English - Lesson 43 of 139: Comparisons

___ is better than ___.

Compare two options in a simple way

Meaning: ___ is better than ___. Use this to state that one option is preferable to another.

When to use: Use it when you give a clear opinion about two choices.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say "more better" (wrong). Use "better" alone.

Chocolate cake is better than plain cake.

This route is better than the highway at rush hour.

Which is better, ___ or ___?

Ask for a comparison between two options

Meaning: Which is better, ___ or ___? Ask this to invite someone's opinion between two options.

When to use: Use it when you want advice or a comparison to help you choose.

Which is better, red or blue for the living room?

Which is better, skiing or snowboarding?

___ is similar to ___.

Say that two things are similar

Meaning: ___ is similar to ___. Say this to point out that two things are much alike.

When to use: Use it when qualities or functions are almost the same.

A tablet is similar to a small laptop.

This sauce is similar to the one my grandmother makes.

___ is different from ___.

Say that two things are different

Meaning: ___ is different from ___. Use this to highlight a clear difference between two things.

When to use: Use it to explain how two items or ideas are not the same.

A taxi is different from a bus because it goes directly to your stop.

Summer is different from winter in temperature and activities.

What's the difference between ___ and ___?

Ask about differences between two things

Meaning: What's the difference between ___ and ___? Ask this when you want details about how two things are not the same.

When to use: Use it to invite an explanation of specific differences.

What's the difference between a CV and a resume?

What's the difference between compost and mulch?

___ is more ___ than ___.

Compare degree using a common adjective

Meaning: ___ is more ___ than ___. Use this to compare degree with longer adjectives or when you need 'more'.

When to use: Good for adjectives that take 'more' to form the comparative.

Tip: Learners sometimes add -er to long adjectives (wrong): say "more comfortable", not "comfortabler".

This phone is more expensive than that one.

The new version is more comfortable than the old model.

___ is less ___ than ___.

Compare lower degree using a common adjective

Meaning: ___ is less ___ than ___. Use this to say that something has a smaller amount or degree of a quality.

When to use: Use when you want to say one thing has a lower degree of a quality.

This bag is less expensive than I expected.

The test was less difficult than last year.

___ is as ___ as ___.

Say two things are equal in quality or degree

Meaning: ___ is as ___ as ___. Use this to say two things are equal in quality or degree.

When to use: Use for equality comparisons: same level or quality.

This laptop is as powerful as my desktop.

Her English is as good as his.

They're about the same.

Say there is no important difference

Meaning: They're about the same. Say this when two options have no important difference.

When to use: Use this casual phrase when differences are small or not worth deciding over.

The two prices are different by only a dollar — they're about the same.

For speed, both phones are about the same.

How does ___ compare with ___?

ask someone to compare two things generally

Meaning: How does ___ compare with ___? Ask this to invite a general comparison without naming the feature.

When to use: Use it when you want an overall opinion or summary comparison.

How does this car compare with the older model?

How does online learning compare with classroom learning?

Compared with ___, ___ is ___.

introduce a comparison from one reference point

Meaning: Compared with ___, ___ is ___. Use this to present a comparison from the first item as a reference point.

When to use: Use it when you want to structure a comparison starting from one reference.

Compared with last year, sales are higher.

Compared with the city center, the suburbs are quieter.

___ has fewer ___ than ___.

compare a smaller count or amount

Meaning: ___ has fewer ___ than ___. Use this to compare counts or numbers of things (countable nouns).

When to use: Use it when comparing counts (fewer with countable nouns).

Tip: A common error is using "less" with countable nouns (wrong). Say "fewer apples", not "less apples".

This museum has fewer visitors than the main gallery.

My team has fewer players than yours.

___ is almost as ___ as ___.

make a close but not equal comparison

Meaning: ___ is almost as ___ as ___. Use this to say two things are very close but not exactly equal.

When to use: Use when you want to show near equality — close, but with a small difference.

This budget is almost as large as last year's.

Her performance was almost as good as the winner's.

English - Comparisons

1. Reading + Listening Practice

2. Conversational Listening Practice

3. Guided Practice

Which sentence correctly uses a comparative?

If two phones perform equally, which is the best casual response?

Which question asks specifically about differences?

Choose the sentence that correctly compares counts:

If both chairs cost the same, you could say: They're about the same.

A: "I like both phones." B: "Compared with the other model, the camera is better."

We counted seats and found one place has fewer seats than the other.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice