Study this example situation:
Shirley, Henry and Arthur are all millionaires. They are all very rich.
Shirley has 10 million pounds, Henry has 8 million pounds and Arthur has 2 million pounds.
So:
Henry is rich.
He is richer than Arthur.
But he isn't as rich as Shirley. (= Shirley is richer than he is)
Some more examples of not as ... (as):
* Tom isn't as old as he looks. (= he looks older than he is)
* The city centre wasn't as crowded this morning as it usually is. (= it is usually more crowded)
* jenny didn't do as well in the exam as she had hoped. (= she had hoped to do better)
* 'The weather is better today, isn't it?' 'Yes, it's not as cold.' (= yesterday was colder)
* I don't know as many people as you do. (= you know more people)
You can also say 'not so. (as)':
* It's not warm but it isn't so cold as yesterday. (= ... it isn't as cold as ...)
Less ... (than) is similar to not as ... (as):
* I spent less money than you. (= I didn't spend as much money ...)
* The city centre was less crowded than usual. (= it wasn't as crowded ...)
You can use as ... as (but not 'so ... as') in positive sentences and in questions:
* I'm sorry I'm late. I got here as fast as I could.
* There's plenty of food. You can have as much as you like.
* Let's walk. It's just as quick as taking the bus.
* Can you send me the money as soon as possible, please?
Also: twice as ... as, three times as ... as etc.:
* Petrol is twice as expensive as it was a few years ago.
* Their house is about three times as big as ours.
We say the same as (not 'the same like'):
* Ann's salary is the same as mine. or Ann gets the same salary as me.
* Tom is the same age as George.
* 'What would you like to drink?' 'I'll have the same as you.'
Than me/than I am etc.
We usually say:
* You are taller than me. (not 'than I')
* He is not as clever as her. (not 'as she')
After than/as it is more usual to say me/him/her/them/us when there is no verb. Compare:
* You are taller than I am. but You are taller than me.
* They have more money than we have. but They have more money than us.
* I can't run as fast as he can. but I can't run as fast as him.
EXERCISES
106.1 Complete the sentences using as ... as.
1. I'm quite tall but you are taller. I'm not _as tell as you._
2. My salary is high but yours is higher. My salary isn't ---.
3. You know a bit about cars but I know more. You don't ---.
4. It's still cold but it was colder yesterday. It isn't ---.
5. I still feel a bit tired but I felt a lot more tired yesterday. I don't ---.
6. They've lived here for quite a long time but we've lived here longer. They haven't ---.
7. I was a bit nervous before the interview but usually I'm a lot more nervous. I wasn't ---.
106.2 Rewrite these sentences so that they have the same meaning.
1. Jack is younger than he looks. Jack isn't _as old as he looks._
2. 1 didn't spend as much money as you. You _spent more money than me._
3. The station was nearer than I thought. The station wasn't ---.
4. The meal didn't cost as much as I expected. The meal ---.
5. I go out less than I used to. I don't ---.
6. Her hair isn't as long as it used to be. She used to ---.
7. 1 know them better than you do. You don't ---.
8. There were fewer people at this meeting than at the last one. There weren't ---.
106.3 Complete the sentences using as ... as. Choose one of the following:
bad, comfortable, fast, long, often, quietly, soon, well, well-qualified,
1. I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I got here _as fast as_ I could.
2. It was a difficult question. I answered it --- I could.
3. 'How long can I stay with you?' 'You can stay --- you like.'
4. I need the information quickly, so please let me know --- possible.
5. I like to keep fit, so I go swimming --- I can.
6. I didn't want to wake anybody, so I came in --- I could.
In the following sentences use just as ... as.
7. I'm going to sleep on the floor. It's --- sleeping in that hard bed.
8. Why did he get the job rather than me? I'm --- him.
9. At first I thought you were nice but really you're --- everybody else.
106.4 Write sentences using the same as.
1. Sally and Kate are both 22 years old. _Sally is the same age as Kate._
2. You and I both have dark brown hair. Your hair ---.
3. I arrived at 10.25 and so did you. I ---.
4. My birthday is 5 April. Tom's birthday is 5 April too. My ---.
106.5 Complete the sentences with than... or as...
1. I can't reach as high as you. You are taller _than me._
2. He doesn't know much. I know more ---.
3. I don't work particularly hard. Most people work as hard ---.
4. We were very surprised. Nobody was more surprised ---.
5. She's not a very good player. I'm a better player ---.
6. They've been very lucky. I wish we were as lucky ---.
106.1
2 as high as yours.
3 You don't know as much about cars as me. or ... as I do.
4 It isn't as cold today as it was yesterday.
5 I don't feel as tired today as I felt yesterday. or ... as I did.
6 They haven't lived here as long as us. or ... as we have.
7 I wasn't as nervous before the interview as I usually am. or ... as usual.
106.2
3 The station wasn't as far as I thought.
4 The meal cost less than I expected./... was cheaper than I expected./... wasn't as expensive as I expected.
5 I don't go out as much as I used to./... as often as I used to.
6 She used to have longer hair.
7 You don't know them as well as me. or ... as I do.
8 There weren't as many people at this meeting as at the last one.
106.3
2 as well as
3 as long as
4 as soon as
5 as often as
6 as quietly as
7 just as comfortable as
8 just as well-qualified as
9 just as bad as
106.4
2 Your hair is the same colour as mine.
3 I arrived at the same time as you (did).
4 My birthday is (on) the same day as Tom's. or My birthday is the same as Torn's.
106.5
2 than him/than he does
3 as me/as I do
4 than us/than we were
5 than her/than she is
6 as them/as they have been
