half as much

USAGE SUMMARY

"half as much" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to compare two quantities of something. For example: "This package of batteries only costs half as much as the other one."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"Half as much gas," he said.

The New York Times

Not half as much.

The New York Times - Sports

What other film offers half as much?

The Guardian - Film

Then add half as much water again.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"Now it's about half as much".

The New York Times - Arts

Lenses can be about half as much.

The New York Times - Tech

Tea has about half as much caffeine as coffee.

Harvard University

"We had half as much time and half as much money as the Italians.

The New York Times - Sports

The second cost about half as much as the first.

The Economist

Taiwan's food also costs only half as much as Japan's.

The Economist

Most countries would settle for sowing half as much seed.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When comparing quantities with "half as much", ensure the compared items are clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. For example, specify "half as much sugar" instead of just "half as much."

Common error

Avoid using "half as much" without a clear point of comparison. It's essential to establish what the 'much' is relative to. For instance, instead of saying "I ate half as much", specify "I ate half as much as I usually do".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "half as much" functions as a comparative quantifier, indicating that one thing has 50% of the amount of another. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a grammatically sound way to express a proportional relationship.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

49%

Academia

25%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "half as much" is a versatile and grammatically correct comparative quantifier used to indicate that one quantity is 50% of another. As Ludwig AI highlights, its function is to clearly quantify a difference in amount across varied contexts, including News, Academia, and Science. When using "half as much", ensure there is a clear reference point for what is being compared and that the noun being modified is uncountable (e.g., water, sugar). Keep in mind the alternatives: "half the amount" or "50 percent less". Also remember that, as with any comparison, clarity is key.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

half the amount

This alternative directly replaces 'as much' with 'the amount', providing a more concrete reference to quantity.

half the quantity

This alternative is similar to "half the amount", but uses 'quantity' to emphasize the numerical aspect.

50 percent less

This alternative uses a percentage to express the reduction, offering a more precise numerical comparison.

half the measure

This alternative is useful when discussing measurements and proportions.

a moiety

This is a more formal and somewhat archaic term for 'half', suitable for specific contexts.

markedly diminished

This alternative is formal and emphasizes the clear difference in quantity.

considerably less

This option focuses on the significance of the reduction rather than the specific proportion.

substantially decreased

This option emphasizes the action of decreasing to nearly half.

significantly reduced

This alternative highlights the act of reducing, which implies a context of comparison to an initial quantity.

a fraction less

This alternative is less specific, indicating a reduction without quantifying it precisely.

FAQs

How can I use "half as much" in a sentence?

Use "half as much" to compare the quantity of one thing to another, indicating that the first quantity is 50% of the second. For example, "She used "half as much sugar" in the recipe as he did."

What is a synonym for "half as much"?

Alternatives to "half as much" include "half the amount", "50 percent less", or "a moiety" (formal). The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "half as much than" instead of "half as much as"?

No, the correct construction is "half as much as". The phrase "as much than" is grammatically incorrect. Always use "as" for comparisons of quantity in this way, such as in the sentence "He earns "half as much as" his brother".

What is the difference between "half as much" and "half as many"?

"Half as much" is used for uncountable nouns (e.g., water, sugar, time), while "half as many" is used for countable nouns (e.g., apples, books, people). For example, "I drank "half as much water"", but "I ate "half as many apples"".