Page 144 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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comparison (2): as ... as; as much/many as 136 emphatic use: as much as BOkg
As much/many as can be used before a number to mean 'the large amount/ quantity'.
Some ofthesefish can weigh as much as BOkg.
There are sometimes as many as 40 students in the classes. As little/few can be used to mean 'the small amount/quantity'.
You can fly to Paris for as little as 20 euros.
half as ... as etc
Half, twice, three times etc can be used before as ... as.
You're not halfas clever as you think you are.
I'm not going out with a man who's twice as old as me.
It took three times as long as I expected. (OR ••• three times longer than I
expected - see 141.3) modification
Before as ... as we can use (not) nearly, almost, just, nothing like, every bit, exactly, not quite.
It's not nearly as cold as yesterday. He's just as strong as ever. You're nothing like as bad-tempered as you used to be.
She's every bit as beautiful as her sister.
I'm not quite as tired as I was last week.
infinitives
Where as ... as is used with two infinitives, the second is often without to.
It's as easy to do it right as (to) do it wrong. tenses
In as . .. as-clauses (and other kinds of as-clauses), a present tense is often used to refer to the future, and a past tense can have a conditional meaning (see 580).
We'll get there as soon as you dolwiU.
Ifyou married me, I'd give you as much freedom as you wanted.
leaving out the second part
The second part of the as ... as or so ... as structure can be left out when the meaning is clear from what comes before.
The train takes 40 minutes. By car it'll take you twice as long. I used to think he was clever. Now I'm not so sure.
In cases like this, not so is much more common than not as. traditional expressions
We use the structure as ... as ... in a lot of traditional comparative expressions.
as cold as ice as hard as nails
as black as night as ... as hell
The first as can be dropped in these expressions in an infonnal style.
She's hard as nails.
I'm tired as hell oflistening to your problems.
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