Part 1: Making Comparisons with As...As
2020-06-05
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1Suppose an animal shelter in your city had invited people to meet some animals to see if they wanted to make an adoption.
2You and a friend both love dogs, so you visit the shelter and go straight to the dog area.
3You hold and play with some of the dogs.
4You soon realize you like two of them equally: Benji and Cody.
5Your friend asks what you think of the two animals.
6You say this:
7I like both. Benji is as playful as Cody.
8When making comparisons of equality between two things, we can use the word "as."
9Notice that "as" appears twice in the comparison.
10On today's Everyday Grammar, we will talk about using "as" to compare qualities and to compare how something is done.
11Let's start with qualities.
12When we compare equal qualities of two people, places or things, we use the comparative structure as + adjective + as.
13 Listen to the dog example again:
14I like both. Benji is as playful as Cody.
15The speaker uses the adjective "playful" to express the equal quality of the two animals.
16The sentence structure goes like this: subject + BE verb + as + adjective + as...followed by a noun or noun phrase.
17In the example sentence, the subject is "Benji."
18The verb BE becomes the singular form "is."
19Then there is the comparison part: "as playful as."
20Finally, there is the noun "Cody."
21Now, suppose you are at a restaurant. You are trying several different dishes.
22You think both dishes are equally tasty.
23Listen for the same structure in this sentence comparing foods:
24The pasta dish is as tasty as the rice dish.
25Here, the subject is "the pasta dish," followed by the BE verb "is."
26Then comes the comparison "as tasty as" and then the noun phrase "the rice dish."
27But what if the two dogs you met were not equally playful?
28Or what if you did not think the two dishes were equally tasty?
29How could you express these ideas using "as"?
30In unequal "as" comparisons about the qualities of people, places or things, we use the word "not."
31Listen to the negative form and take note of where "not" appears:
32Benji is not as playful as Cody.
33Notice that "not" comes immediately after the BE verb.
34Listen for the same structure in this next example:
35The pasta dish is not as tasty as the rice dish.
36Again, the word "not" comes right after the BE verb.
37Next, let's talk about comparing how things are done.
38We can use "as" to compare actions.
39When we do this, we use an adverb -- not an adjective.
40The structure "as + adverb + as" shows a comparison between actions that are equal in some way.
41Listen for the comparison of actions in this next example:
42Benji runs as fast as Cody.
43Here, two actions are being compared: Benji's running and Cody's running.
44In the example, the word "fast" acts as an adverb.
45Take note of the sentence structure: subject + verb, then as + adverb + as, then a noun or noun phrase.
46Listen for the same structure in this next example:
47We enjoyed the pasta dish as much as the rice dish.
48But, what if one of the dogs runs faster than the other dog?
49Or, what if you did not enjoy the two dishes equally?
50How could you use express these ideas using the "as" structure?
51To express unequal comparisons between actions, the auxiliary verb "do" is needed.
52The negative form would be "do not" "does not" or the past tense "did not."
53Take note of where these words appear in this example:
54We did not enjoy the pasta dish as much as the rice dish.
55Notice that the negative "did not" appears immediately after the subject "We."
56In the real world, a native English speaker would likely use a contraction, such as "didn't," rather than "did not," like this:
57We did not enjoy the pasta dish as much as the rice dish.
58Now, let's hear the negative form about the dogs.
59Benji does not run as fast as Cody.
60Notice that the negative "does not" comes after the subject "Benji."
61Again, a native speaker would likely use a contraction, such as "didn't," rather than "did not." Like this:
62Today, you have heard a lot about comparisons of equality with "as."
63Try to look and listen for these comparisons in English-language songs, movies or television shows.
64You can also look for them in VOA Learning English materials.
65In time, the sentence structure will begin to feel more natural, and you can practice using them your own speaking and writing.
66Join us again soon when we will look at other kinds of comparisons using "as."
67I'm Alice Bryant.
1Suppose an animal shelter in your city had invited people to meet some animals to see if they wanted to make an adoption. 2You and a friend both love dogs, so you visit the shelter and go straight to the dog area. You hold and play with some of the dogs. You soon realize you like two of them equally: Benji and Cody. Your friend asks what you think of the two animals. You say this: 3I like both. Benji is as playful as Cody. 4When making comparisons of equality between two things, we can use the word "as." Notice that "as" appears twice in the comparison. 5On today's Everyday Grammar, we will talk about using "as" to compare qualities and to compare how something is done. 6Qualities: as + adjective + as 7Let's start with qualities. 8When we compare equal qualities of two people, places or things, we use the comparative structure as + adjective + as. Listen to the dog example again: 9I like both. Benji is as playful as Cody. 10The speaker uses the adjective "playful" to express the equal quality of the two animals. 11The sentence structure goes like this: subject + BE verb + as + adjective + as...followed by a noun or noun phrase. 12In the example sentence, the subject is "Benji." The verb BE becomes the singular form "is." Then there is the comparison part: "as playful as." Finally, there is the noun "Cody." 13Now, suppose you are at a restaurant. You are trying several different dishes. You think both dishes are equally tasty. Listen for the same structure in this sentence comparing foods: 14The pasta dish is as tasty as the rice dish. 15Here, the subject is "the pasta dish," followed by the BE verb "is." Then comes the comparison "as tasty as" and then the noun phrase "the rice dish." 16Unequal qualities 17But what if the two dogs you met were not equally playful? Or what if you did not think the two dishes were equally tasty? How could you express these ideas using "as"? 18In unequal "as" comparisons about the qualities of people, places or things, we use the word "not." Listen to the negative form and take note of where "not" appears: 19Benji is not as playful as Cody. 20Notice that "not" comes immediately after the BE verb. 21Listen for the same structure in this next example: 22The pasta dish is not as tasty as the rice dish. 23Again, the word "not" comes right after the BE verb. 24How it's done: as + adverb + as 25Next, let's talk about comparing how things are done. We can use "as" to compare actions. When we do this, we use an adverb -- not an adjective. The structure "as + adverb + as" shows a comparison between actions that are equal in some way. 26Listen for the comparison of actions in this next example: 27Benji runs as fast as Cody. 28Here, two actions are being compared: Benji's running and Cody's running. In the example, the word "fast" acts as an adverb. 29Take note of the sentence structure: subject + verb, then as + adverb + as, then a noun or noun phrase. Listen for the same structure in this next example: 30We enjoyed the pasta dish as much as the rice dish. 31Unequal actions 32But, what if one of the dogs runs faster than the other dog? Or, what if you did not enjoy the two dishes equally? How could you use express these ideas using the "as" structure? 33To express unequal comparisons between actions, the auxiliary verb "do" is needed. The negative form would be "do not" "does not" or the past tense "did not." 34Take note of where these words appear in this example: 35We did not enjoy the pasta dish as much as the rice dish. 36Notice that the negative "did not" appears immediately after the subject "We." 37In the real world, a native English speaker would likely use a contraction, such as "didn't," rather than "did not," like this: 38We did not enjoy the pasta dish as much as the rice dish. 39Now, let's hear the negative form about the dogs. 40Benji does not run as fast as Cody. 41Notice that the negative "does not" comes after the subject "Benji." Again, a native speaker would likely use a contraction, such as "didn't," rather than "did not." Like this: 42We didn't enjoy the pasta dish as much as the rice dish. 43What can you do? 44Today, you have heard a lot about comparisons of equality with "as." Try to look and listen for these comparisons in English-language songs, movies or television shows. You can also look for them in VOA Learning English materials. 45In time, the sentence structure will begin to feel more natural, and you can practice using them your own speaking and writing. 46Join us again soon when we will look at other kinds of comparisons using "as." 47I'm Alice Bryant. 48Alice Bryant wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. 49_________________________________________________________________ 50Before you practice, it is a good idea to be aware of common mistakes. 51Some English learners mix "as" comparisons with other kinds of comparisons. For example, they might say, "The pasta is as tastier as the rice." We do not use -er adjectives like "tastier" in "as" comparisons. 52Another common mistake is using the word "less" "more" or "than." For instance, these are incorrect: "The pasta is less tasty as the rice" or "The pasta is not as tasty than the rice." 53If you make these mistakes, do not worry. Most people will still understand your meaning. And, with time and practice, as...as comparisons will get easier! 54Words in This Story 55adoption - n. to take an animal legally as your own 56twice - adv. two times 57phrase - n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence 58dish - n. Food that is prepared in a particular way 59negative - adj. expressing dislike or refusal 60contraction - n. a short form of a word or word group that is made by leaving out a sound or letter