Collins Cobuild English Grammar (46 page)

2.133
  
Like
has the comparative
more like
and
less like
, and the superlative
most like
and
least like
.

It made her seem
less like
a child.
Of all his children, she was the one
most like
me.

USAGE NOTE

2.134
  You can use words like
exactly
and
just
in front of
like
.

He looks
just like
a baby.
She looked like a queen,
just exactly like
a queen

This is explained in paragraph
2.165
.

same as

2.135
  If you want to say that one thing is exactly like something else, you can say that it is
the same as
the other thing.

The rich are
the same as
the rest of us.

The same as
can be followed by a noun phrase, a pronoun, or a clause.

24 Spring Terrace was
the same as
all its neighbours.
Her colouring was
the same as
mine.
The furnishings are not exactly
the same as
they were when we lived there.

If two or more things are exactly like each other, you can say that they are
the same
.

Come and look! They’re exactly
the same
.
They both taste
the same
.

You use
the same
when you are comparing people or things with other people or things that you have just mentioned.

It looks like a calculator and weighs about
the same
.
The message was
the same
.
The end result is
the same
.

Note that you use
the opposite
and
the reverse
in a similar way.

The kind of religious thoughts I had were just
the opposite
.
Some people think that a healthy diet is expensive, but in fact
the reverse
is true.

USAGE NOTE

2.136
  You can use words like
nearly
and
exactly
in front of
the same as
and
the same
.

They are
virtually the same as
other single cells.
You two look
exactly the same
.

Here is a list of words used in the same way with
the same as
and
the same
:

almost

exactly

just

more or less

much

nearly

virtually

These words are explained in paragraphs
2.140
to
2.168
.

2.137
  You can put a noun such as
size
,
length
, or
colour
after
the same
. For example, if you want to say that one street is as long as another one, you can say that the first street is
the same length as
the second one, or that the two streets are
the same length
.

Its brain was about
the same size
as that of a gorilla.
They were almost
the same height
.

adjectives meaning
the same

2.138
  The adjectives
alike
,
comparable
,
equivalent
,
identical
, and
similar
are also used to say that two or more things are like each other. You can put the preposition
to
after all of them except
alike
in order to mention the second of the things being compared.

They all looked
alike
.
The houses were all
identical
.
Flemish is
similar to
Afrikaans.

modifying adjectives used in comparisons

2.139
  When you want to suggest that you are comparing different amounts of a quality, you can use words like
comparatively
,
relatively
, and
equally
.

Psychology’s a
comparatively new
subject.
The costs remained
relatively low
.
Her technique was less dramatic than Ann’s, but
equally effective
.
He was
extra polite
to his superiors.

Talking about different amounts of a quality

2.140
  When you want to say something more about the quality that an adjective describes, you can use a
submodifying adverb
such as
very
or
rather
with it. You do this in order to indicate the amount of the quality, or to intensify it.

submodifying adverbs:
extremely narrow
,
slightly different

2.141
  Because qualitative adjectives are
gradable
, allowing you to say how much or how little of the quality is relevant, you are more likely to use
submodifying adverbs
(words like
extremely
or
slightly
) with them than with other types of adjective.

…an
extremely narrow
road.
…a
highly successful
company.
…in a
slightly different
way.
I was
extraordinarily happy
.
…helping them in a
strongly supportive
way.
…a
very pretty
girl.
She seems
very pleasant
.
…a
rather clumsy
person.
His hair was
rather long
.

2.142
  You can use words like
very
and
extremely
with some classifying adjectives (see paragraphs
2.146
to
2.148
) and with colour adjectives (see paragraph
2.35
). Note that most
-ed
adjectives can be modified by words such as
very
and
extremely
, just like other qualitative adjectives.

…a
very frightened
little girl.
…an
extremely disappointed
young man.

intensifying qualitative adjectives

2.143
  You can use many submodifying adverbs like
very
or
extremely
with qualitative adjectives in order to intensify their meaning.

…
extremely high
temperatures.
Geoffrey was a
deeply religious
man.
France is
heavily dependent
on foreign trade.

Here is a list of words used to intensify the meaning of adjectives:

amazingly

awfully

bitterly

critically

dangerously

deeply

delightfully

disturbingly

dreadfully

eminently

especially

exceedingly

extraordinarily

extremely

fantastically

greatly

heavily

highly

hopelessly

horribly

hugely

impossibly

incredibly

infinitely

notably

particularly

radically

really

remarkably

seriously

strikingly

supremely

surprisingly

suspiciously

terribly

unbelievably

very

violently

vitally

wildly

wonderfully

Note that
very
can be used in front of superlative adjectives when you want to be very emphatic. This is explained in paragraphs
2.167
to
2.168
.