3.9: The Comparative of Equals

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Don Bissonnette
South Seattle Community College

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The Comparative of Equals

Vocabulary:

The same as is used with nouns when all of one noun is equal to all of another noun.

Examples:

My 1999 Ford Taurus was the same as my friend’s 1999 Ford Taurus.
My first language is the same as my sister’s first language.
One orange looks the same as another orange to me.

The same XXX as is used with nouns when one part of a noun is the same as one part of another noun.

Examples:

I teach in the same college as Kris and Allan.
Americans speak the same language as Australians do.
My sister has the same personality as I have.

Different from (than) is used when all of one noun is different from all of another noun.

Examples:

America is different from Vietnam.
Boys are different from girls.
Very rich people’s lives are different from very poor people’s lives.

A different XXX from (than) is used with nouns when only one part of nouns are different from each other.

Examples:

English has a different alphabet from Japanese.
My sons’ hair is a different color from my wife’s hair.
An apple has a different taste than an orange has.

As XXX as is used with adjectives and adverbs to show that part of one noun or verb is the same as part of another noun or verb. To show inequality, make the verb negative.

Examples:

I am as old as my friend Doug. We are both 70 years old.
Smoking is as bad for a person as drinking alcohol is.
I don’t drive my car as rapidly as my sister drives her car.
Young people don’t usually drive as slowly as old people do.

Exercise 34: Combine the following sentences into one sentence, using either the same as or different from, please. (Remember to use the negative verb to show differences.)

Examples:

My classroom and your classroom are the same. There is no difference.
My classroom is the same as your classroom.

My hat is size 7 and 1/4 and black. Your hat is size 8 and brown.
My hat is different from your hat.

1. My red pen and Roger’s red pen are the same.

2. My library of English books is large. Your library of English books is small.

3. My book is red. Your book is blue.

4. Five times ten equals 50. Twenty-five times two equals 50.

5. I am fat and usually very happy. Roger is skinny and often unhappy.

6. My address is 9548 Phinney Ave. N. My sons’ address is 9548 Phinney Ave. N.

7. My sister’s house is one story and brown. My house is two stories and blue.

8. My friend Ed has a red Fit for a car. My friend Doug has a red Kit for a car.

9. Seattle’s weather is usually cold and wet. Portland’s weather is usually cold and wet.

10. My work schedule is day shift. My friend’s work schedule is swing shift.

11. I am bald headed. My sons have beautiful hair.

12. My sons are tall. I am short.