V. Comparison of adjectives.

1. Comparative and superlative forms

	Comparative (two things)	Superlative (more than two things)
Adjectives with one syllable	add --(e)r: large --larger small -- smaller young -- younger fast-+ faster	add -(e)st: large -- the largest small ---the smallest young -- the youngest fast -- the fastest
adjectives with two or more syllables	use more/less- +adjective: useful ----- more/less useful expensive --- more/less expensive interesting ---- more/less interesting	use the most/the least+ adjective : useful------the most/least useful expensive ----- the most/least expensive
irregular adjectives	bad----worse good—better far—farther/further old---older/elder many/much----more little---less well(=healthy)---better	bad -+ the worst good -+ the best far -+ the farthest/furthest old---the oldest/the eldest many/much----the most little-----the least

Note:

• Further and farther refer to distance:

London is five miles further/farther.

Further can mean "in addition":

There is no further information. ' · · ,. ··"';· ···,

• We use elder/eldest before a noun only with reference to ·people in a family:

My elder brother/son, the eldest child, he is the eldest

We use older/oldest for people and things:

He is older than I am. This book is older.

2. Comparative adjectives

• We use comparative adjectives to compare two things. When we use a comparative adjective in front of a noun we add than

Humpback whales are larger than killer whales.

• We use object pronouns (me, her, etc.), after than:

Maria is taller than Anna.

Maria is taller than her.

• We can use two comparatives to show that something is changing .

The weather is getting hotter and hotter.

Food is becoming more and more expensive these days.

2. Superlative adjectives br

• We use superlative adjectives to compare more than two things. We use the or a possessive ⁰

^{adjective (my/your/his, etc.) before the superlative form:} 1

Blue whales are the largest whales . What was your best subject at school?

Blue whales are the largest whales . What was your best subject at school? ₂

• After superlatives we use in before singular nouns (i.e. the name of a place or group): ₃

The blue whale is the largest creature in the world. Ben is the oldest player in the team.

• But we use of before plural nouns:

The blue whale is the largest of the whales. Ben is the oldest of the players . ⁵

Exercise 77. Use the words below to write comparative sentences

Canada I big I Britain. ..........Canada is bigger than Britain............ ...............

1 This towel I dry I that one.......................................................................... .............

2 Magazines I interesting I newspapers ......................................... ..............................................

3 My spelling I bad I Lucy's ............................................................... .

4 The airport I far I the railway station ..................................................................................... ..

5. Paris I beautiful I Berlin ……………………………………………………………………..

6. Steak I good I lamb………………………………………………………………………………

Exercise 78. Open the brackets using comparative form of the adjective.

1. This room is .......... than that one (large).

2. This soldier is .......... than his friends (young).

3. This stone is......:.. than that one (heavy).

4. These mountains are .......... than those ones (high).

5. My colleague's car is.......... than my car (good).

6. Your plan is .......... than my plan (good).

7. This house is ......:... than that one (bad).

8. These dictionaries are .......... than those ones (bad).

9. These trousers are .......... than those ones (bad).

10. I have written. …….articles than you have written (many).

11. You have answered .......... questions than I have answered (many).

12. I have got .......... work than you -have got (much).

13. You have got .......... free time today than I have got (much).

14. We have bought .......... books than our friends have bought (few).

15. We've paid .......... money for lunch than our friends have paid (little).

16. I've had .........coffee today than you've had (little).

17. You will get ......:... information in an hour (far).

18. My ........ sister is two years .......... than I am (old, old).

19. This·idea is ..........than that one (interesting).

20. This author is ............... than that author (talented).

21. This exercise is ..... .......... than that one (difficult).

22. These T-shirts are ............... than those ones. (expensive)

Exercise 79. Use the words below to write superlative sentences.

France I large country I the European Union France is the largest country in the European Union.

1. Mario I old student I my class

2. Selima I tallest I the athletes

3. New York I big City I North America

4. That I beautiful tree I the garden

5. Harry I experienced I the workers

6. Mine I nice I the rooms

Exercise 80. Choose the right forms . in these sentences.

1. Is the station much (further/farther)?

2. You'll find the explanation (further/farther) on.

3. Your record is (worse/worst) than mine.

4. She always wears the (last/latest) fashion. ·

5. We have no (further/farther) information.

6. She is the (oldest/eldest)·member of our family.

7. My flat is (littler/smaller) than yours.

8. He is much (older/elder) than his wife.

9. This is the (more/most) beautiful picture I’ve ever seen.

10. His English is (best/better) than mine.

11. It's the (oldest/eldest) building in the city.

12. He's my (older/elder) brother.

Exercise 81. Use the adjective in the comparative and superlative degree.

His poems are popular. (his novels) His poems are more popular than his novels.

2. My room's cold. (the kitchen)

3. My garden is nice(school garden)

4. Your hair is dark. (your brother's hair)

5. In USA basketball is popular. (tennis)

6. Sunday is convenient for me. (Saturday)

7. His brother is talented. (he)

8. The watch is expensive. (that one)

Exercise 82. Find six more mistakes in the tour guide's statement and correct them.

' We only have four working elephants her at Songklan so it is more small (1. smaller) than the other elephant farms in the area.The largest elephant farm of this part of Thailand has 30 elephants! The four elephants here have different backgrounds and personalities . Mao-Mao travelled the most far; he came from Chaing Rai in the north of the country. Changra is the goodest worker, he loves lifting wood. But he's very greedy. He eats a lot more than the others! Selma is the most bad worker, she's very lazy. She's only eighteen years old but each year she gets lazier and more lazier! Tanan is friendlyer than the other elephants; she really loves people.'

Elephant age weight

Changra 22 years old 4500 kg

Selma 18 years old 1750 kg

Mao-Mao 24 years old 5000 kg

Tanan 17 years old 1500 rg

Exercise 83. Write sentences about the elephants. Use information from Exercise and the words in brackets.

(the lightest ) Tanan is the lightest of the elephants.

1. (the heaviest)

2. (Changra I younger)

3. (Selma/older)

4. (the youngest)

5. (greedier I the others)

6. (the friendliest)

Exercise 84. Open the brackets using the comparative form of the adjective and the correct word in italics.