Difference: 'as good as it was old' vs 'as good as it was'

[vaok]

The china was not nearly as good as it was old.

The china was not nearly as good as it was.

What's the differences in meaning of the two sentences?

Is the second sentence right?

thanks!

[Yankee]

Hi voak

The first sentence suggests that the china was very old, but it was not very good.

Your second sentence doesn't really make much sense to me. It sounds as though the word 'it' is supposed to refer to something that is not mentioned in the sentence. For example:
The silverware was extremely high quality. The china was not nearly as good as it (the silverware) was.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[lost_soul]

Hi, Amy

Maybe this alteration will make more sence to you:

The china was not nearly as good as it had been ?
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Alex

A native speaker of Russian

[Yankee]

Hi Alex

Yes, I'd also thought of this:
The china is not nearly as good as it was.

But neither your sentence nor mine are what vaok wrote or asked about. As vaok's second sentence stands, it doesn't make much sense to me without some further context which might clarify or justify it.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[vaok]

My irreplaceable treasure

[1]Recently I gave a dinner party for some close friends. To add a touch of elegance to the evening, I brought out the good stuff--my white Royal Crown Derby china with the fine blue-and-gold border. When we were seated, one of the guests noticed the beat-up gravy boat I'd placed among the newer, better dinnerware. "Is it an heirloom?" she asked tactfully.

[2] I admit the piece does look rather conspicuous. For one thing, it matches nothing else. It's also old and chipped. But that little gravy boat is much more than an heirloom to me. It is the one thing in this world I will never part with.

[3] The story begins more than 50 years ago, when I was seven years old and we lived in a big house along the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio. All that separated the house from the river was the street and our wide front lawn. In anticipation of high water, the ground floor had been built seven feet above grade.

[4] Late in December the heavy rains came, and the river climbed to the tops of its banks. When the water began to rise in a serious way, my parents made plans in case the river should invade our house. My mother decided she would pack our books and her fine china in a small den off the master bedroom.

[5] ******The china was not nearly as good as it was old. ******Each piece had a gold rim and a band of roses. But the service had been her mother's and was precious to her. As she packed the china with great care, she said to me, "You must treasure the things that people you love have cherished. It keeps you in touch with them."

From the context I don't think the first sentence suggests that the china was very old, but it was not very good. It seems to say the china is good. Am I right?

Can we change the 2nd sentence into: The china was not nearly good as it was.?

Thanks a lot!

[Yankee]

Hi vaok

The sentence and context suggest that the china had much more sentimental value than monetary value. The china was old. It had originally belonged to the writer's grandmother, and that's mainly what made it so valuable.

No, you cannot replace the sentence "The china was not nearly as good as it was old" with the sentence "The china was not nearly good as it was".
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[vaok]

thank you very much!

finally,Can I say: the garden is not good as it is.?

I mean right now the garden is not good because lots of work has to be done to improve the conditions of it. Can "as it is" mean "just the present state of something"?

[Yankee]

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Yes.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[vaok]

I'm very gald to see "yes" from you.
so the sentence without the first "as" is right : The china was not nearly good as it was.
you are so kind to me .How can I thank you enough!

[Yankee]

Hi vaok

Sorry, but this time I have to say "No". The word 'nearly' presents a problem.

The words "as good as" indicate a comparison of two things. The two things are either equally good, or if you say "not as good as", the two things are not equally good.

My garden is not as beautiful as your garden is.
(The two gardens are not equally beautiful. Your garden is more beautiful than my garden. I did not use the word 'it' in the sentence because I needed to clearly identify the second garden in the comparison.)

My garden is not beautiful as it is.
(This refers only to the current beauty of one garden and basically tells you that the speaker sees a need for improvement. The sentence does not tell you anything about how much improvement is needed. The word 'it' refers back to 'my garden'.)

My garden is not nearly beautiful enough as it is.
(Again, this refers only to the current beauty of one garden and basically tells you that the speaker sees a need for a lot of improvement. The word 'it' refers back to 'my garden'.)

I hope that helps.
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English

[vaok]