In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 69 in the category of CLAUSES/comparatives is defined as:
‘(not) as’ + adjective/adverb + ‘as’ to introduce a clause (often with a substitute auxiliary verb) to talk about two things being equal or unequal in some way.
*note that the EGP examples also include ‘as much as’ where claws7 tags ‘much’ as a DA1.
Here are the results of a search in iWeb for:
as _JJ as _P _V
1 AS GOOD AS IT GETS 6141
I wanted you to see this gallery
because it‘s as good as it gets.
This is unlisted in the EVP, it’s informal idiom. = nothing better is possible or available or something is very good and cannot be improved
2 AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN 3143
3 AS HIGH AS YOU CAN 2304
4 AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS 2283
5 AS GOOD AS IT LOOKS 1673
6 AS GOOD AS IT CAN 1519
7 AS SIMPLE AS IT SOUNDS 1321
As simple as it sounds, it’s really not that easy to find.
8 AS GOOD AS IT IS 1237
9 AS GOOD AS IT COULD 1214
10 AS GOOD AS IT WAS 1211
11 AS EASY AS IT LOOKS 1099
12 AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS 1070
13 AS BAD AS I THOUGHT 1069
14 AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS 1066
15 AS GOOD AS YOU CAN 1045
16 AS BAD AS IT WAS 933
17 AS LOW AS YOU CAN 933
18 AS EASY AS IT IS 932
19 AS EXCITED AS WE ARE 875
20 AS EASY AS IT SEEMS 872
as _RR as _P _V
1 AS FAST AS YOU CAN 6915
2 AS HARD AS YOU CAN 3256
3 AS OFTEN AS YOU LIKE 2942
4 AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN 2777
5 AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN 2630
6 AS FAST AS I COULD 2348
7 AS FAST AS THEY CAN 2048
8 AS BEST AS I CAN 1812
9 AS FAST AS I CAN 1780
10 AS HARD AS I COULD 1745
Here are the top ten full sentences completed by AI:
- Run as fast as you can and don’t look back.
- Push the door as hard as you can and it will open.
- You can visit us as often as you like, we’re always happy to see you.
- Drink water as often as you can to stay hydrated.
- Please reply as quickly as you can, this is urgent.
- I ran as fast as I could but I missed the bus.
- The workers are building as fast as they can to meet the deadline.
- I’m trying to explain as best as I can, but it’s complicated.
- I’ll be there as fast as I can, just wait for me.
- I hit the ball as hard as I could and scored a home run.
11 AS OFTEN AS I CAN 1613
12 AS HARD AS I CAN 1578
13 AS FAST AS WE CAN 1548
14 AS BEST AS YOU CAN 1537
15 AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN 1528
16 AS WELL AS I DO 1412
17 AS HARD AS IT IS 1411
18 AS FAST AS HE COULD 1324
19 AS OFTEN AS YOU WANT 1162
I can come as often as you want.
20 AS EARLY AS YOU CAN 1135
A2 Vocabulary above:
could, high, low, quickly, simple, sounds
To search for the negative form, we have to go to a smaller corpus. In the movie corpus, we searched for:
1 ‘S NOT AS BAD AS IT LOOKS 59
2 ‘S NOT AS BAD AS YOU THINK 34
3 ‘S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS 30
4 ‘S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS 25
5 ‘S NOT AS BAD AS IT SEEMS 18
6 ‘M NOT AS YOUNG AS I USED 15
7 ‘RE NOT AS SMART AS YOU THINK 15
Well, you‘re not as smart as you think you are.
8 ‘S NOT AS EASY AS YOU THINK 13
9 ‘S NOT AS BAD AS I THOUGHT 12
10 IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS 12
Here are some PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLES:
When I got his problem, I opened my mind as quickly as I could.
Chinese, Female, Level 3, Writing.
Before you begin cooking, plan as much as you can on paper.
Turkish, Female, Level 3, Writing Class.