Practice
As ... as comparisons
Sign in to saveTwo bags may cost the same. One walk may be shorter than another. English can show both ideas with as ... as: This bag is as expensive as that one. The walk is not as long as we expected.
Use as ... as to compare equal things and not as ... as to compare things that are unequal.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
This route is not as short as the other one. /ðɪs ruːt ɪz nɒt əz ʃɔːt əz ði ˈʌðə wʌn/
The short answer
Use as + adjective or adverb + as for an equal comparison. Use not as + adjective or adverb + as when the two things are unequal.
My new phone is as light as my old one.
Why it works: Light is the adjective between the two words as. The phones have the same weight in this comparison.
5 more examples
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The library is as busy as the café this afternoon.
Busy is an adjective between as and as. The two places have the same level of activity.
Not this:The library is
not as busy asthe café this afternoon. What changes: The library has fewer people than the café, but the sentence does not state the exact difference. -
Mina can run as fast as her brother.
Fast describes how Mina can run, so it works as an adverb in this comparison.
Not this:Mina
cannot run as fast asher brother. What changes: Her running speed is lower than her brother's speed. -
This chair is as comfortable as the sofa.
Comfortable is an adjective after is. The chair and sofa feel equally comfortable.
Not this:This chair is
not as comfortable asthe sofa. What changes: The sofa is more comfortable than the chair. -
We used as much rice as the recipe required.
Rice is uncountable here, so use as much as to compare the amount.
Not this:We
did not use as much rice asthe recipe required. What changes: The amount of rice was smaller than the amount in the recipe. -
The team solved as many problems as it could before lunch.
Problems is countable and plural, so use as many as to compare a number.
Not this:The team
did not solve as many problems asit planned to. What changes: The number solved was lower than the number in the plan.
Read the full guide
First, decide whether the two things are equal in the quality you are describing. If they are equal, use as ... as. If they are different, put not before the first as. Then choose the right word for the middle: an adjective after be, or an adverb after an action verb.
Compare one quality at a time
Choose the quality you want to compare. It may be size, cost, speed, comfort, or another adjective. Put that adjective between the two words as.
The red suitcase is as heavy as the black suitcase.
Heavy is the quality. Both suitcases have the same weight in this sentence.
What is being compared in The red suitcase is as heavy as the black suitcase?
The sentence compares the weight of the two suitcases.
Use an adjective after be
After be, use an adjective in the middle of the pattern. Common choices include old, easy, useful, expensive, and quiet. The second part of the comparison can be a noun, a pronoun, or a longer phrase.
The instructions are as clear as the diagram.
Clear describes the instructions and the diagram. It is an adjective after are.
My apartment is not as close to work as yours.
Not before the first as shows that the two apartments are not equally close to work.
Complete the sentence: This jacket is as ___ as that one.
Use an adjective, such as warm: This jacket is as warm as that one.
Use an adverb after an action verb
When the comparison describes an action, use an adverb where possible. The pattern tells you how someone does something. Fast and hard can be adverbs without -ly. Carefully and quietly are adverbs with -ly.
Omar speaks as clearly as his teacher.
Clearly describes how Omar speaks. It is an adverb after the action verb speaks.
I did not arrive as early as I hoped.
Early describes the time of arrival. Not as early as shows that the arrival was later than expected.
Choose the word: Hana writes as ___ as her colleague.
Use an adverb, such as carefully: Hana writes as carefully as her colleague.
Make the comparison negative
Put not before the first as when two things are not equal. In speech, the negative may be part of a contraction such as is not or cannot. This form says that one thing has less of the quality than the other.
The second test was not as difficult as the first one.
The second test was easier. Not as difficult as compares difficulty without saying exactly how much easier it was.
We cannot stay as late as we wanted to.
The group must leave earlier than planned.
Choose the negative form: The movie was ___ interesting as the book.
Use not as: The movie was not as interesting as the book.
Compare amounts and numbers
Use as much as before an uncountable noun, such as time, water, or money. Use as many as before a plural countable noun, such as tickets, emails, or questions. These patterns compare an amount or number rather than a quality.
I do not have as much free time as my sister.
Free time is uncountable, so the sentence uses as much as.
The store sold as many tickets as it expected.
Tickets is a plural countable noun, so the sentence uses as many as.
Which phrase fits before books: as much as or as many as?
Use as many as because books is a plural countable noun.
Before you go
Remember this
Use as + adjective or adverb + as when two things are equal in one quality. Put not before the first as when they are unequal. Use as much as for uncountable amounts and as many as for countable numbers. Keep more and -er forms out of this pattern.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "As ... as comparisons"
What does as ... as mean in English?
As ... as compares two people, things, actions, or amounts that are equal in one way. Put the quality in the middle, as in The library is as busy as the cafe this afternoon. The sentence says that both places have the same level of activity.
The library is as busy as the café this afternoon.
Where does the adjective go in an as ... as comparison?
Put the adjective between the two words as, usually after be: This chair is as comfortable as the sofa. Do not say as more comfortable as. Use a comparative form with than when you want to show a difference instead.
The library is not as busy as the café this afternoon.
Can I use as ... as with an adverb?
Yes. Use an adverb when the comparison describes an action: Mina can run as fast as her brother. Other common adverbs include carefully, quietly, and early. The adverb goes between as and as, just as an adjective does.
Mina can run as fast as her brother.
How do I make an as ... as comparison negative?
Put not before the first as: The library is not as busy as the cafe this afternoon. This means that the library has a lower level of activity. Not as ... as does not state the exact size of the difference.
Mina cannot run as fast as her brother.
When should I use as much as or as many as?
Use as much as with an uncountable noun, such as rice, time, or water: We used as much rice as the recipe required. Use as many as with a plural countable noun, such as problems, tickets, or emails.
This chair is as comfortable as the sofa.