Comparative to As...As Transformation Exercises

A key skill tested in Cambridge and IELTS examinations is transforming comparative sentences into as...as structures while keeping the same meaning. The basic technique is to reverse the comparison and use not as...as: "Tom is taller than Mary" becomes "Mary isn't as tall as Tom." Notice that the adjective returns to its base form — "taller" becomes "tall" and "more expensive" becomes "expensive." The subject also changes position: the second item in the original becomes the subject.

Transformations can also go the other direction: "A car isn't as fast as a train" becomes "A train is faster than a car." The key to getting these right is understanding that not as...as and a comparative with than express the same idea using opposite subjects. For equal comparisons, "as...as" in the positive means both things are the same: "She is as smart as her brother" does not need a comparative form. Practise both directions to build confidence, as B1-B2 examinations frequently require sentence transformations that test this skill.