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Maggie
question
I am less TALL than you.
Question: Does this sentence sound natural to native speakers? If not, could you help me correct it? I mean, is 'less + short adjective' correct? ( 'less expensive' is ok with me, but less tall? )
Nov 23, 2018 4:30 AM
Answers · 4
4
It is technically correct, but unnatural. The more common expressions would be "I am not as tall as you" or "I am shorter than you."
November 23, 2018
Hi Maggie,
I agree with Nathan's response.
If I were to say, "I'm not as tall as you" or "it's less expensive," I'm probably trying to stress the comparative adjective "less."
For example, "something is less expensive than I originally thought" or "she's not as tall as me," meaning that I really want to draw your attention to the nouns "expensive" and "tall" so that I can really highlight this negative comparison. If not, I'd just say, "it's cheaper" or she's shorter." It's more common.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Wenwei
November 23, 2018
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Maggie
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
English
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