Not as...as'; 'not so...as' to indicate lower degree

We can use either as or so after not to compare two people, things, etc.: Soames is not as/not sosuitable for the job as me/as I am But note: He's not sosuitable in my view This use of so is informal and can replace very. Not such a/an (+ adjective) + noun is also possible: He's not such ahard worker as his brother

6.30.3 'More than', 'less than' and 'worse than' + adjective

More than, less than and worse than can be used in front of a number of adjectives in the following way:

/was more than pleasedwith my pay rise I was over the moon'

This foot-pump is worse than useless

(i.e. to a degree which pleased and useless cannot convey)

6.30.4 'The same as'; 'different from'

Note that as follows the same:

He's angry because my marks are the same ashis

(Not *the same like* or 'the same with*) Compare the use of with after the same in: e.g.

Butterflies come from caterpillars It' s the same withmoths

(i.e. moths do the same thing) The same (with singular or plural) can also be used without as:

This cup's cracked What's that one like? - It's the same

Those two dresses are the same(plural) Different is normally followed by from, especially in BrE:

We have the same make of car, but yours is different frommine

I know we look alike, but we're quite different fromeach other To and than (especially in AmE) are also heard after different However, than cannot replace from in uncomplicated comparisons:

Roses are different from/different toviolets Than is commonly used after different to introduce a clause:

We re doing something quite differentfor our holiday this year than

(what) we did last year/from what we did last year

Degrees of similarity

Degrees of similarity can be expressed by means of almost exactly just, nearly + as + adjective [> 7.41]:

Jeffrey is nearly astall as his father now or + like + noun: Sandra is just likeher mother Almost exactly just nearly and (not) quite will combine with the same:

Those two boys are exactly the sameCompletely, entirely and quite will combine with different:

Those two boys are completely different

7 Adverbs

General information about adverbs