Review Contents

Problems with Comparatives
Basics
     1. Specific similarlity:    as + adj./adv. + as
     2. Comparative adj./adv.: more + adj./adv. + than  or
                                                  adj.er /adv.er + than
     3. Superlative adj./adv.: the most + adj./adv.    or
                                               the adj.est/adv.est
        Also remember some irregular adjectives/adverbs like these:

                                               good - better - best
                                               far - farther or further - farthest or furthest
                                               little - less - least
                                               many/much - more - most
                                               bad - worse - worst

Fine points
      1. Be sure that you make a comparison with logically comparable nouns. You cannot compare a company in Japan with USA but you must compare a company in Japan and a company in USA. You usually use that of or those of instead of repeating a noun to express a logical comparative.

             Ex: Incorrect: A car in Japan is much different from USA
                   Correct:    A car in Japan is much different from that of USA

                    Incorrect: The question whether to divest themselves of stock in companies that do business in South Africa is particularly troublesome for the nations 16 private Black colleges because their economic bases are often more fragile than most predominantly White colleges.
                    Correct:    The question whether to divest themselves of stock in companies that do business in South Africa is particularly troublesome for the naiton’s 16 private Black colleges because their economic bases are often more fragile than those of most predominantly White colleges.

                      You’re comparing between economic bases of Black colleges and economic bases of White colleges.

      2. Beware of using these pairs of similar words:
                      the same as - the same
                      similar to - similar
                      different from - different
                      like - alike
                  The formers are always followed by noun while the latters aren’t.

               Ex. American cultures are (the same as/similar to/different from/like) those of England. or
                     American cultures and those of England are (the same/similar/different/alike).

       3. Multiple numbers (half/twice/three times/ten times etc.) are always used with as much/many as.

               Ex. USA has roughly twice as many people as Japan (does).

       4. Fewer than and less than. Always use fewer than with a countable noun and leave an uncountable noun for less than. Fortunately you don’t have a problem between more (many) than and more (much) than!

               Ex. There are fewer people in Japan than there are in USA.
                      People in Japan spend less time at home than do Americans.

       5. Double comparatives: Remember this structure; The more ..........., the more........

               Ex. Incorrect: Dr. Hakuta’s research among Hispanic children in the United States indicates that the more the children use both Spanish and English , their intellectual advantage is greater in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic.
                     Correct: Dr. Hakuta’s research among Hispanic children in the United States indicates that the more the children use both Spanish and English , the greater their intellectual advantage in skills underlying reading ability and nonverbal logic.

Time to practise now.