Упражнения
Ex. 1. Analyze the forms of adjectives in the following sentences.
1. This is a difficult question. It is really very difficult. 2. Claudia Schiffer is a very successful German supermodel. 3. Sport keeps us fit, makes healthier, more organized and better disciplined. 4. Citius, Altius, Fortius is Latin and means “faster, higher, braver”. 5. This is a most boring novel. 6. The house is a lot quieter than the flat. 7. Is the Gobi desert larger than the Sahara desert? 8. I like the countryside. It is healthier and more peaceful than living in the city. 9. Grandma, you are the wisest person. Maybe that’s why I love you the most. 10. Petrol is half as expensive as it was last year. 11. She is the eldest of her two sisters. 12. Two heads are better than one. 13. The bicycle is the least expensive of all. 14. Is your house much farther? 15. It’s the lesser of two evils. 16. Have you heard the latest news. 17. We have no further information. 18. The problems are more or less the same.
Ex. 2. Use the following word combinations in the attributive or predicative function where possible.
Model: It was an obvious failure.
The failure was obvious.
a pleasant day a careful driver a definite loss absolute nonsense medical aid |
the previous page the left hand a musical voice a sweet peach analytical thinking |
a fast train a tired face an unspeakable joy further details a time-wasting activity |
metallic colour glass eyes a cotton shirt equal rights fine weather |
Ex. 3. Choose the proper form of the adjective as an attribute or as a predicative.
1.The nightclub show was very (entertaining/entertained). The visitors were (entertaining/entertained) with the variety of shows. 2. Everybody was (shocking/shocked). The news is quite (shocking/shocked). 3. His (exciting/excited) story touched my heart. I am (exciting/excited) about moving to a new flat. 4. I am (amusing/amused) to find you here. It’s an (amusing/amused) little adventure. 5. He easily gets (embarrassing/embarrassed). It’s sometimes (embarrassing/embarrassed) to ask for help. 6. He seems to be very (suprising/surprised). I cought his (suprising/surprised) glance. 7. The teacher looked very (worrying/worried) and the students were (boring/bored). It’s a very (boring/bored) film. 8. We were (horrifying/horrified) to know about the accident. There came a (horrifying/horrified) wail of a man. 9. I was (amazing/amazed) to get such a present from him. It’s an (amazing/amazed) story. 10. He was (shocking/shocked) to know about it. He is fond of (shocking/shocked) tricks.
Ex. 4. Use adjectives as nouns.
Model: The young people enjoy life. – The young enjoy life.
1. The blind people need our support. 2. The native people were very friendly. 3. The Russian sportsmen performed well in figure dancing. 4. Are the German people sentimental? 5. The Swiss people are fond of mountains. 6. The Finnish people live in Finland. 7. Five Chinese people entered the hotel. 8. The poor people must stand together everywhere. 9. There are some generalizations about British people and French people. 10. The stupid people neither forgive nor forget; the naïve people forgive and forget; the wise people forgive but do not forget. 11. A beautiful person is not always a fortunate person. 12. Life is not easy for people who are without work. 13. After the storm, those who remained living buried those who were dead.14. He can be often found drinking beer with local people. 15. Black, white, yellow, brown, tall, short, thin, fat people – they are all New Yorkers. 16. High and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish (people), all have the right to be happy.
Ex. 5. Put the adjectives in the right order. Keep to the model.
opinion + size + age + form + colour + origin + material + purpose + Noun |
|
|
|
Ex. 6. Give the comparative and superlative degrees of the following adjectives:
tall, short, hot, nice, big, wide, strong, warm, high, low, hard, bright;
merry, narrow, clumsy, early, shallow, funny, tender, polite, profound;
perfect, friendly, foolish, useful, famous, active, pleasant, common;
good, bad, far, near, little, well-known, much-appreciated;
interesting, comfortable, important, necessary, beautiful, popular, wonderful, careful, regular, kind-hearted, good-looking.
Ex. 7. Compare yourself or your friend to another person, or compare two people you know using these adjectives.
Model: tall – My father is taller than me but I’m more handsome.
educated intelligent lazy |
thin quiet stubborn |
patient successful hardworking |
nervous polite talkative |
Ex. 8. Compare men and women. Talk in general terms. Discuss your answers.
Model 1: intelligent – In my opinion, women are more intelligent than men.
