In our everyday life, we usually tell the quality of something by comparing it to other things. We can never differentiate between two things without comparison. And when we compare two or more items, it is necessary that they are of similar proportion or belongs to the same category in as-as structure.
In the English language, we use some structures to compare two or more things of similar proportions. Such a structure is called AS-As Structures. As-As structures are very commonly used to compare things that are of the same proportion.
As + Adverb/Adjective + As +noun/clause |
In this structure, the first ‘as’ works as an adverb modifying the adverb or adjective after it. Then after as comes adjective or adverb depending on your sentence. Now comes the second ‘as’, which can be used as a conjunction or preposition. If it acts as a conjunction, it is followed by a clause. If it is used as a preposition, it is followed by a noun or pronoun.
You can compare things regarding any context. Like you can compare in form or number, distance, time, quantity, quality, etc. A noun is mostly used after the second ‘as’ in similes. We will learn about it in the next lesson. In this lesson, we will focus on the sentences in which the latter ‘as’ is used as a conjunction, followed by a clause.
Here are some of the examples of As-As structure.
‘As far as’ means at some distance or to some extent. We can use ‘as far as’ in any of two the contexts we want. ‘As far as’ and ‘so far as’ are interchangeable but ‘as far as’ is commonly used today.
Using ‘as far as’ follows the same As-As structure. It depends on you whether you are using a preposition or conjunction after the second ‘as’. And either you are using an adjective or an adverb in your sentence.
Example:
We use ‘as many as’ when the comparison is regarding quantity. ‘As many as’ is used for the countable amount. We usually use it when the number of anything is possibly large or surprising. Let’s see some examples.
Example:
As much as is used to compare quantities, we use as much as when the quantity of anything is uncountable or not known to us. We use it with singular, uncountable nouns. Let’s check the use of as much as in sentences.
Example:
We use as long as for time. It can also mean “if it is the case that: provided that.” You can use ‘as long as’ in any of the two contexts. It simply means putting a condition of time on action. So long as and as long as interchangeable. Both have the same meaning. But ‘so long as’ is often used in negative sentences.
Example:
We use ‘as soon as’ in sentences when we want something to do immediately. We often use it to emphasize on time. Let’s study some examples.
Example:
Here are a few things which are essential to know about As-As structures.
Using modifiers: you can use words or expressions before as-as structure to emphasize.
Example:
Used with negatives:
You can use as-as structures in a negative statement as well. Some of the examples are given in the above-mentioned examples.
Example:
Used for describing size:
You can use expressions like half, twice, or thrice in front of as-as structures. You do it when you are indicating the size of something while comparing it to some other thing.
Example:
In this lesson, you learned about As-As structures comprising clauses. There can be many as-as structures, but here you have seen a few of them.
Exercise: Rephrase the following sentence using as-as structure. The sentences can be rephrased in many ways.
Suggested rephrased sentences