Cómo escribir una comparación entre dos opciones en inglés (B1 preintermedio, A2–B1): mismos criterios, límites claros y una recomendación

Para comparar dos opciones en inglés, elige tres criterios que importen a tu lector y mide las dos opciones de la misma forma: precio con precio, espacio con espacio. Usa comparativos (“cheaper than”) para las diferencias, as … as para lo que es igual y whereas para poner dos cifras una al lado de la otra. Añade un límite con too many, too much o not enough y termina con una recomendación para un lector concreto, no con un ganador universal. Esta guía es para adultos de nivel B1 (preintermedio, A2–B1); con 10 minutos al día es suficiente.

¿Para quién es este artículo?

Adultos de nivel preintermedio que conocen “cheaper” y “bigger”, pero cuyas comparaciones parecen dos listas separadas.
Quien tiene que elegir entre dos locales, proveedores, pisos o cursos y justificar la elección en un correo o un informe en inglés.
Quienes preparan una tarea de escritura que pide comparar dos opciones y recomendar una.
Demasiado pronto: si “cheaper than” y “How many…?” todavía te resultan nuevos, practica primero los comparativos y los sustantivos contables en el nivel A2.
Demasiado fácil: si ya comparas opciones con cifras y una recomendación clara, pasa al artículo de nivel B2 sobre proponer una prueba y medir sus resultados.

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Tarjetas de vocabulario

same measure

compare price with price, capacity with capacity, and time with time

Room A costs £240; Room B costs £315.

minimum need

identify the number or quality that is enough for the purpose

They need at least 36 chairs and two accessible toilets.

trade-off and opinion

notice what improves, what becomes worse, and which need matters most

The larger room is more expensive but gives the group enough space.

Conversación

maya We have thirty-six confirmed participants for Saturday. Market Room costs £240 and Harbour Room costs £315.

owen Seventy-five pounds more is a lot. Is Harbour Room much bigger?

maya Yes. Market Room has 32 chairs; Harbour Room has 45. We need at least 36, and four people may still book.

owen Could Market Room add chairs?

maya Only if we remove two tables. Then there won’t be enough table space for the map activity.

owen What about access and equipment?

maya Harbour has two accessible toilets and a projector in the price. Market has one accessible toilet, and projector hire is £48.

owen So the real difference is only £27. Harbour is more comfortable and large enough even if four more people come.

maya I agree. We can save money by ordering a little less coffee; last time we had twelve litres left.

owen Book Harbour Room, then. I’ll send the participants an update today, well before the deadline.

Estructura de la frase

What structure helps a reader decide?

Introduce the two comparable options, compare the same criteria with figures or examples, explain quantity limits, and finish with a recommendation for a named need.

The model compares like with like and makes a conditional recommendation instead of naming an unsupported universal winner.

Both…
whereas
more…than
as…as
too much/many
not enough
For people who…

Más práctica

Two lunch breaks, four weeks later

Two adults comparing delivery and venue figures for work.

TWO LUNCH BREAKS, FOUR WEEKS LATER

A design company offered its 184 employees two voluntary lunchtime programmes for four weeks. Group A joined a 30-minute guided walk three days a week. Group B used a new quiet room for reading or rest. Both groups completed a short survey before and after the trial.

The walking group began with 72 people, but only 58 attended at least eight walks. Their average afternoon-energy score rose from 6.1 to 7.4 out of ten. Sixty-eight per cent said they felt less stressed, although 14 people complained that the route was too crowded near the market. Several wanted a slower group because the guide sometimes walked too quickly.

The quiet-room group had 64 regular users. Their average energy score rose less, from 6.0 to 6.6, but 81 per cent said they returned to work feeling calmer. The room had only 20 seats. At 12:30 it was not large enough, and employees sometimes waited outside. After the company added a second session at 1:15, the room was as quiet as before but much less crowded.

Neither programme is the single “best” choice. Walking produced the bigger change in energy; quiet time helped a higher percentage relax. The company will continue both. It will create two walking speeds and keep the two room sessions, because different employees need different kinds of break.

Write a structured comparison

RIVER DESK OR STATION HUB?

Our team tested two coworking spaces for a month. River Desk costs £145 per person, whereas Station Hub costs £170. Both include fast internet and meeting rooms.

Station Hub is closer to public transport: it is two minutes from the station, compared with twelve minutes for River Desk. It also has six meeting rooms, twice as many as River Desk. However, there are too many calls in its open area after lunch, and the quiet zone has only eight seats. It is not large enough for our 14-person team.

River Desk is quieter and has enough desks for everyone. Its internet is as reliable as Station Hub’s, but the walk from the station is longer.

For colleagues who meet clients every day, Station Hub is more convenient. For our whole team, River Desk is the better choice because it is cheaper, quieter, and large enough.

What structure helps a reader decide?

Introduce the two comparable options, compare the same criteria with figures or examples, explain quantity limits, and finish with a recommendation for a named need.

The model compares like with like and makes a conditional recommendation instead of naming an unsupported universal winner.

Both…
whereas
more…than
as…as
too much/many
not enough
For people who…

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Compara lo comparable: tres criterios, una misma medida

Una comparación solo ayuda a decidir cuando las dos opciones se miden de la misma forma. Elige dos opciones entre las que alguien de verdad está dudando, escoge tres criterios que le importen y da una cifra para las dos opciones en cada uno.

