“Perhaps because I was beginning to know all too well not indeed where I was going, but where I had not so much arrived as simply stopped”—whats the function of “as” before “simply stopped” Answer It’s a comparison and a sub-comparison. We’re comparing our plans (destination) to actual outcome (arrival), and then ‘arrival’ to ‘stop’. … Read more
I know that the construction “It is not so much funny as interesting” is valid if I want to talk about something that is both funny and interesting, but with an element of comparison. Is it still correct if I add “it is”, as in, “It is not so much funny as it is interesting”? … Read more
Is it proper English to say: “With method A, the goal is not so to perform task B but (rather) to address problem C.” Are there other more appropriate/elegant ways to convey the same meaning? Answer Use either “not so much” or “not“, but not “not so“. With A, the goal is not so much … Read more
What’s more grammatically correct? I knew she would be standing here, waiting for me. No, not so much as waiting but *expecting me to be here. or I knew she would be standing here, waiting for me. No, not so much as waiting but as expecting me to be here. Answer The first structure is … Read more
English speakers seem to prefer “less powerful” over “not as powerful”, and “not as big” over “less big”. There’s at least a ten-to-one ratio in both cases—See this Google Ngram. There also seems to be a trend over time where English is moving from “less” to “not as”, but I’m most interested in current usage. … Read more
I am not sure of the meaning of this sentence: The significance of culture and identity in development has to do not so much with the cultural factor in the process of development as with abandoning Eurocentric development thinking. I’m not sure what the use of as is supposed to convey. Does it mean “development … Read more
Consider the sentence: “She sees him not so much as her uncle as her friend.” Is this sentence correct? I feel something is missing, or perhaps I am disturbed by the extra ‘as’. Compare with: “He is not so much her friend as (he is) her uncle.” What do you suggest? Answer ‘She sees him … Read more
