers routinely put a word in front of the comparative to show whether the gap is big or small.
Making the difference bigger
To stress a large difference, use far / much / a lot / considerably / significantly + comparative:
This laptop is far more powerful than my old one.
The new office is much bigger. The train is a lot faster than the bus.
Prices are considerably higher this year.
Making the difference smaller
To signal a small difference, use slightly / a bit / a little / marginally + comparative:
The blue one is slightly cheaper. It's a bit colder today.
This version is a little easier to use.
| Big difference | Small difference |
|---|---|
| far / much / a lot + comparative | slightly / a bit / a little + comparative |
| considerably / significantly + comparative | marginally + comparative |
| far more expensive | slightly more expensive |
⚠️ "Very" doesn't work with comparatives
You can say "very expensive," but not "very more expensive" ❌ or "very cheaper" ❌. To intensify a comparative, use much / far / a lot: "much more expensive," "far cheaper." Save very for the plain adjective.
💡 "not nearly as… as" — signaling a big gap
To say something falls well short of another, use not nearly as … as: "The movie was not nearly as good as the book" (= much worse). Compare the milder "not quite as good as" (= almost as good, but a little less). These two phrases let you fine-tune exactly how big the gap is. Nowhere near as … as is an informal, even stronger version of not nearly: "It's nowhere near as pretty" (= much less pretty).
As… As, Multiples & The Same As
To say two things are equal, use as + adjective/adverb + as:
She's as tall as her brother. This café is as good as the one downtown.
He works as hard as anyone on the team. (as + adverb + as)
Make it negative with not as… as (or the slightly more formal not so… as) to say one is less:
The sequel isn't as exciting as the original. (= less exciting)
Today isn't as cold as yesterday.
Multiples: twice / three times as… as
To compare by a multiple, put the multiple in front of as… as:
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| twice as … as | This apartment is twice as expensive as mine. |
| three times as … as | Their house is three times as big as ours. |
| half as … as | The trip took half as long as we expected. |
The same as
Use the same as to state identity — note it's as, never "the same than":
Your phone is the same as mine. Her salary is the same as his.
This is similar to the last version, but different from the first.
⚠️ than or as?
Use than after a comparative (bigger than, more useful than) and as in equal comparisons (as big as, the same as). Mixing them — "bigger as" ❌ or "the same than" ❌ — is one of the most common B2 slips. If there's an -er or more, you want than; if there's an as or the same, you want as.
The More… The More
This is the flagship structure of the lesson. The parallel (or proportional) comparison links two changes so that one rises or falls with the other. The pattern is: the + comparative … the + comparative.
The more you practice, the better you get.
The harder he tried, the worse it became.
The older I get, the less I worry about small things.
The structure has two halves, each starting with the. The first half sets a condition; the second half gives the result. Both use a comparative form — an -er word, or more/less + word:
| First half (condition) | Second half (result) |
|---|---|
| The more you earn, | the more you spend. |
| The bigger the car, | the more fuel it uses. |
| The sooner we leave, | the better. |
| The less I sleep, | the worse I feel. |
Here's the shape as a diagram:
graph LR
A["The more you practice"] --> B["the better you get"]
C["The harder you push"] --> D["the more it resists"]
💡 The short "the better" ending
A very common, natural version drops the rest of the clause: "The sooner, the better," "The more, the merrier," "The bigger, the better." These fixed expressions are everywhere in speech — keep them ready-made.
⚠️ Don't forget the two "the"s
Both halves must begin with the: "More you practice, better you get" ❌ → "The more you practice, the better you get" ✅. And each half needs a comparative, not a plain adjective: not "the more you practice, the good you get."
Change Over Time & Comparative Adverbs
To describe something that keeps changing in the same direction, repeat the comparative with and: comparative + and + comparative.
Her English is getting better and better.
The line grew longer and longer. It's becoming more and more difficult.
For short adjectives, repeat the -er form (bigger and bigger). For longer ones, use more and more + adjective (more and more expensive). This structure captures a continuous trend — perfect for describing prices, skills, weather, or crowds.
Comparing how something is done: comparative adverbs
We don't only compare things (adjectives) — we compare actions too, using comparative adverbs. Most adverbs end in -ly and take more; a few short ones behave like adjectives:
| Adverb | Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quickly | more quickly | She types more quickly than I do. |
| carefully | more carefully | Please drive more carefully. |
| fast | faster | He runs faster than his brother. |
| hard | harder | They worked harder this term. |
| well | better | She sings better than anyone. |
💡 "faster" or "more quickly"?
Both are correct: fast is one of the short adverbs that takes -er (faster), while quickly is a regular -ly adverb that takes more (more quickly). In everyday speech faster is more common; more quickly sounds a touch more formal. Both are safe — just don't blend them into "more faster." ❌
A: So, which route do you recommend — the highway or the coast road?
B: The highway is far quicker, but honestly it's nowhere near as pretty. The coast road is twice as long, though.
A: Hmm. The earlier we leave, the less traffic we'll hit, right?
B: Exactly. And the coast road gets more and more beautiful the further south you go. It's slightly slower, but I think it's worth it.
A: Then let's take the coast road — the earlier we set off, the better.
Keep a set of ready-made comparison phrases on hand for weighing options and describing trends:
🔊 Hear It & Repeat — Model Sentences
Listen to each model sentence, then say it back. Use the 🎧 Audio control (bottom-right) to choose a UK or US voice and slow the speed down. Notice the rhythm of the two-part structures — the pause between the halves of "the more… the more."
- The more I practice, the more confident I feel.
- This laptop is far more powerful than my old one, and only slightly heavier.
- The sequel wasn't nearly as good as the original movie.
- Their new apartment is twice as expensive as the one they rented before.
- Her English is getting better and better every single week.
Practice & Project
🏋️ Exercise 1: Complete the comparison
Objective: Fill each gap with the correct word or short phrase to complete the comparison structure.
- This phone is much (cheap) than the other one.
- She isn't tall as her sister.
- The train is twice fast as the bus.
- My new job pays the same my old one.
- The weather is getting warmer and .
- This exercise is a bit (hard) than the last one.
✅ Answer
1. cheaper · 2. as · 3. as · 4. as · 5. warmer · 6. harder
🏋️ Exercise 2: The more…, the more
Objective: Complete each parallel comparison with the missing word (mind the two "the"s and the comparatives).
- The more you read, you learn.
- (hard) you work, the luckier you get.
- The sooner we start, the (good).
- The older he gets, the he worries.
- The (big) the crowd, the more nervous she felt.
✅ Answer
1. the more · 2. The harder · 3. better · 4. less · 5. bigger
🏋️ Exercise 3: Rewrite with intensifiers & parallels
Objective: Rewrite each sentence using the structure in brackets.
- The new model is better than the old one. (add a strong intensifier) → …
- The blue jacket is a little cheaper than the black one. (keep the small-difference meaning, use "slightly") → …
- When you sleep more, you feel better. (use "the more… the better") → …
- The movie was much worse than the book. (use "not nearly as… as") → …
✅ Answer
1. The new model is far / much better than the old one. · 2. The blue jacket is slightly cheaper than the black one. · 3. The more you sleep, the better you feel. · 4. The movie was not nearly as good as the book.
Wording may vary a little, but the structure must match.
🎯 Your Project: Compare & Recommend
Compare two real options, or describe a trend you know well, and make a recommendation — using a range of advanced comparison structures. Speak out loud or write it up.
- (3 min) Pick a topic: two products, two places, two ways of doing something, or a trend (e.g. "how my town has changed," "phone prices," "my progress in English").
- (4 min) Draft six-plus sentences. Deliberately include: at least one intensifier/softener (far/much/slightly + comparative), one as… as or multiple (twice as… as), one the more… the more, and one comparative + and + comparative (getting better and better).
- (3 min) Deliver it — to a partner, a group, or your phone's recorder — ending with a clear recommendation ("So overall, I'd say…").
- (2 min) Review: did you show how much different, not just that it's different? Did every comparison use than or as correctly?
✅ Project Completion Checklist
- ☐ I used at least six comparison sentences
- ☐ I used an intensifier or softener (far/much/slightly + comparative)
- ☐ I used an "as… as" structure or a multiple (twice as… as)
- ☐ I used "the more… the more" at least once
- ☐ I used "comparative and comparative" for a trend
- ☐ I chose than vs as correctly every time
🎯 Quick Quiz
Question 1: Which sentence is correct?
Question 2: Complete: "___ you practice, the more confident you become."
Tips & Common Mistakes
✅ Do's
- Show how much different: put far/much/slightly/a bit in front of the comparative.
- Use than after a comparative and as in equal comparisons — and never mix them.
- Start both halves of a parallel comparison with the + a comparative.
- Repeat the comparative with and (better and better) to describe a continuous trend.
❌ Common Mistakes
⚠️ Watch Out
- "very" + comparative: "very cheaper" ❌ → "much cheaper" ✅.
- Mixing than/as: "bigger as" ❌, "the same than" ❌ → "bigger than," "the same as" ✅.
- Dropping "the": "More you try, better it gets" ❌ → "The more you try, the better it gets" ✅.
- Double comparatives: "more faster," "more better" ❌ → "faster," "better" ✅.
📓 Learning Journal
Keep your learning journal going. After this lesson, take a few minutes to write down:
- Key concepts you learned
- Things that clicked for you
- Questions or confusion points to revisit
- Ideas you want to try
- Your progress and feelings about reaching B2
✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write six sentences comparing things in your own life: one with an intensifier (far/much + comparative), one with a softener (slightly/a bit), one with as… as or twice as… as, one with the more… the more, one with better and better, and one using the same as. Underline the comparison words and check each uses than or as correctly. Writing your own examples is what makes these structures come out naturally when you speak.
📝 Lesson Summary
🎓 Key Takeaways
- Show the size of a difference with intensifiers (far/much/a lot/considerably) and softeners (slightly/a bit/a little) before the comparative.
- Use as… as for equality, not as… as / not nearly as… as for less, and multiples like twice as… as; the same as (never "than").
- The parallel comparison links two changes: the + comparative … the + comparative ("the more you practice, the better you get").
- Describe a continuous trend with comparative and comparative ("getting better and better," "more and more difficult").
- Compare actions with comparative adverbs (more quickly / faster); use than after comparatives and as in equal comparisons.
🎉 What You've Accomplished
You've taken a simple A2 skill and given it real range. You can now say not just that something is better, but how much better; you can link two changes in a single elegant sentence; and you can describe a trend that keeps moving. This is the grammar of comparing options, weighing evidence, and arguing a case — exactly the kind of precise, persuasive English that marks the B2 level. 🎉
❓ Common Questions at This Stage
When do I use "than" and when do I use "as"?
Use than whenever there's a comparative — an -er word or more/less (bigger than, more useful than). Use as in equal comparisons and with the same (as tall as, twice as big as, the same as). A quick check: if you can see -er or more, reach for than; if you see as or the same, reach for as.
Is "the more… the more" formal, or can I use it in speech?
It's completely natural in both. In fact, some of its shortest forms are pure everyday speech: "The sooner, the better," "The more, the merrier." Use it freely when you want to link two changes — it sounds fluent, not stiff.
Should I say "faster" or "more quickly"?
Both are correct. Fast is a short adverb that takes -er (faster); quickly is a regular -ly adverb that takes more (more quickly). In conversation faster is more common; more quickly is a little more formal. Just never combine them into "more faster."
🔭 Looking Ahead
You've been shaping statements with precision. In Lesson 6.3, Asking Skillfully, you'll shape questions with the same care — indirect questions ("Could you tell me where the station is?") that sound polite and professional, negative questions for surprise or confirmation ("Didn't you get my message?"), and the quiet trap of subject questions ("Who broke the window?").
✅ Before the Next Lesson
- Compare two things you bought or used recently, out loud, using at least three different structures.
- Find one "the more… the more" sentence in something you read or hear, and note it down.
- Write your Learning Journal entry for this lesson.
🌟 Encouragement for the Journey
Precise comparison is one of those skills that instantly makes you sound more thoughtful — the moment you can say "far more useful, though not nearly as cheap," you're weighing things the way a confident speaker does. You've added real subtlety to your English today. Onward to Lesson 6.3! 👋