As Long As, As Far As, As Well As, As Much As: Meaning and Examples

Hello, English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we are going to look at four useful English expressions that often confuse learners: as long as, as far as, as well as, as much as

They all begin with as, but they do not mean the same thing. In fact, each phrase has a different function in a sentence.

Compare these examples:

You can stay here as long as you are quiet.
As far as I know, the meeting starts at nine.
She speaks French as well as Spanish.
As much as I like him, I do not agree with him.

These expressions are very common in everyday English, but they are also useful in more formal writing, especially for B2 First, C1 Advanced and other English exams.

Let’s look at them one by one.

Quick Comparison: As Long As, As Far As, As Well As, As Much As

as long as	if / on condition that	You can borrow my car as long as you bring it back tonight.
as far as	to the extent that / according to	As far as I know, she has already left.
as well as	in addition to / and also	He teaches English as well as German.
as much as	although / to the same degree	As much as I love coffee, I cannot drink it at night.

As Long As Meaning

We use as long as to mean if or provided that. It introduces a condition.

In other words, one thing can happen only if another thing happens.

Structure

main clause + as long as + condition

You can borrow my laptop as long as you return it tomorrow.
I will help you with your project as long as you do your part.

As Long As for Time

As long as can also refer to the length of time something continues.

You can stay here as long as you like.
I will support you as long as you need me.

This meaning is different from the conditional meaning, but the idea is still connected: something continues for a certain period of time.

Common Mistake with As Long As

Do not use as long as when you simply mean because.

Incorrect:

I stayed at home as long as I was tired.

Correct:

I stayed at home because I was tired.

Correct with condition:

I will stay at home as long as I feel tired.

As Far As Meaning

We use as far as to talk about the extent, limit or scope of something.

It often appears in common phrases such as:

as far as I know
as far as I remember
as far as I can see
as far as I am concerned
as far as the problem is concerned

As Far As I Know

We use as far as I know when we want to say that something is true according to the information we have.

As far as I know, the meeting is still scheduled for tomorrow.
As far as I know, she has not made a final decision yet.

This phrase is useful because it makes your statement more careful. You are saying, “This is what I believe to be true, but I may not have all the information.”

As Far As I Am Concerned

We use as far as I am concerned to introduce our opinion.

As far as I am concerned, the project was a success.
As far as I am concerned, you did the right thing.

This phrase is quite strong. It means “in my opinion” or “from my point of view”.

As Far As Something is Concerned

We can also use as far as + noun + is concerned to introduce the topic we are talking about.

As far as the budget is concerned, we need to be careful.
As far as grammar is concerned, this is one of the most common mistakes.

This structure is especially useful in formal writing and presentations.

As Far As for Distance

As far as can also refer to physical distance.

We walked as far as the river.
The fields stretched as far as the eye could see.

In these sentences, as far as means “up to a particular place or point”.

Common Mistake with As Far As

Do not confuse as far as with as long as.

Incorrect:

You can borrow my book as far as you return it tomorrow.

Correct:

You can borrow my book as long as you return it tomorrow.

Use as long as for conditions.

Use as far as for extent, distance, knowledge or opinion.

As Well As Meaning

We use as well as to add information. It means in addition to or and also.

She speaks French as well as Spanish.
The course includes grammar as well as vocabulary.

In many cases, as well as is similar to and, but it often gives extra emphasis to the second item.

As Well As + -ing Form

When as well as is followed by a verb, we usually use the -ing form.

She teaches English as well as writing educational materials.
He works full-time as well as studying for his exams.

This structure is very useful when you want to describe two activities.

Important Grammar Point: As Well As and Subject-Verb Agreement

When as well as adds extra information to the subject, the verb usually agrees with the first subject.

My brother, as well as my parents, is coming to dinner.
The teacher, as well as the students, was tired after the trip.

This is more formal and may sound a little unnatural in everyday speech, but it is useful to recognise it.

In everyday English, many speakers would simply use and:

My brother and my parents are coming to dinner.

Common Mistake with As Well As

Do not use as well as if the sentence becomes too long and heavy. Sometimes and is clearer.

Heavy:

She is responsible for answering emails, as well as organising meetings, as well as preparing reports.

Better:

She is responsible for answering emails, organising meetings and preparing reports.

Good English is not only correct; it is clear. Fancy grammar should not wear a top hat indoors.

As Much As Meaning

As much as has several uses. It can express:

contrast
equal degree
quantity or amount

Let’s look at each use.

As Much As Meaning “Although”

We often use as much as to mean although. It is used when we want to show contrast between two ideas.

As much as I like him, I do not agree with his decision.
As much as I wanted to go out, I had too much work to do.

In these examples, the speaker admits one thing, but then introduces a contrast.

I like him — but I disagree with him.
I wanted to go out — but I had too much work.

This use is very common in spoken and written English.

As Much As for Equal Degree

We can also use as much as to compare two actions or feelings.

She enjoys reading as much as writing.
I do not travel as much as I used to.

Here, as much as means “to the same degree” or “to the same extent”.

As Much As for Quantity

We also use as much as with amounts, especially with uncountable nouns or numbers.

You can take as much as you need.
The repair may cost as much as £500.

This use is common when we talk about money, time, effort, food, work or other amounts.

Common Mistake with As Much As

Do not confuse as much as and as many as.

Use as much as with uncountable nouns:

as much money as
as much time as
as much effort as
as much information as

Use as many as with plural countable nouns:

as many books as
as many people as
as many mistakes as
as many questions as

Examples

Correct:

I do not have as much time as I need.

Correct:

I do not have as many books as you.

Incorrect:

I do not have as much books as you.

Common English Phrases with These Expressions

Here are some useful fixed or semi-fixed expressions:

With as long as

as long as possible
as long as necessary
as long as you like
as long as you remember
as long as the weather is good

With as far as

as far as I know
as far as I remember
as far as I can tell
as far as I am concerned
as far as the exam is concerned

With as well as

as well as that
as well as being useful
as well as helping students
grammar as well as vocabulary
speaking as well as writing

With as much as

as much as possible
as much as I can
as much as I like it
as much as I wanted to
as much as we expected

Mini Quiz

Choose the correct phrase: as long as, as far as, as well as or as much as.

You can use my phone ______ you do not make expensive calls.
______ I know, she has already sent the email.
He plays the guitar ______ the piano.
______ I wanted to help, I simply did not have time.
We walked ______ the old bridge.
You can stay here ______ you need to.
The course includes pronunciation practice ______ grammar exercises.
I do not eat ______ sugar as I used to.
______ the exam is concerned, you need to manage your time carefully.
She worked ______ she could to finish the report.

Answer Key: 1. as long as, 2. As far as, 3. as well as, 4. As much as, 5. as far as, 6. as long as, 7. as well as, 8. as much, 9. As far as, 10. as much as