Graham's Grammar

Helping English language learners

We can say “Three times as big as”. Can we also say “Three times as small as”?

by · Published · Updated

  • It’s possible, but it’s better to say “a third the size of” or possibly “a third as big as”
  • In everyday conversation people might say – and would certainly understand – “three times as small as”.  But it’s best to avoid such phrases in formal English.
  • Some people say “three times bigger than” or “three times smaller than”. It’s best to avoid these – for mathematical rather than grammatical reasons!
  • Compare: “twice as big as”, “half the size of”, “half as big as”; “four times as big as”, a quarter the size of”, “a quarter as big as”; “twenty times as big as”, “a twentieth the size of”, “five percent as big as”,

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *