Virtuous English Academy
Advanced Adjectives, Adverbs and Comparisons (B2)
- #B2
- #Grammar
- #Rules
- #Examples
This lesson refines comparison (the more… the better, far too, nowhere near) and the order of adjectives and adverbs. It adds nuance and emphasis to your descriptions.
B2 refines comparison from basic -er and more into the structures that express degree, proportion and gradual change. Modifiers such as far, considerably, slightly and nowhere near let you say how big the difference is, not merely that one exists.
Two structures deserve particular attention. The double comparative expresses gradual change — the situation is getting worse and worse — and the correlative the … the … expresses proportion: the more you practise, the faster you improve. Both appear frequently and both are structurally unusual.
Adjective order and gradability also matter at this level. Extreme adjectives such as terrible, freezing and exhausted cannot take very or comparative forms in the normal way; they take absolutely and completely instead. Saying very exhausted marks a text as non-native even though it breaks no formal rule.
How to form Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons
| Structure | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| much / far / considerably + comparative | a large difference | far more expensive |
| slightly / a bit / marginally + comparative | a small difference | slightly cheaper |
| nowhere near as … as | a very large gap | nowhere near as good |
| not nearly as … as | a large gap | not nearly as difficult |
| just as … as | equality | just as effective |
| comparative + and + comparative | gradual change | colder and colder |
| the + comparative, the + comparative | proportion | the sooner, the better |
| absolutely / completely + extreme adjective | intensifying non-gradable adjectives | absolutely exhausted |
Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons: the key rules
-
Gradable adjectives take very/extremely; ungradable ones (freezing, furious, essential) take absolutely/utterly.
very cold → absolutely freezing; very angry → utterly furious
-
Comparatives intensify and repeat: far/considerably cheaper; better and better; the more…, the more…
The longer I live here, the more I like it.
-
As…as structures measure equality and near-misses: not nearly as, almost as, twice as.
The sequel isn't nearly as good as the original.
-
Compound adjectives compress description: a five-year-old child, a well-paid job, a time-consuming task.
It's a three-hour drive on a badly-lit road.
When to use Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons
-
Quantifying a difference precisely
Modifiers turn a vague comparison into a measured one.
The new model is marginally faster but considerably more expensive.
-
Describing trends
Double comparatives are the natural form for gradual, continuing change.
Housing is becoming less and less affordable.
-
Expressing proportional relationships
The correlative structure links two variables that move together.
The longer the delay, the higher the cost.
-
Intensifying extreme adjectives
Non-gradable adjectives take absolutely, utterly and completely rather than very.
The response was absolutely extraordinary.
Gradable vs. non-gradable adjectives
Which intensifier you can use depends entirely on whether the adjective describes a scale or an absolute.
Gradable — takes very, quite, rather
Describes a point on a scale. Can form comparatives and superlatives normally.
very cold, quite tired, rather difficult, colder, most difficult
Non-gradable — takes absolutely, completely, utterly
Already at the extreme, or a yes-no category. Very sounds wrong.
absolutely freezing, completely exhausted, utterly impossible — not very freezing
Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons in example sentences
- This year's results are far better than last year's.far intensifies the comparative.
- The two proposals are only marginally different.marginally minimises the difference.
- It's nowhere near as complicated as it looks.nowhere near as … as for a large gap.
- The queues are getting longer and longer.Double comparative for gradual change.
- The more data we collect, the clearer the pattern becomes.Correlative the … the … structure.
- I was absolutely exhausted after the flight.Non-gradable adjective with absolutely.
- Her German is just as fluent as her English.just as … as for equality.
- It was a rather disappointing, very expensive meal.Two gradable adjectives with appropriate intensifiers.
Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons in a real conversation
Notice how precisely the speakers quantify each comparison rather than saying only better or worse.
Analyst:The second supplier is considerably cheaper.
Buyer:But nowhere near as reliable, from what I hear.
Analyst:Marginally worse on delivery. The quality is just as good.
Buyer:Deadlines are getting tighter and tighter, though.
Analyst:True. The later they deliver, the more it costs us.
Buyer:Then it's absolutely essential we get that in writing.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
-
The exam was very impossible.
The exam was absolutely impossible.
Impossible is ungradable — it has no degrees, so very cannot scale it.
-
The more you practise, you get better.
The more you practise, the better you get.
The double comparative needs the on both sides — the more…, the better…
-
She has a ten-years-old daughter.
She has a ten-year-old daughter.
Inside a compound adjective, the noun stays singular.
Practise Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons today
Precision is the goal — replace vague comparisons with quantified ones.
- Write six comparisons using a different degree modifier in each.
- Write four sentences with double comparatives describing real trends.
- Write four sentences with the … the … linking two variables.
- List ten non-gradable adjectives and write a sentence for each with absolutely or completely.
Advanced Adjectives and Comparisons: frequently asked questions
Why does very exhausted sound wrong?
Because exhausted is non-gradable — it already means extremely tired, so very adds nothing and creates a redundancy an English ear detects immediately. Non-gradable adjectives take absolutely, completely, utterly or totally instead. The same applies to freezing, boiling, furious, terrified, delighted, enormous and impossible, all of which are already at the top of their scale.
How does the … the … structure work grammatically?
Both clauses begin with the plus a comparative, and neither uses normal statement order in the way you might expect. The harder you work, the more you achieve. The verb can be omitted in short fixed forms — the sooner the better, the more the merrier. It is one of the few genuinely unusual structures in English syntax and has to be learned as a pattern.
What is the difference between not as good as and nowhere near as good as?
Degree. Not as good as states a simple inequality. Not nearly as good as indicates a substantial gap. Nowhere near as good as indicates a very large gap and is emphatic and informal. All three are correct; they differ in how much distance they claim, which is exactly the kind of precision B2 writing is expected to show.
Can I use both an -er form and more with the same adjective?
Never — that is double marking and is always an error, as in more cheaper or most easiest. However some two-syllable adjectives genuinely accept either form separately: commoner and more common are both correct, as are quieter and more quiet. Choose one form and use it consistently; do not combine them.