Comparisons in daily life and in the imagination. Comparing people, places and things with words of equivalence (like, as, etc.)
as … as | Dick Evans is as good a guitar player as his brother, Edge.
as many … as | I have as many U2 albums as Karla.
as much … as | Tickets to the 360 Degree Tour cost as much as tickets to Vertigo.
the same … as | Bono wears the same leather jacket as my brother.
similar to | The music on U2’s albums is similar to the music in church.
the same | When Bob Hewson and Iris Rankin went to eat in Dublin, they ate the same thing.
are similar | Because they are brothers, Dick and Dave Evans are similar in appearance.
equal to | To Karla, is U2 equal to Metallica?
is like | Bono is like his father. They are both singers.
similar/ly | Because he wears a wool cap, I think that the Edge and English fútbol fans dress similarly.
equal/ly | Does Bono play guitar equally well as Edge? [Or, Does Bono play guitar equal to Edge?]
compared to/with | Compared to her sister, Karla loves U2 more.
each | Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam each has a big house.
either | I would like either The Unforgettable Heart or Achtung, Baby! for Christmas.
all | U2 fans all like Adam Clayton’s haircut.
both | Karla thinks that both Bono and Edge sing beautifully.
alike | Larry Mullen and I have tattoos of a star on our hands. The tattoos are alike.
Comparing people, places and things with words of non-equivalence (more than, less than, etc.)
not as … as | Adam Clayton is not as good at playing piano as playing bass guitar.
… -er than | Bono plays fútbol better than me.
more … than | More fans attended the 360 Degree Tour in Georgia Dome than attended Vertigo in Philips Arena.
fewer … than | Fewer people bought the album War than The Joshua Tree.
less … than | I feel less able to play drums with U2 than to play violin with the Atlanta Symphony.
greater than | My love of U2 is greater than my love of Halloween.
not as many … as | There were not as many people in line for Braves tickets as for U2 tickets.
not as much … as | Yesterday I bought U2 tickets for Miami. They were not as much as I thought.
not equal to | My brother’s love for U2 is not equal to mine.
unequal(ly) | Adam is taller than Edge. They are unequal in height.
unlike | Unlike Karla, I do not have a Bono poster.
not the same as | Edge’s hat is not the same as mine.
not all | Not all Bono fans sing karaoke in clubs.
“City of Blinding Lights” provides examples of non-equivalent comparisons: “The more you see, the less you know.”
“Hawkmoon 269” has a multitude of similes demonstrating “like” as a comparative word of imagination. The reading “ ‘Desert music’ and The Joshua Tree” includes additional examples.
Conditional sentences with could, should, would, might and may. “Bad” offers several examples, as does “Stay (Faraway, So Close).”
If I could, yes I would
If I could, I would
Could in Spanish is podría (or podía), and should is like debería.
The words would, might and may are difficult to define in Spanish. Examples:
No comería una hamburguesa porque no como animales. I would not eat a hamburger because I do not eat animals.
Si pudiese, viviría en Veracruz. If I could, I would live in Veracruz.
Hay seis películas que yo pagaría por ver. There are six films that I would pay to see.
Might and may are like quizás (quizá) or tal vez. Example: If I had money, I might buy a car.
Participles. Participles are verbs. They are used like adjectives (adjetivos). Participles in present tense talk about ongoing actions (acciónes en curso). Examples (ejemplos):
Every morning when I eat eggs and drink orange juice, I am singing “Where the Streets Have No Name.” My roommate thinks I am crazy.
I am renting an apartment in Atlanta that Bono has not visited. This makes me sad.
When I come home after a long day at work, I want to see the smiling face of Bono next to my bed. I want to see Edge’s sparkling (destellar) green eyes, too.
“Mysterious Ways” offers examples as do readings about U2’s August 2010 performance in Moscow and the influence of The Psalms on U2’s lyrics.
Statements of desire and reported speech. Using the song “Where the Streets Have No Name,” distinguish between passionate statements of desire beginning I want—
I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
and more formal requests beginning I would like … “All I Want Is You” contains examples of reported speech.
You say you want
Diamonds on a ring of gold
You say you want
Your story to remain untold
The following example illustrates the complex nature and prevalence of reported speech. “Bono said, ‘The Edge says that our songs are too loud. I say that he is wrong.’ ”
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