as-as

Question

I am confused with the next sentences. In the next sentences, 1) and 3) are correct, but what about 2), 4), 5) and 6)?

Are they correct? or are there any differences in meanings?

1) My father bought me a cell phone as small as a mouse.

2) My father bought me as small a cell phone as a mouse.

3) I caught as many fish as Mike.

4) I caught fish as many as Mike.

5) I spent money as much as you.

6) I spent as much money as you.

Thanks in advance. ^^

Rvw · Accepted Answer

I think (2) may be "correct," but it is very unexpected. One has to shuffle the words to make sense of them. (1) is a much better wording.

I think (4) and (5) would be correct if commas preceded the first as.

I caught fish, [pause] as many as Mike [caught].
I spent money, [pause] as much as you [spent].

(6) is correct. As in the other sentences, the first as is an adverb. The second as is a conjunction that precedes an incomplete clause. It is short for:

I spent as much money as you spent.

Anonymous · Answer

So, why does "as many/much +noun as" sound natural but in other cases " noun + as +adjective or adverb +as"?

Why do you put a comma in front of "as much as you" (I spent money, as much as you) but not in front of "as small as" in the next sentence: My father bought me a cell phone as small as a mouse.

Please answer these. ^^

Rvw · Answer

In these different constructions, different types of things are ellipted.

1) My father bought me a cell phone which is as small as a mouse. [Which is is understood, or ellipted. Which is as small as a mouse is an adjective clause that modifies phone. Actually, is small after mouse is also ellipted-- which is as small as a mouse is small is the whole meaning.]

[2) This sentence is too awkward. Reword it.]

3) I caught as many fish as Mike caught. [The first as is an adverb modifying many. The second as is a conjunction that introduces the clause Mike caught, in which caught is ellipted.]

In analyzing numbers 4 and 5, I am taking artistic license. The indicated pauses would be acceptable in a novel, but not in a formal essay. On a grammar test, 4 and 5 are probably meant to be marked wrong.

4) I caught fish -- I caught as many as Mike caught. Or: I caught fish ... as many as Mike caught. [The pause is really too long to be indicated by a comma. Three dots or a dash indicate the pause's length better. The second clause is more like a separate sentence, but one can imagine someone saying "I caught fish," then pausing, then adding boastfully "as many as Mike caught."]

5) I spent money -- I spent as much as you spent. Or: I spent money ... as much as you spent. [This is like number 4.]

6) I spent as much money as you spent. [This can be analyzed as number 3 was.]

The noun in an as...as construction may be ellipted if the context makes it clear what is being referred to. "We went fishing. I caught as many as Mike." Since that which is normally spent is money, "I spent as much as you" by itself is acceptable.

Now to answer your questions.

In both the constuctions you asked about, the first as is an adverb and the second as is a conjunction. Both constructions sound natural.

My father bought me a cell phone [which is] as small as a mouse. Within the adjective clause, small is the subjective complement of which, the first as modifies small, and the second as introduces the ellipted clause a mouse [is small].

I caught as many fish as Mike [caught]. Fish is the direct object of caught. Many is an adjective modifying fish, and the first as is an adverb modifying many. Again, the second as is a conjunction.

I addressed your second question in my comments about numbers 4 and 5.

Anonymous · Answer

I totally understand what you mean, but why do you put "many" and "noun" side by side but not "adjective" and "noun" ( "many" is also an adjective, isn't it?)

have a nice day!

^ ^

Rvw · Answer

I think I finally understand what you are asking.

I'm not sure that I have the correct answers.

I think quantifying adjectives like many and much (also one, twenty, each, every, most, a little, a lot of, etc.) require that their nouns be immediately after them. Then, "I caught as many fish as Mike" sounds okay, but the unellipted version of "I caught fish as many as Mike" does not:

~~~I caught fish, which were as many in number as the fish that Mike caught.~~~

The above sentence is grammatically correct but very awkward.

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