Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Collocations for Making Comparisons in English (B2–C1 Level)

Hello English learners. Welcome to today’s lesson! Making comparisons is something we do all the time—whether we are describing people, places, or experiences. At the B2 First and C1 Advanced Cambridge exams, you will need to show flexibility and accuracy in your English. One excellent way to do this is by using collocations for comparisons. Let’s explore some useful ones together. Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

As…as collocations

When making comparisons in English, we often use simple structures like “bigger than,” “smaller than,” or “the same as.” These are fine, but at higher levels, examiners want to see a wider range of vocabulary and expressions.

One powerful way to enrich your English is by using collocations with “as…as”. These are set phrases that compare one thing to another in a colourful, imaginative way.

Instead of saying

“She was very well-behaved,”

you can say:

“She was as good as gold.”

Such collocations make your English sound more natural, fluent, and idiomatic—just like a native speaker’s.

The “as…as” structure is commonly used to highlight similarity or degree. It usually follows the pattern:

as + adjective/adverb + as

In everyday English, many of these have become fixed expressions, and they paint vivid pictures in the listener’s mind.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
As good as gold	very well-behaved (often used about children).	The children were as good as gold during the ceremony.
As clear as crystal	extremely clear (instructions, water, explanations, etc.).	Her instructions were as clear as crystal.
As light as a feather	very light in weight.	This new phone is as light as a feather.
As blind as a bat	unable to see well.	Without my glasses, I’m as blind as a bat.
As tough as old boots	very strong or resilient (about people or even meat!).	Don’t underestimate her—she’s as tough as old boots.
As sharp as a razor	very intelligent or quick-minded.	He’s as sharp as a razor when it comes to solving problems.
As flat as a pancake	completely flat.	The countryside there is as flat as a pancake.
As busy as a bee	very busy.	She was as busy as a bee preparing for the conference.

Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Collocations with comparison words

When making comparisons in English, we often rely on set phrases that use words like comparison, contrast, similarity, difference. These collocations are especially important for B2 First and C1 Advanced learners, because they help you sound precise and academic—perfect for essays, reports, and discussions in the speaking exam.

Instead of saying:

“The first book is different from the second one,”

you could say:

“The first book stands in stark contrast to the second one.”

That little shift shows the examiner that you can use higher-level, natural collocations.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
By comparison	when you want to highlight how two things differ.	By comparison, the second exam was much easier than the first.
In stark contrast (to)	emphasises a very strong or obvious difference.	Her calm manner was in stark contrast to his nervous energy.
A close similarity (to/with)	used when two things are almost the same.	There is a close similarity between the two paintings.
In comparison with	a slightly more formal way of contrasting things.	In comparison with last year, profits have doubled.
In marked contrast to	highlights a clear and important difference.	His speech was in marked contrast to the lively debate earlier.
A striking similarity (between)	something noticeably similar.	There is a striking similarity between the two theories.
A clear distinction (between)	a definite difference.	It is important to draw a clear distinction between fact and opinion.
Bear comparison with	be as good as something else.	His performance bears comparison with the best actors in the business.
Invite comparison (with)	naturally makes people compare.	The new film invites comparison with the director’s earlier work.
A point of comparison	a feature used to compare things.	One point of comparison is how quickly the two products sold out.

Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Collocations with “difference”

When something is not the same, these collocations help.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
A striking difference	very noticeable.	There was a striking difference between their lifestyles.
A world of difference	a huge difference.	There’s a world of difference between living in a village and in a big city.
Make a difference/distinction between	recognise the difference.	Teachers must make a distinction between effort and achievement.

Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Collocations with “similar”

Sometimes we compare by pointing out likeness.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
Bear a resemblance to	look like.	The boy bears a strong resemblance to his father.
Remarkably similar (to)	very alike.	The twins are remarkably similar in appearance.
Share similarities (with)	have things in common.	The two novels share similarities in theme and style.

Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Collocations with comparison and degree

These expressions highlight the level of difference or similarity.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
Nowhere near as…	much less.	This restaurant is nowhere near as good as the one we tried last week.
Far superior (to)	much better.	The new model is far superior to the old one.
Nothing like as…	much less.	The film was nothing like as exciting as the trailer suggested.
Considerably better/worse (than)	a noticeable difference.	The train is considerably faster than the bus.
Marginally better/worse (than)	only a little different.	His score was marginally better than mine.
Vastly different (from)	extremely different.	Life in the city is vastly different from life in the countryside.
Entirely different (from)	completely different.	Her teaching style is entirely different from her colleague’s.
Slightly more/less (than)	a small difference.	The film was slightly less interesting than I expected.
A great deal more/less (than)	a much larger difference.	This phone is a great deal more expensive than the last model.
Head and shoulders above	much better than others.	Her essay was head and shoulders above the rest.
Not nearly as…	far less.	The book was not nearly as engaging as the reviews claimed.
Much the same (as)	almost identical.	The two cars are much the same in terms of performance.
A cut above	slightly better than others.	This café is a cut above the others in town.
Worlds apart (from)	completely different.	Their opinions on the issue are worlds apart.

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Collocations for Making Comparisons in English

Published by My Lingua Academy on 22 Sep 202522 Sep 2025