a (little) bit + COMPARATIVE

Point 50 at B1 in the English Grammar Profile in the category of ADJECTIVES is defined as:

‘A (LITTLE) BIT’ to modify comparative adjectives used predicatively after a verb, usually ‘be’

However, ‘a little bit’ is considered as B2 in the EVP.

And this B1 point also clashes completely with the C1 grammar point explained here:

A search in iWeb for:

* * * bit _JJR

1 MAKE IT A BIT EASIER 499

  CNET

While it‘s not as simple as it should be,

 we‘re going to try and make it a bit easier.

* this could be C1

2 TO WAIT A BIT LONGER 336

3 MAKES IT A BIT EASIER 316
4 TO BE A BIT HIGHER 277
5 IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER 267

6 IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER 257 (‘quite a bit’ is B1 in EVP but C1 in EGP!)

CBS Denver

‘Coming Back To Normalcy’: Coloradans Take In Live Music Again

The ticket price is quite a bit higher than it was pre-COVID.

7 IT TAKES A BIT LONGER 254
8 IT ‘S A BIT EASIER 233
9 IT ‘S A BIT HARDER 231
10 IS QUITE A BIT SMALLER 218
11 CAN BE A BIT TRICKIER 199
12 WILL TAKE A BIT LONGER 199
13 MAY TAKE A BIT LONGER 191
14 IS QUITE A BIT LARGER 186
15 TO BE A BIT BIGGER 182
16 IS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER 173
17 JUST A LITTLE BIT BIGGER 170
18 TO BE A BIT LARGER 169
19 TO BE A BIT SMALLER 163
20 IT IS A BIT HARDER 161
21 I ‘M A BIT OLDER 148
22 IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER 148
23 MAKES IT A BIT HARDER 145
24 TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER 143
25 IS QUITE A BIT LOWER 140
26 IS QUITE A BIT BIGGER 140
27 MAKE THINGS A BIT EASIER 138
28 THEY ARE A BIT OLDER 137
29 I WAS A BIT OLDER 131
30 IS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER 130
31 MAY BE A BIT HIGHER 130
32 JUST A LITTLE BIT EASIER 128
33 ARE A LITTLE BIT OLDER 128
34 IS QUITE A BIT CHEAPER 123
35 BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER 122
36 WILL BE A BIT HIGHER 121
37 JUST A LITTLE BIT HIGHER 119
38 IS A LITTLE BIT TRICKIER 119
39 I WAS A BIT YOUNGER 118
40 IT TOOK A BIT LONGER 117
41 IS A LITTLE BIT OLDER 116
42 JUST A LITTLE BIT SMALLER 116
43 IT ‘S A BIT SMALLER 116
44 IT IS A BIT EASIER 114
45 BE QUITE A BIT HIGHER 114
46 TO BE A BIT LOWER 114
47 ARE QUITE A BIT LARGER 110
48 MAKING IT A BIT EASIER 110
49 TO BE A BIT CHEAPER 110
50 KIDS ARE A BIT OLDER 109
51 IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER 107
52 TO BE A BIT SHORTER 107
53 TO BE A BIT LIGHTER 103
54 TO WORK A BIT HARDER 103
55 WAIT A LITTLE BIT LONGER 102
56 TO BE A BIT THICKER 101
57 ‘S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER 100
58 IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER 99
59 MIGHT TAKE A BIT LONGER 96
60 TO BE A BIT HEAVIER 94
61 IS A LITTLE BIT EASIER 93
62 TAKES A LITTLE BIT LONGER 93
63 TO BE A BIT STRONGER 93
64 GET A LITTLE BIT OLDER 91
65 TO BE A BIT DARKER 91
66 ARE QUITE A BIT SMALLER 87
67 BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER 87
68 WILL BE A BIT EASIER 84
69 BE QUITE A BIT CHEAPER 83
70 JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER 82
71 ARE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER 81
72 CAN BE A BIT HARDER 80
73 THEY GET A BIT OLDER 80
74 MAY BE A BIT HARDER 79
75 MIGHT BE A BIT HARDER 79
76 LIFE A LITTLE BIT EASIER 78
77 IT ‘S A BIT TRICKIER 78
78 YOU GET A BIT OLDER 78
79 MAKE LIFE A BIT EASIER 77
80 TO BE A BIT OLDER 76
81 IT IS A BIT SMALLER 75
82 WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER 74
83 JUST A LITTLE BIT LARGER 73
84 I GOT A BIT OLDER 72
85 TO BE A BIT WIDER 72
86 IS QUITE A BIT OLDER 71
87 IS A LITTLE BIT LIGHTER 71
88 IT WAS A BIT CHEAPER 70
89 TO BE A BIT TOUGHER 70
90 BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER 69

91 JUST A LITTLE BIT BRIGHTER 68 (set phrase)

  VG247

Sony giving away Ratchet & Clank in March as Play At Home returns

I think we ‘ve got a great mix of games and entertainment offers lined up, and I hope this news made your day just a little bit brighter.

92 IS A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER 67
93 MAKE IT A BIT HARDER 67
94 JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER 66
95 IT A LITTLE BIT HARDER 66
96 BE A LITTLE BIT HARDER 66

97 MAKE IT A BIT CLEARER 66

  Medium

Smart Buoy

The in-depth tutorials include code explanations, so hopefully, they will make it a bit clearer!

98 TO TAKE A BIT LONGER 66
99 HE ‘S A BIT OLDER 65
100 WHICH IS A BIT HIGHER 65

A2 vocabulary:

bit, brighter, clearer, heavier, higher, just, larger, lower, might, quite, stronger, wider

In the Oxford Learner Dictionary at A2:

a bit =  [singular](used as an adverb)(especially British English) rather; to some extent

One of their examples substitutes ‘wee’ instead of ‘little’.

A search in iWeb for collocates of:

a wee bit

1 JUST (RR ) 1487
2 MAYBE (RR ) 129
3 SMALLER (JJR ) 61

Not to embarrass these fine ladies, but Gertrude weighs about 600 pounds, and Punky‘s just a wee bit smaller than that.

kqed.org

• although Scottish ‘wee’ is tagged as an adjective ‘a wee bit’ is an adverbial phrase modifying the comparative smaller.  With ‘just’ also modifying ‘a little bit’ the whole modification is extremely complex.

4 O (ZZ1 ) 53
5 NERVOUS (JJ ) 50
6 IRISH (JJ ) 50
7 JEALOUS (JJ ) 42
8 BIGGER (JJR ) 41
9 TIRED (JJ ) 32
10 DISAPPOINTED (VVD@_JJ ) 31
11 SHORTER (JJR ) 30
12 TIGHT (RR_JJ ) 29
13 TRICKY (JJ ) 28
14 SAD (JJ ) 27
15 OBSESSED (JJ ) 26
16 HARDER (RRR_JJR )
17 TALLER (JJR ) 25
18 TOUGHER (JJR ) 23
19 CONFUSED (VVN ) 22
20 PRICEY (JJ ) 21