9.35 'the same'

'Same' can also be the complement of a link verb when you want to indicate that something is similar in every way to something that has just been mentioned. When 'same' is used after a link verb it always follows 'the'.

• The Queen treated us very well. The Princess Royal was just the same.
• My brothers and myself were very poor, but so happy. I think other families were the same.

9.36

You can also use 'the same' without a following noun as the subject or object of a clause, to refer back to something that has just been mentioned.

• The conversion process is inefficient and about two-thirds of the energy is wasted. The same is true of nuclear power stations.
• 'I've never heard of him.' --- 'I wish I could say the same.'

'The same thing' can be used exactly like 'the same', as a subject or object.

• He was stopped and sent back to get a ticket. On the return journey the same thing happened.
• I learnt how to kill people with my bare hands. And I'm not proud of the fact that I taught a number of other people to do the same thing.