Adjectives Describing Equal Quantities

To compare two equal things, we use the following construction:

as + adjective indicating quantity + (noun) + as

This can be a tricky area for grammar because the quantity adjective depends on the noun. A noun can be countable and uncountable. It is important to identify countable and uncountable nouns so that you can make sure the adjective you use is grammatically correct.

Countable nouns

To talk about countable nouns, you must use the right quantifier. Since we are talking about things that are countable, we use the quantifiers ‘many’ and ‘few’.

Examples:

• You have as many friends as I do.
• There are as few pubs in this village as the next one over.
• There are as many spelling mistakes in this paper as in the last one.

Uncountable nouns

It is equally important to use the correct quantifiers for uncountable nouns. Things that can’t be counted are used with the quantifiers ‘much’ and ‘little’.

Examples:

• I don’t drink as much water as I should.
• You’d have as little patience as me if you were in my shoes.
• Let them eat as much cake as they want.