B2 Upper-intermediate Advanced sentence structure
Advanced comparison
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can use three advanced comparison patterns: the … the …, twice as … as and no sooner … than.
When to use it
- Two things changing together: The more you practise, the better you become.
- Multiples: This bag is twice as expensive as that one.
- One event immediately after another: No sooner had I arrived than it rained.
Form
| Pattern | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the more … the more … | The + comparative, the + comparative | The harder you work, the more you earn. |
| multiples (twice, three times…) | twice / three times as + base adjective + as | twice as big as |
| no sooner … than … | No sooner had + S + V3 + than | No sooner had he left than she called. |
| same meaning | Hardly had + S + V3 + when | Hardly had I sat down when the phone rang. |
Step by step
- For the … the …: both halves must start with the.
- For multiples: the adjective stays in its base form, no -er.
- For no sooner: you must invert, and the second half takes than.
- Remember the pairs: no sooner … than, hardly … when.
The three commonest errors
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The more you practise, more you improve. | the more you improve | the second half also needs the |
| twice as bigger as | twice as big as | the base form goes between as … as |
| No sooner I had arrived… | No sooner had I arrived… | inversion is required |
Examples
The more you practise, the better you become.
The older I get, the more I understand my parents.
This bag is twice as expensive as that one.
This laptop costs three times as much as mine.
No sooner had he left than the phone rang.
The earlier you leave, the sooner you arrive.
Common mistakes
The more you practise, more you improve. → The more you practise, the more you improve.
Both halves need the — that is what defines the pattern.
My house is twice bigger than yours. → My house is twice as big as yours.
Multiples use as … as with the base adjective, not a comparative.
No sooner had I arrived when it rained. → No sooner had I arrived than it rained.
The fixed pair is no sooner … than. With when you need hardly … when.
Memory tip
All three are fixed pairs: the … the, as … as, no sooner … than. Write the first half and the second is already decided — learn them in pairs.
Summary
- The + comparative, the + comparative — both halves take the.
- twice / three times as + base adjective + as.
- No sooner had + S + V3 + than — inversion required.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.