Comparison:  statements for discussion	

Straightforward Advanced is by far the best English course book I’ve ever used.	big / small difference	
The more words you learn, the better you will be able to express yourself.		
The more grammar rules you memorize, the better your spoken English will be.		
Online dictionaries are nowhere near as good as printed ones.	big / small difference	
Learning languages is like learning maths: you simply memorize the rule and apply it.		
There are nowhere near as many grammar rules in Chinese as there are in English.	big / small difference	
The more I study, the worse my English becomes.		
English is about as widely-spoken in Hong Kong as it is in Singapore.		
Studying in a class isn’t nearly as effective as having a private tutor.	big / small difference	
Young people today don’t speak English quite as well as the previous generation.	big / small difference	
Being older isn’t nearly such an obstacle to higher education now as it was a few years ago.	big / small difference	

Straightforward Advanced is by far the best English course book I’ve ever used.	big difference	
The more words you learn, the better you will be able to express yourself.		
The more grammar rules you memorize, the better your spoken English will be.		
Online dictionaries are nowhere near as good as printed ones.	big difference	
Learning languages is like learning maths: you simply memorize the rule and apply it.		
There are nowhere near as many grammar rules in Chinese as there are in English.	big difference	
The more I study, the worse my English becomes.		
English is about as widely-spoken in Hong Kong as it is in Singapore.		
Studying in a class isn’t nearly as effective as having a private tutor.	big difference	
Young people today don’t speak English quite as well as the previous generation.	small difference	
Being older isn’t nearly such an obstacle to higher education now as it was a few years ago.	big difference