He thought they needed it more than he did.He thought they n

He thought they needed it more than he did.：他认为他们需要（做）的比自己（需要）做的要多.
.He thought they needed smaller than he did.：他认为他们需要（做）的比自己（需要）做的要少.
more than：这里做“多于”的意思.
more than其他意思：在...次以上,不只...,不仅.
用法：A.“More than+名词”表示“多于……”、“非但……尤其是”如：
1) Modern science is more than a large amount of information.
2) Jason is more than a lecturer; he is a writer,too.
B.“More than+数词”含“以上”或“不止”之意,如：
3) I have known David for more than 20 years.
4) Let‘s carry out the test with more than the sample copy.
C.“More than+形容词”等于“很”或“非常”的意思,如：
5) In doing scientific experiments,one must be more than careful with the instruments.
6) I assure you I am more than glad to help you.
D.在“More...than...”中,肯定“more”后面的而否定“than”后面的,约等于“是……而不是……”如：
7) The difference between pure linguistics and applied linguistics is more apparent than real.
8) This book seems to be more a manual than a text.
9) Catherine is more diligent than intelli-gent.
10) Hearing the loud noise,the boy was more surprised than frightened.
E.“More than”或“More...than...”+含“can”的分句时表示“否定意”,如：
11) That‘s more than I can do.
12) Don‘t bite off more than you can chew.
13) In delivering his lecture,Jason makes sure not to include more things than the students can understand.
F.“No more...than...”表示“不……；不如……”,如：
14) I can no more do that than anyone else.
15) A learner can no more obtain knowledge without reading than a farmer can get good harvest without ploughing.”
“No more…...than...”的语义,也可用“not any more than...”来取代,因此 15 可以变成 16.
16) A learner cannot...any more than ...”同样的,17可以变成 18：
17) Dr Hu is no more a poet than Dr Wu is a philosopher.
18) Dr Hu is not a poet any more than Dr Wu is a philosopher.
此外,“more than”也在一些惯用语中出现,如：
19) More offen than not (经常),people tend to pay attention to what they can take rather than what they can give.
20) All of us are more than a little concerned about(非常关心)the current economic problems.
smaller than：小于,少于.没有more than那么多用法,一般也就用于比较句型中.