In my opinion, men are more intelligent than women.
polite strong kind |
friendly talkative patient |
romantic sensitive logical |
responsible tolerant kind |
Model 2: work hard – In my opinion, women work harder than men.
run fast gossip a lot take care of children well |
work hard spend a lot on clothes live long |
worry a lot drive foolishly get old fast |
Ex. 9. Compare this city to another city you know.
Model 1: crowded – Tokyo is more crowded than Boston.
modern noisy beautiful |
densely populated interesting cold in winter |
sunny rainy young |
dirty big small |
Model 2: public transportation – Moscow has better public transportation than Chicago.
traffic climate rain |
pollution job opportunities factories |
people sunshine snow |
crime tall buildings homeless people |
Ex. 10. Find a partner. Choose one of the following pairs and decide which of the two is better. Write five reasons why it is better. One person will make a statement saying that one is better than the other. The other person will follow with, “Yes, but …” and give another point of view.
Model: – I think dogs are better pets than cats. They are more loyal.
– Yes, but dogs need more attention.
cats and dogs big cities and small towns travel by train and travel by plane |
houses and condos spring and autumn voice mail and answering machines |
Ex. 11. Fill the blank spaces with: last, later or latter; the former or the latter; farther or further; nearest or next; older or elder; oldest or eldest.
1. Vitebsk is … from Minsk than Orsha. 2. Shakespeare wrote his … play in 1613. 3. This is the … bank to our house. Take a taxi to get there. 4. He is the … member of the School Committee. 5. No … reasons were given. 6. … discussion will be useless. 7. What is … theatre in London? 8. How long does it take you to get to the … river? 9. Do you have an … brother? – Yes, I do. He is three years … than me. 10. My … sister studies in England. 11. Who’s the … in your family? 12. Have you heard the … news? 13. His … word was: “The end”. 14. The … tree is in this park. 15. Both scientists and scholars carry out research, the difference between the two being that … are engaged in exact and natural sciences, while … work in the field of the humanities.
Ex. 12. Open the brackets, express gradual increase or decrease of quality with “and”, “more and more”, “less and less”, “too”, “twice as”, etc.
1. Your English is getting (good). 2. Computers and cars are becoming (expensive). 3. The prices of mobile phones are going (low). 4. Going to church is becoming (popular). 5. The roads are becoming (much) crowded with cars. 6. My tooth is getting (little) painful. 7. People spend (little) time on reading books but they spend (much) time on watching TV. 8. It gets (cold) in autumn and the days become (short). 9. It is getting (hard) to find an inexpensive restaurant. 10. The food is getting (good) in this restaurant. 11. We all grow (old) with years but not always (wise). 12. The weather is getting (bad) but hopefully it won’t last long. 13. Families are becoming (small). 14. Some pupils say their parents and schoolteachers have been too (soft), others that they’ve been too (hard).15. Internet shopping is becoming (popular) with young people. 16. Such events as the Olympic Games or the Football World Cup attract (many and many) spectators as time goes by. 17. Our new house is half as large as the old one. 18. She has got half my size and weight.
Ex. 13. Answer the questions.
Are the mountains of the Crimea as high as the mountains of the Caucasus?
Is the climate of England as mild as that in your country?
Is the Volga longer than the Don?
Is the Moscow underground better than the London underground?
Where is it better to rest: in the South or in the North?
Where is it better to live: in the city or in the country?
Where is it warmer: in Italy or in Sweden?
Where is it more snow: in the north or in the east?
What is more difficult, speaking English or writing English?
What is harder, a man’s life or a woman’s life?
What is better, a house or a good apartment?
What is more interesting, a driver’s job or a scientist’s job.
Which is more difficult, English or Chinese?
Which is more delicious, Chinese food or Italian food?
Which is more spicier, Indian food or Japanese food?
Which is more diverse, the American population or the population in your country?
Who are more romantic, men or women?
Who are more popular, sportsmen or artists?
Who is older you or your sister?
Who is more courageous, you or your friend?
Ex. 14. A survey of British university students was conducted in 2000 and recently repeated. Some of the results are compared below. Comment on them in the sentences using “fewer (than)” or “less (than)”.
Do you smoke? (2000: 80%/Now: 45%) Fewer students smoke now than in 2000.
