Comparison/Contrast Review

A. Comparative - Used to compare two (2) items.
 

Pattern A      (-er than) -one syllable adjective/adverb -two syllable adjective ending in -y	Pattern B     (more _____ than) -two or more syllable adjectives -adverb ending in -ly
is          shorter     than      Y X          seems   funnier     than     Y              works   harder      than     Y	is           more   beautiful       than       Y X          seems     more   useful           than        Y               works    more   carefully       than        Y

B. Superlative - Used to compare three (3) or more items.
 

Pattern A    (the _____est) -one syllable adjective/adverb -two syllable adjective ending in -y	Pattern B   (the most _____) -two or more syllable adjective -adverb ending in -ly
is          the        shortest X         seems    the        funniest             works    the          hardest	is              the  most          beautiful X       seems      the  most          useful           works      the  most          carefully

C. Similarities

1. Nouns
 

Pattern A    (the same _____ as)	Pattern B    (the same _____)
X    is   the same    age       as    Y X has  the same     value    as    Y	X + Y     are         the same        age X + Y      have     the same        value

2. Adjectives/Adverbs
 

Pattern A     (as _____ as)	Pattern B    (like)	Pattern C
is            as        old          as       Y X       smells      as         fresh       as       Y          runs          as         fast         as       Y          speaks     as         fluently    as       Y	is         like     Y X       tastes   like    Y	are        alike X + Y taste    the same             look    similar

 

3. Quantities
 

Pattern A    (as many/much _____ as)	Pattern B   (as much as _____)
has       as many     people      as    Y X    needs    as many     cars         as    Y       wants     as much     money     as    Y        takes     as much    time         as     Y	costs        as much as    Y X      smokes   as much as     Y           talks       as much as    Y

 
 

D. Differences
 

Pattern A	Pattern B
X is different from Y	X + Y are different

†The most common way to show that two items are different or not equal is to negate the patterns for similarities.

1. Nouns

- X is not the same age as Y.

- X and Y are not the same color.
 

2. Adjectives/Adverbs

- X isn't as old as Y.

- X doesn't run as fast as Y.

- X is not like Y.

- X + Y are not alike.

- X + Y don't taste the same.
 

3. Quantities

- X doesn't have as many people as Y.

- X doesn't cost as much as Y.

1. adapted from Grammar in Context, Elbaum (1986: Little, Brown and Company), pp. 24-27