Tim earns less money than the excavator operators.

[learning54]

Hi teachers,
Could it be a suitable explanation according to the sentence given?

	Sentence:	Tim earns less money than the excavator operators.
	Explanation:	Less is a comparative adverb because it compares how much Tim earns in comparison with the excavator operators.

Should I write “compares to” or “compares with” or it doesn’t matter?

Thanks in advance.

[abaka]

No. "Less money". "Less" modifies "money", and is the comparative degree of the word "little", which can be either an adjective or an adverb, and even a noun: little, less, least. Here it is an adjective.

When parsing grammar, pay less attention to meaning and more to structure.

"In comparison to" and "in comparison with" can both be acceptable, depending on the context.

[emsr2d2]

Hi teachers,
Could it be a suitable explanation according to the sentence given?

	Sentence:	Tim earns less money than the excavator operators.
	Explanation:	Less is a comparative adverb because it compares how much Tim earns in comparison with the excavator operators.

Should I write “compares to” or “compares with” or it doesn’t matter?

Thanks in advance.

I'm slightly confused. You haven't used "compares to" or "compares with" anywhere in your post. Where do you want to use it?

I'm not sure if this is what you're trying to say:

Tim earns less money per hour compared with the excavator operators.

You don't need to say "it compares how much he earns in comparison with ..." That's tautological.
Tim earns less money compared with the excavator operators.
In comparison to/with the excavator operators, Tim earns a lower wage.

[learning54]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply. I really thought it was an adverb modifying 'earns'.

I got it! Here 'less' is an adverb. 'I read much less now than I used to'.
In my original sentence 'money' is after 'less'. That's the reason, isn't it?


L.

[learning54]

Hi,
Thank you for your reply.

I'm slightly confused. You haven't used "compares to" or "compares with" anywhere in your post. Where do you want to use it?

In the explanation.

I'm not sure if this is what you're trying to say:
Tim earns less money per hour compared with the excavator operators.

Yes!

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER


Hello, Learning:

1. I agree with abaka's excellent analysis.

2. I believe that some people feel that there is a definite difference between "compare to" and "compare with."

*****

Mother: Stop acting like your brother!
Son: Would you please stop comparing me to him? We are not alike. I do not think or act the same way in which he thinks and acts.

*****

Tony: I am thinking of buying dictionary A. How does it compare with dictionary B?

Mona: Well, their similarities are: they are big; they have many pictures; and they are up-to-date in their definitions.

On the other hand, their differences are: A gives plenty of example sentences, but B doesn't; B gives you a word's

definition, but only A gives you a word's etymology (the history of the word); and A is very prescriptive (it tells you

what is "good" English) while B is more descriptive (it just tells you how most native speakers use the language).

*****

In other words, Learning, some people think that you should use "compare to" when you want to say that two things

are the same, and you should use "compare with" when you wish to discuss the similarities and differences of two

things or people.

How would you compare Spain with England?
How would you compare English with Spanish?

And Shakespeare, you will remember, famously told a lovely lady:

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"


HAVE A NICE DAY!

[learning54]

Hi TheParser,
Thank you so much for your detailed explanations and Shakespeare's sentence.
I didn't know about 'thee', it is an old word for 'you'. I know its meaning now.

You too!
Learning