The correct use of quantifiers in comparison...

[Mehrgan]

Hi all,

Are the following sentences correct in the way they compare things?


The number of students in this class is twice as that in the other class.
The students in this class are twice as those in the other class. (?!)

The amount of water in this lake is 3 times as that in the other lake.
The water in this lake is 3 times as that in the other lake. (?!)

 

[teechar]

The number of students in this class is twice [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] that in the other (class).
There are twice as many [STRIKE]The[/STRIKE] students in this class [STRIKE]are twice[/STRIKE] as [STRIKE]those[/STRIKE] in the other (class).

The amount of water in this lake is 3 times [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] that in the other (lake).
The water in this lake is 3 times the volume [STRIKE]as[/STRIKE] of that in the other (lake).

See above.

 

[Mehrgan]

Are you sure there shouldn't be any 'as' in the following sentence?
The amount of water in this lake is 3 times as that in the other (lake).

The problem is, I was wondering if we could start the sentence with what we're comparing, as in the example I've already given above:

The students in this class... (can we possibly continue this sentence, or we have to say the number of students...?)

 

[Raymott]

"The amount of water in this lake is 3 times that in the other lake." This is a correct sentence. No 'as'.
'That' refers to "the amount of water". You can also say, " ... 3 times as much as that in the other lake."
Other examples:
"My salary is twice that of yours."
"His weight is 1.3 times that of his brother."

2. It depends on what you are comparing. "The students in my class are twice as ugly as those in your class". "The ugliness factor of the students in my class is twice that of those in yours."