Explanation
Exercises
Comparative grammar: modifying comparatives
B2 · degree adverbs big / small / zero difference · nouns & adverbs

1) What are comparative modifiers?

They are words that make a comparison stronger, weaker or show no/near-zero difference. We place them before a comparative adjective/adverb (much faster) or inside the as…as pattern (nearly as fast as). We can also modify more/less + noun (far more time).

2) Big difference

much / far / way / a lot / a great deal / considerably / significantly / substantially

  • It’s much hotter today than yesterday.
  • This route is far longer than I expected.
  • The new model is way more powerful.
  • House prices are significantly higher this year.
Not natural: *quite cheaper. Say much cheaper or quite a bit cheaper.

3) Small difference

a bit / a little / slightly / a touch / marginally / not much

  • The coffee is slightly colder than I like.
  • This option is not much cheaper than the other one.
  • He’s a bit taller than his brother.

4) “as…as” → big difference

nowhere near / not nearly / not at all + as + Adj/Adv + as

  • The new restaurant is nowhere near as crowded as the one downtown.
  • She’s not nearly as experienced as she claims.
  • This book is not at all as interesting as the last one.

5) (Almost) no difference

almost / nearly / not quite / roughly / more or less / just / exactly + as … as · the same as

  • She’s almost as tall as her brother.
  • The distance is roughly the same as last time.
  • I’m exactly as capable as you are.

6) Emphasising a superlative

by far + the + superlative

  • This is by far the best pizza in town.
  • He’s by far the most talented musician in the band.

In careful writing, use by far mainly with superlatives; with comparatives, prefer much/far.

7) Modifying comparisons with nouns

more / fewer (count) · more / less (uncount)

  • I have far more games than you.
  • They owe much less money than we thought.
  • She has a lot more experience than her colleague.
  • There is not much more traffic today than yesterday.

many more / much more are common boosters: many more people, much more time.

8) Modifying comparative adverbs

  • He runs much faster than Mike.
  • She replied far more politely than I expected.

9) Other useful boosters

  • even surprising extra difference: This version is even better.
  • still continuing change: It’s still faster than before.
  • any in questions/negatives: Is it any good? / not any better = no better.

10) Form notes

  • Than + object/pronoun Both are fine in modern English: taller than me / taller than I am.
  • Correct base form Use standard comparative forms: easier (not more easy), more complicated (not complicater).

11) Quick reference

EffectBefore comparativeWith as…asWith nouns
Big difference much, far, way, a lot, a great deal, considerably, significantly nowhere near, not nearly, not at all far/much/a lot more/less; many more / far fewer
Small difference a bit, a little, slightly, a touch, marginally, not much — slightly/a little more/less
(Almost) no difference — almost/nearly/not quite/roughly/more or less/just/exactly + as…as; the same as roughly the same number/amount as
Top degree by far + the + superlative —
Exercises:
1
2
3

Comparative grammar: modifying comparatives

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
ⓘ
Choose the correct modifier for each comparative. You can use each option only once. Word bank: far slightly considerably a bit way significantly any no much even
1
The revised layout is clearer than the old one.
2
This version is faster on older phones — just a little.
3
The new policy is more effective than last year’s — by a large margin.
4
The second dish was spicier than I expected — just a touch.
5
Her presentation was more engaging after she cut the jargon.
6
Switching to SSDs is faster than upgrading the CPU for everyday tasks.
7
The shortcut isn’t easier at all than the original route.
8
Despite the hype, the sequel is better than the first film — it’s basically the same.
9
After the patch, start-up is faster than before — great job!
10
With the new engine, the game loads faster than before we optimized the assets.

Comparative grammar: modifying comparatives

Choose the correct options for the gaps in these sentences.
1
“Plan A is slightly cheaper than Plan B.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
2
“Our new model is much faster than the old one.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
3
“The train was considerably more crowded than usual.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
4
“This path is far shorter than the road.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
5
“Her latest book is a little less engaging than the previous one.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
6
“This route is a lot more direct than that one.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
7
“Electric cars are getting increasingly affordable each year.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
8
“She’s slightly taller than her sister.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
9
“The new policy is somewhat less effective than we expected.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.
10
“This task took much longer than I’d planned.” Choose a synonymous comparative:
A.
B.
C.
D.

Comparative grammar: modifying comparatives

Rewrite the second part of the sentence without repeating the verb or verb phrase. Include ‘to’ when it is required. Don’t include ‘to’ when it can be dropped.
far much a lot way considerably significantly slightly a little a bit marginally noticeably
1
This route is shorter than the one we took yesterday.
2
The new engine is more efficient than the old model.
3
Her presentation was clearer than mine.
4
The train was less crowded than I expected.
5
This model is more expensive than the basic one.
6
After the patch, the app ran better on older phones.
7
She is more experienced than her colleagues.
8
My headache is worse this evening.
9
Our results are closer to the target than last month.
10
They arrived earlier than we expected.