Misma medida: “Room A costs £240; Room B costs £315.”
Necesidad mínima: “They need at least 36 chairs and two accessible toilets.”
Lo que se gana y lo que se pierde: “The larger room is more expensive but gives the group enough space.”

Comparativos, as … as y whereas

Los adjetivos cortos y los que terminan en -y añaden -er (cheaper, easier, bigger); los largos llevan more (more expensive). Good y bad pasan a better y worse. En español casi todo se compara con “más”, y por eso es fácil decir “more cheap”; en inglés, -er y more nunca van juntos. Para “mucho más grande”, usa much, no very: “much bigger”. “Tan … como” es as … as: “Esta sala es tan grande como esa” se dice “This room is as big as that one.”; si una opción es peor, usa not as … as. Both presenta lo que tienen en común; whereas, como “mientras que”, pone dos cifras una al lado de la otra. Al hablar, than y as suenan débiles: /ðən/, /əz/.

“The second room is much bigger and only a little more expensive.”
“The van is as reliable as the bike, but it does not arrive as quickly.”
“Park Gym costs £35 a month, whereas City Fitness costs £49.”

Límites: too many, too much, not enough

Los límites suelen decidir la elección, así que incluye uno. El español suele ayudar: igual que dices “demasiadas sillas” y “demasiado ruido”, en inglés too many va con sustantivos en plural y too much con incontables. Cuidado con palabras como “muebles”, que en inglés es incontable: “too much furniture”. Enough va delante del sustantivo, pero detrás del adjetivo: “lo bastante grande” es “big enough”; en cambio, “bastante grande” significa “quite big”. A few y a little indican una cantidad pequeña pero útil; few y little, casi nada.

“There are too many energy drinks and too much sugar.”
“The smaller office has enough desks for everyone.”
“It is not large enough for our 14-person team.”
“We have a few spare bottles, but few walkers brought hats.”

Una conversación corta: ¿vale la pena la sala más grande?

Dos compañeros eligen sala para un taller. Fíjate en “Seventy-five pounds more”, “much bigger” y en el mínimo, “at least 36”. Más adelante descubren que Market Room cobra 48 libras por un proyector que en Harbour Room está incluido, así que la diferencia real es de solo 27 libras.

Maya We have thirty-six confirmed participants for Saturday. Market Room costs £240 and Harbour Room costs £315.

Owen Seventy-five pounds more is a lot. Is Harbour Room much bigger?

Maya Yes. Market Room has 32 chairs; Harbour Room has 45. We need at least 36, and four people may still book.

Aprende esta unidad a tu manera

Un modelo de comparación: 130–160 palabras

Sigue cuatro pasos: presenta las dos opciones, compara tres criterios con cifras, explica un límite y haz una recomendación para un lector concreto.

“I tried two gyms near our office for two weeks. Park Gym costs £35 a month, whereas City Fitness costs £49. Both open at 6 a.m. and have showers. City Fitness is closer: it is a three-minute walk, compared with ten minutes for Park Gym. It also has twice as many classes. However, it is too crowded after work. At six o’clock there are not enough free machines, and the changing room is not big enough. Park Gym is quieter and has enough space for everyone. Its trainers are as friendly as the ones at City Fitness, but the walk is longer. For colleagues who train at lunchtime, City Fitness is more convenient. For those who train after work, Park Gym is the better choice because it is cheaper, quieter and less crowded.”

Antes de terminar, pregúntate quién elegiría la otra opción y por qué.

Errores frecuentes

Todos tienen un arreglo fácil:

“more cheaper”, “more bigger”. Una sola forma: “cheaper”, “bigger”, “more expensive”.
“very bigger”. Di “much bigger”.
“as big than”. La igualdad pide as … as: “as big as”.
“too much chairs”, “enough big”. Di “too many chairs”, “big enough”.
Mezclar medidas: el precio de una sala frente al tamaño de la otra. Compara precio con precio.

Rutina de práctica de 10 minutos al día

Elige dos opciones reales de tu semana, como dos móviles o dos rutas al trabajo.

2 minutos: pon la conversación y repite cada frase.
3 minutos: anota tres criterios con una cifra para cada opción, más un límite.
3 minutos: escribe 130–160 palabras en los cuatro pasos.
2 minutos: léelo en voz alta. ¿Cada número tiene su unidad?

Qué viene después

Cuando ya sepas comparar dos opciones de hoy, mira hacia delante: escribe un pronóstico que conecte los datos con acciones y, después, una guía del primer día que separe las normas de las opciones.

Preguntas frecuentes

¿Cómo se escribe un párrafo de comparación en inglés?

Presenta las dos opciones, compara los mismos tres criterios con cifras, añade un límite y termina con una recomendación para un lector concreto: “For people who train after work, Park Gym is the better choice.”

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre too much y too many?

Too many va con sustantivos en plural (“too many people”) y too much con incontables (“too much noise”). Si falta algo, usa not enough con los dos: “not enough chairs”, “not enough space”.

¿Dónde va enough en una frase en inglés?

Delante del sustantivo, pero detrás del adjetivo o del adverbio: “enough chairs”, “large enough”, “quickly enough”.