The English language is full of nuances, and sometimes, even seemingly straightforward grammar rules can become a point of contention. One such area of confusion arises when we consider the use of comparative adjectives (like bigger or more difficult) with the phrases “compared to” or “in comparison to.” Online discussions often present contradictory viewpoints, leaving many language learners and enthusiasts puzzled. This article aims to clarify the grammatical validity of this structure, moving beyond simply suggesting alternative phrasing like using “than.”
The debate is evident in online forums. For instance, in a discussion on English Stack Exchange, the following examples were presented:
- Microsoft has bigger market share compared to Apple.
- This question is more difficult as compared to the previous one.
An answer provided claimed these sentences to be “ungrammatical,” suggesting that comparative adjectives should not be used with “compared to.” The proposed correction was to either use non-comparative adjectives with “as compared to” or simply “compared to”:
- Microsoft has a large market share [as] compared to Apple.
- This question is difficult [as] compared to the previous one.
This perspective suggests that “compared to” should only be used to draw a comparison with base adjectives, not to highlight a greater or lesser degree using comparatives.
However, contrary to this prescriptive view, reputable sources like the Cambridge Dictionary offer examples that directly contradict this rule. Consider this sentence from the Cambridge Dictionary:
- Children seem to learn more interesting things compared to/with when we were at school.
This example clearly uses the comparative adjective “more interesting” with “compared to,” indicating that such usage is indeed grammatically sound and accepted in standard English. Further examples from the Cambridge English Corpus reinforce this point:
- Therefore, the difference in the dehydration and rehydration paths was much higher in control seeds compared to primed seeds.
- We expect returns from agriculture to be greater and fisheries returns to be less under the alternate management plans as compared with the base model.
These corpus examples demonstrate that using comparative adjectives with “compared to” is not only grammatical but also naturally occurs in academic and formal writing.
The validity extends to the phrase “in comparison to” as well. Another discussion on ELL Stack Exchange highlights this with perfectly acceptable sentences:
- My house is much smaller in comparison to yours.
- Compared to your house, mine looks much smaller.
- My house is smaller compared to/with yours.
Furthermore, the question of whether sentences like “In comparison with Joe, Peter is much wealthier” are correct was positively affirmed. While some might argue that “in comparison” and a comparative adjective are somewhat redundant, and that “than” might be more concise, the structure itself remains grammatically valid.
Corpus data further supports this, with examples like:
- Many women are much more verbal in comparison to guys concerning telling others about their feelings and also emotions.
- this app store managed to reach this number of apps the most rapidly compared to other app stores in the world.
In conclusion, despite some prescriptive grammar advice suggesting otherwise, the use of comparative adjectives with “compared to” and “in comparison to” is indeed grammatically correct and widely used. Authoritative sources like Cambridge Dictionary and corpus data confirm this, showcasing that English naturally employs these structures to express comparisons effectively. While “than” offers a more concise alternative, understanding the validity of “compared to” with comparatives broadens our grammatical understanding and expressive possibilities.
References:
- Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/compare
- Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/compared
- English Language & Usage Stack Exchange: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/74819/compared-to-vs-as-compared-to
- English Language Learners Stack Exchange: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/225687/compared-to-with-vs-in-comparison-with
- English Language Learners Stack Exchange: https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/300546/in-comparison-with-used-with-a-comparative-adjective
- English Language & Usage Stack Exchange: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/38917/using-compared-with-in-comparison-with-or-than-to-compare
- COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English): (Examples found through corpus search, links not directly available)
