By far the best option — you’d hear that phrase in any business meeting. You understand it immediately. But would you say it yourself, in a real conversation, without pausing?
If not, it’s probably not because your English is weak. It’s more likely that comparisons in English work differently from how Ukrainian structures them, and the gap shows up exactly when precision matters most: at work, in a meeting, when you’re making an argument and “better” or “cheaper” just isn’t specific enough.
This post covers the structures that go beyond basic comparisons. Not grammar rules to memorize, but ready-made patterns to reach for when you need them.
The Basics (and Where They Stop Working)
You already know the foundation:
cheap → cheaper expensive → more expensive
That’s enough for everyday situations. But when you’re comparing figures, options, or results, you need more precision. “More expensive” doesn’t tell you how much more. “Better” doesn’t say by how much, or compared to what.
That’s where the patterns below come in.
How to Say “Much” or “A Little” in English Comparisons
To make a comparison stronger:
much / a lot much better, a lot faster
To soften it:
slightly / a bit a bit cheaper, slightly more complex
One thing to watch: these words modify the comparison, they don’t replace it.
❌ much expensive
✅ much more expensive
If you’re not sure which one to use in the moment, a lot is a safe default. It works in both speaking and writing and never sounds out of place.
“Definitely the Best”: How to Use By Far
There’s a phrase that signals absolute confidence in a comparison, with no room left for doubt:
by far (the best / the most…)
It’s closest to “безперечно” or “поза конкуренцією” in Ukrainian, but don’t translate it directly. Use it when you want to say: this isn’t just the best option, it’s the best by a significant margin.
This model is by far the most popular one. It’s by far the best option we’ve discussed.
You’ll hear it often in presentations and decision discussions, when someone wants to make a comparison final rather than open for debate.
How to Say Something Is Worse or “Not as… as…”
For negative comparisons, English uses:
not as… as
We’re not as big as Apple, but we’re more flexible. This product doesn’t bring as many clients as the previous one.
This structure is useful in professional contexts because it states a difference without dramatizing it. It’s direct but not aggressive.
Twice as Much, Three Times More
twice as… (as)
means вдвічі
twice as big
twice as expensive
Note: English doesn’t need a preposition here, and the adjective stays in its base form (not comparative).
For larger multiples, use times:
three times more expensive
five times as many users
Half, and One and a Half Times
half the + noun for “half of something”:
half the price
half the size
Or:
half as… as
half as tall
half as effective
For “one and a half times more” (півтора рази більше):
half as much again
They earn half as much again as we do.
This one trips people up. It sounds like it should mean less, but half as much again means you’re adding half on top, so the total is one and a half times the original amount.
“Compared to” in English
The most common options:
(as) compared to
in comparison with
These numbers were fairly close compared to the previous report. Small companies have their own advantages compared to large ones. Bed bugs are a small problem in comparison with antibiotic resistance.
One note: the Ukrainian idiom “все пізнається в порівнянні” doesn’t translate word for word. The closest natural equivalent in English is everything is relative.
How to Actually Use This
Don’t treat this as a grammar checklist. Read through the examples, pick the two or three structures that could apply to your work, your projects, or your decisions. Rephrase them in your own context.
That’s when a pattern stops being grammar and starts being something you actually say.
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