The more you practise, the better · twice as big · nowhere near as · by far the best
Building on B2
Comparisons that show change, size and strength
You know comparatives, superlatives, much / a bit and not as … as. B2 adds structures for things that change together, exact differences and very strong comparisons.
The more you practise, the better you get.
the … the …
Two things change together
The + comparative …, the + comparative …
The older I get, the less I sleep.
The sooner, the better.
Short fixed form.
more and more · increasingly
Continuous change
It's getting colder and colder.
Flights are becoming more and more expensive.
Online shopping is increasingly popular.
increasingly = more and more (more formal).
Exact differences
twice as … as · half as … as · three times
Their house is twice as big as ours.
The new model uses half as much energy.
A taxi costs three times as much as the bus.
Strong comparisons
nowhere near · nothing like · by far · considerably
much less
The film was nowhere near as good as the book. · It's nothing like as cold as last year.
big difference
It's considerably cheaper online.
clearly the top
She's by far the best player in the team.
the limit
Come as soon as possible.
Common mistakes
Where learners go wrong most often
The more you practise, more you improve.
→
The more you practise, the more you improve.
the … the …
It's twice bigger than mine.
→
It's twice as big as mine.
twice as … as
The film was nowhere near good as the book.
→
The film was nowhere near as good as the book.
nowhere near as … as
She's the best by far player.
→
She's by far the best player.
by far + the + superlative
Your turn
Answer out loud — full sentences
Use the B2 comparisons.
1
Finish: The more I learn English, the…
2
What is getting more and more expensive where you live?
3
Compare two things with twice as … as or half as … as.