并不是所有的形容词表示比较时都用than，英语中有几个以-or结尾源于拉丁语的形容词，由于其原级已具有比较的含义，在表示比较时不用than，而用to。这类形容词不多，计有：

anterior / prior to（先于）[ænˈtɪəriə(r)] [ˈpraɪər]

posterior to （在……之后）[pɑːˈstɪriər]

superior to（优于）

inferior to（劣于）

junior to（年幼于）（比......年少；比......级别低）

senior to（年长于）（比......年长；比......地位高）

prefer to（更喜欢，宁愿）

【例如】

This task is prior to all others. 这项任务比所有其他任务都重要。

All the arrangements should have been completed prior to our departure.


全部安排都应该在我们出发之前完成。


His mark on art is prior to mine.


他的美术成绩比我好。


It happened prior to my arrival.


这发生在我到达之前。


My arrival in Beijing is posterior to that of our manager. 我到北京的时间比我们经理晚。

My arrival in New York is posterior to that of my friend.

我比我朋友后到纽约。


He thinks he is superior to his classmates because his father is a very important people. 他认为他比他的同学优越，因为他的父亲是一个非常重要的人。

The Red Army was inferior in equipment but superior in morale to the enemy.

红军装备不如敌人，但士气比敌人高。

It happened prior to my arrival. 事情发生在我到达之前。

The official's rank is senior to his father's. 这位官员的级别比他父亲高。

Mary is two years senior to me, and her sister is junior to me by three years.

玛丽比我大两岁，她妹妹比我小三岁。

He preferred the company of those who were intellectually inferior to himself.

他喜欢与那些智力水平不如他的人共处。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》


These oranges are inferior to those I bought last week.


这些桔子没我上星期买的好。

《汉英大词典》

I admit that I am inferior to him in many respects.

我自认在许多方面比他矮半截。

《汉英大词典》

If children were made to feel inferior to other children their confidence declined.

如果让孩子感觉他们不如其他孩子，他们的信心就会减弱。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

Women are no inferior to men.

巾帼不让须眉。

She is junior to me.

她职位比我低。

The position had to be filled by an officer senior to Haig


这个位置必须由一个职位高于黑格的官员来担任。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》

Williams felt himself to be senior to all of them.

威廉斯自认为比他们所有人资格都要老。

《柯林斯高阶英汉双解学习词典》


I prefer the seaside to the mountains. 我喜欢海边，不喜欢山区。

Tom prefers reading to talking. 汤姆喜欢读书而不喜欢谈天。

这类结构的prefer前有时也可用would, should等。如：

We’d prefer playing outdoors to watching television. 我们宁愿在外面玩而不愿看电视。