Equal comparison: definition, structures and exercises

Equal comparison is one of the most important English grammatical structures. When you want to compare two objects or things that have the same characteristics, you will definitely need to use equal comparison. In IELTS Writing Task 1, equal comparison holds significant importance. What is equal comparison? How do you fully grasp the knowledge and apply it accurately in IELTS Writing Task 1? Let's learn more about it together with PREP below!

I. What is equal comparison?

Equal comparison is used to compare two objects, events, or characteristics with each other and express the similarity in degree, quantity, or quality. This is the way to express equality or equivalence in English. For example:

• He is as tall as his brother.
• This book is as interesting as the previous one. 
• The performance last night was as good as the one we saw on Broadway. 

In IELTS Writing Task 1, we often have sentences describing equality as follows. For example:

• In 2010, the number of tourists visiting France and Italy was roughly equal, with both countries receiving around 80 million visitors. 
• The average annual rainfall in City A is nearly the same as that in City B, with both cities receiving approximately 1,200 millimeters of rainfall per year.” 
• In terms of population, the city of New York is as densely populated as Tokyo, with both cities having approximately 9 million residents within their respective urban areas. 

In the examples above, the "as...as" structure is used to compare attributes such as height, level of interest, and quality between two objects or events.

II. The structure “as….as” In English equal comparison

Let’s explore the most complete formula of comparisons of equality below!

1. “as…as” with adjective and adverb

The structure is as follows:

S + V + as + adj/adv + as + N/Pronoun/Clause

Examples with adjectives:

• My sister is as smart as my brother. 
• This restaurant is as popular as the one downtown. 

Example with adverbs:

• He sings as beautifully as she does. 
• The car runs as smoothly as it did when it was new. 

2. “as…as” with noun

With equal comparisons involving nouns, there are two main types: countable nouns and uncountable nouns. What is the formula for each type? Let's examine them together below!

2.1. Countable noun

The structure is as follows:

S + V + as + many/few + noun + as + noun/pronoun

For example: 

• The twins have as many toys as their cousins. 
• We have as many books as they do. 

2.2. Uncountable noun

The structure is as follows:

S + V + as +much/little + noun + as + noun/pronoun

For example: 

• I have as much patience as you do. 
• She has as much experience as his colleague. 

Please refer to the following article:

III. Other equal comparison structures

Let’s discover other comparisons of equality in English structures besides “as…as” together with PREP!

IV. Exercises on equal comparison with answers

1. Exercise

Exercise 1: Put “as..as..” in the correct position to complete the following sentences.

• This suitcase/heavy/that one.
• She/not/have/much/money/her friend.
• We/not/have/many/options/they.
• He/not/have/much/experience/his boss.
• This restaurant/not/expensive/the other one

Exercise 2: Complete the following sentences with “as…as”:

• The new movie is _____ the old one. (not interesting)
• This song is ______ the other one. (good)
• John has ______  Marie. (money)
• My father does _____ my mom. (not drive safely)
• She is _____ her best friend. (tall)

2. Answer

V. Start Your IELTS Journey 

Hopefully, the insights on the equal comparison that PREP provided can help you better understand this grammatical item. If you’re ready to boost your IELTS band score, check out our expert-led courses below:

• IELTS learning online: Master Every Section of IELTS