considerably
far
infinitely
much
vastly
very much
2.160 If you want to say that something has more of a quality than something else that already has a lot of it, you use even or still before a comparative adjective, or still after it.
She’s even lazier than me!
She was even more possessive than Rosamund.
I had a still more recent report.
The text is actually worse still.
Similarly, you use even or still to say that something has less of a quality than something else that has little of this quality.
This did not happen before the war, and is now even less likely.
You also use even or still when comparing the amount of a quality that something has at one time with the amount that it has at another.
The flight was even faster coming back.
They will become richer still.
In formal or literary English, yet is sometimes used in the same way as still.
He would have been yet more alarmed had she withdrawn.
The planes grow mightier yet.
2.161 You can show that something has an increasing or decreasing amount of a quality by repeating comparative adjectives. For example, you can say that something is getting bigger and bigger, more and more difficult, or less and less common.
He’s getting taller and taller.
…defences that were proving more and more effective.
Increasingly can be used instead of more and more and decreasingly instead of less and less.
I was becoming increasingly depressed.
It was the first of a number of increasingly frank talks.
2.162 If you want to say that something has a little more or a little less of a quality than something else, you use rather, slightly, a bit, a little bit, or a little with comparative adjectives.
It’s a rather more complicated story than that.
She’s only a little bit taller than her sister.
You also use these forms to say that something has a little more or a little less of a quality than it had before.
We must be rather more visible to people in the community.
…the little things that made life slightly less intolerable.
2.163 If you want to say emphatically that something has no more of a quality than something else or than it had before, you can use no in front of comparative adjectives.
Some species of dinosaur were no bigger than a chicken.
Any is used for emphasis in front of comparatives in negative clauses, questions, and conditional clauses. For example, He wasn’t any taller than Jane means the same as He was no taller than Jane.
I was ten and didn’t look any older.
If it will make you any happier, I’ll shave off my beard.
Is that any clearer?
Note that you only use no and any like this when comparatives are being used after a linking verb. You cannot use no and any with comparatives when they are being used in front of a noun phrase. For example, you cannot say It was a no better meal or Is that an any faster train?
2.164 When you use the comparative structure as … as … (see paragraphs 2.124 to 2.130), submodifying words such as just, quite, nearly, and almost can be used in front of it, modifying the comparison with their usual meanings.
Mary was just as pale as he was.
There is nothing quite as lonely as illness.
…a huge bird which was nearly as big as a man.
The land seemed almost as dark as the water.
Nearly is also used when the as … as … structure is preceded by not with the meaning less……than. You put it after the not. For example, I am not nearly as tall as George means the same as I am much less tall than George.
This is not nearly as complicated as it sounds.
2.165 When you use like to describe someone or something by comparing them with someone or something else (see paragraphs 2.132 to 2.134), you can use a submodifying adverb in front of it.
…animals that looked a little like donkeys.
It’s a plane exactly like his.
Here is a list of modifying words and phrases used with like:
a bit
a little
exactly
just
quite
rather
somewhat
very
2.166 When you use the same as and the same to describe someone or something by saying they are identical to someone or something else, you can use a number of submodifying adverbs in front of them, including just, exactly, much, nearly, virtually, and more or less.
I’m just the same as everyone else.
The situation was much the same in Germany.
The moral code would seem to be more or less the same throughout the world.
2.167 When you are using superlative adjectives, you may wish to say that something has much more or much less of a quality than anything else of its kind.
The submodifying adverbs much, quite, easily, by far, and very can be used with the superlative adjectives.
Much, quite, and easily are placed in front of the and the superlative.
Music may have been much the most respectable of his tastes. …the most frightening time of my life, and quite the most dishonest.
This is easily the best film of the year.
By far can be placed either in front of the and the superlative or after the superlative.