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In the rephrasing exercise

A is more expensive than B. > A is not _________ B.

The only correct answer is supposed to be "A is not as cheap as B".

However, a student suggested "A is not cheaper than B".

In Portuguese, that's a perfectly possible construction, but, to me, it sounds awkward in English. However, I cannot explain why (except for the fact I'm sure I have never heard or read such a sentence - but, again, I'm not a native English speaker).

I've checked all my grammars, but I couldn't find anything that could help me explain to the student why not as ... as is preferred to not more/-er than. What can't be overlooked is that I have found no exercises or examples that allow for the not more/-er than structure.

As it is, I'm not even sure if the sentence is possible (even if it is awkward) or if it is absolutely wrong. Whatever the answer, the main problem remains: why? Is it because of the negative to be? Does it require the as ... as structure?

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This is an entirely grammatical phrase, though not as idiomatic as A is no cheaper than B. However, it is not an acceptable answer to the exercise because the meaning is slightly different. A is no(t) cheaper than B could mean (it even suggests) that A and B are the same price.

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  • I was just going to say that.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Mar 9, 2013 at 16:04
  • Good point there!
    – rhetorician
    Mar 9, 2013 at 16:59
  • It's really into the register of maths rather than idiomatic English.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Mar 9, 2013 at 21:38
  • The Portuguese structure 'A is not cheaper than B' can both mean that A and B have the same price and that A is more expensive than B. In fact, whenever someone says an equivalent to it, like "this book isn't cheaper than that one", more often than not they mean "this book is more expensive than that one". Hence the confusion
    – SC for reinstatement of Monica
    Mar 10, 2013 at 12:50

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