How to use ‘as’ in comparisons in English?

In English, we use as to show how similar or different two people, things, places, or situations are. Although it’s a small word, it is a powerful tool that allows you to compare qualities, quantities, and how something is done. It is especially useful to show that two things are the same or equal in some way. For example:

• 

  Mary loves baking as much as Helen does.

  → Mary loves baking a lot.
  ← Helen loves baking a lot too.

  
• 

  Mary’s cookies are as tasty as Helen’s.

  → Mary’s cookies are tasty.
  ← Helen’s cookies are tasty too.

  

Follow me, and you’ll find out…

• what you can put between as … as

• how to use as for different degrees of similarity and difference

• what grammar rules sentences with as follow

Let’s have a look!

You can use as in a number of ways to say that two things are identical. The general structure of a sentence with this meaning looks like this:

What can go between the first and the second as? Let’s take a look!

It is uncommon to use plural or mass nouns in as … as structures. It is better to use other means of comparison, but if you must use as … as, omit the article:

• 🆗 Mary uses as fine kitchenware as Helen does. (odd)
  ✅ Mary uses kitchenware that is as fine as Helen’s. (more natural)

• 🆗 Mary makes as amazing wedding cakes as Helen. (odd)
  ✅ Mary’s wedding cakes are as amazing as the ones Helen makes. (more natural)

Any time you use as… as… to make a comparison, you are really using as… as… to combine two similar sentences. We saw some common ways that two sentences are combined above, but there are other ways to do it too.

Let’s start with the two sentences below:

• Mary is hardworking.

• Helen is hardworking.

To say how these two ideas are similar, you put as around the quality that is equal:

Then, you can drop repeated words. While you definitely need to drop hardworking, you have some choice about the rest. The more you drop, the more informal the sentence will be:

• Mary is as hardworking as Helen is.

  → a little formal

• Mary is as hardworking as Helen.

  → a little informal

Let’s look at another example:

• Mary's cake is great.

• We expected that Mary's cake would be great.

These combine to form…

Now, let’s eliminate some repeated information:

• Mary's cake is as great as we expected it would be.

  → more formal

• Mary's cake is as great as we expected.

  → less formal

To say that two things, people, amounts, etc. are completely different, all you need to do is to add not before one of the as … as … structures described above. The subject in this structure is always below or worse than the object of comparison. For example:

Two things may be very similar or very different, and they may also be anything in between. To show the degree of similarity or difference, you can use various modifiers before the structure with as:

Some of the most common modifiers are:

For example:

Usually we compare two things, thus, we name those things directly and need to say as twice in a sentence. However, sometimes it is obvious from the context what we compare something with. In such situations, we can make an indirect comparison using only one as.

We most often leave out the object of the comparison when not or a modifier comes before as. For instance:

• Mary experiments a lot with her baking, while Helen is not as adventurous (as Mary).

• Mary puts one spoon of cinnamon in her apple pie. Helen puts just as much (as Mary).

• Mary has been baking for 45 years. Helen is nowhere near as experienced (as Mary).

It is also possible to use so, that, or such instead of as in negative sentences with implied object of comparison:

• Mary has been baking for 45 years. Helen is not so/that experienced.

• Mary has been baking for 45 years. Helen is not such an experienced baker.

In fact, so, that, or such are more common than as when the object of comparison is implied.

We use as in a number of common expressions. First of all, there are figures of speech called “similes,” which create a vivid description of something by comparing it to something else. They are often used in literature, especially poetry, but some of them made their way into everyday language. Most similes would include either as or like as means of comparison.

Though you can always create your own comparisons, some comparisons are so “classic” in English that they have become set phrases. For example:

• as cold as ice

• as blind as a bat

• as tough as nails

• as good as gold

• as sly as a fox

Apart from similes, there are also some expressions commonly used after the second as in a sentence:

• as they come

  My aunt is as stubborn as they come.

  = extremely stubborn

• as anything

  Hiring more people is as important as anything.

  = extremely important

• as can be

  I’m as happy as can be.

  = extremely happy

• as possible

  Please come home ASAP (as soon as possible).

  = as soon as you can

• as it gets

  This is the best price you can find. This is as good as it gets.

  = it won’t be better

Finally, there are common expressions where not so is used instead of not as:

• I’m not so sure.

• It’s not so good/bad.

• Not so loud, please!

• That was not so long ago.

• Not so fast! Just because I won a lottery doesn’t mean I have to support some charity.

  → Not so fast! is used to say that you disagree with someone and that they are too quick in their conclusions or actions.

We use the word as in English to say how similar or how different two things, people, amounts, or actions are. We use different sentence structures for such comparisons:

• To say that two things are very similar or equal, we use as … as ….

• To say that two things are very different, we use not as … as ….

• To show how similar or different two things are, we use a modifier (e.g. exactly, almost, not quite, nowhere near) + as … as ….

• We often use not so or not that instead of not as when the object of comparison is not given directly, or not given at all.

Feeling as ready as can be to make comparisons using as? Why not practice making as comparisons in English! Happy learning!