Do you own a car? (2000: 5%/Now: 23%)
On average, how many hours each week do you spend watching TV? (2000:12/Now: 21)
On average, how many lectures and tutorials do you have each week? (2000:12/Now: 10)
On average, how much of your money do you spend on beer? (2000: 20%/Now 8%)
Are there any results that surprise you? Comment on them using no less than or no fewer than.
Ex. 15. Fill the gap with the correct comparative construction. Use “as…as”; “not so … as”, ”not as … as”.
No park in London is … Hyde Park. (popular)
The sea is … the sky. (blue)
Your voice is … music. (sweet)
Now her hair isn’t … it used to be. (long)
There wasn’t … snow in the fields … in the forests. (much)
The devil is not … he is painted. (black)
My old flat isn’t … the new one. (comfortable)
The motorbike is … as the car. (fast and comfortable)
The bicycle is … than the motorbike. (expensive)
A man is … he feels, a woman is … she looks. (old)
Travelers want to reach their destination … possible (quick).
Wales is not … Scotland (big).
Eat … you like (much).
Eating chocolate is not … eating fruit and vegetables (healthy).
Ex. 16. Choose any of the topics that take your fancy and make notes on both the similarities and the differences.
-
L
iving
in the country
Staying in hotel
Life in your country
Tourism nowadays
The climate in your country
Working in an office
Learning English
British sense of humour
Travelling today
Living in a large city
Camping or self-catering
Life in Britain
Tourism ten years ago
The climate in Britain
Working in a factory
Learning your language
Your country’s sense of humour
Travelling in the future
Ex. 17. Fill in the blanks with the superlative form of the word in brackets.
1. The Seaside Resort Hotel was (specious) and (comfortable) we have ever stayed in. 2. San Francisco is one of (expensive) cities in the U.S. 3. The battle of Waterloo was the (great) battle of all times. 4. Crime is one of (bad) problems in the U.S. 5. Boston is one of (old) cities in the U.S. 6. No doubt, I’ll keep sweet memories of my school years. I’ll always look back to them as (happy) and (enjoyable) period of my life. 7. Traveling by air is (fast) and (convenient) way, but it is (expensive) too. 8. New York is one (good) cities in the world to be a taxi driver in, but also (bad) one. 9. Many sportsmen are now as popular and famous as the greatest Hollywood film stars. 10. Soccer is (popular) team sport in the world. 11. Rare Jordan, a recently retired Chicago Bulls player, was named (great) basketball player of all time. 12. The musical “The Phantom of the Opera” is (famous) performance in England. 13. One of (successful) entertainers of today is Madonna. 14. The (famous) Belarusian folk group is the Pesnyary. 15. Alla Pugachyova has been (bright) lights on our variety stage for the past few decades. 16. Music is one (high) manifestations of human culture. 17. World War II (1941–1945) is (devastating) of all wars. 18. The West End is (rich) and (beautiful) part of London. 19. (long) river in the U.S. is Missouri. 20. (high) mountain in the U.S. is Mount McKinley. 21. Central Park is (large) park in New York. 22. The Chineese Wall is (long) wall in the world.
Ex. 18. Name the person in your family who is the superlative in each of the following activities. (Put the superlative form after the verb phrase.)
Model: cook well
My mother cooks the best in the family.
-
talk a lot
drive well
walk fast
eat a lot
get up early
speak softly
speak English well
drink a lot of coffee
use a lot of makeup
stay up late
have a bad temper
spend a lot of money
Ex. 19. Here some interesting facts from the Guinness Book of World records. Write the superlative form of the adjectives in brackets.
… (successful) pop group of all time was the Beatles.
… (popular) tourist attraction In the United States is Disneyworld in Florida.
… (fat) person was a man in New York City. He weighted almost 1,200 pounds.
… (prolific) painter was Pablo Picasso. He produced about 13,500 paintings; 100,00 prints; 34,000 book illustrations; and 300 sculptures.
… (big) omlette was made of 54,763 eggs with 531 pounds of cheese in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1986.
… (hot) places in the United States are in Florida.
… (heavy) baby at birth was a boy of twenty-two pounds eight ounces. He was born in Italy in 1955.
Mexico City is now the world’s (fast)-growing … city.
… (large) cucumber weighted sixty-six pounds.
A Stradivarius violin was sold at Christie’s for £902,000, … (high) price ever paid for a Strad.
Ex. 20. Write a superlative sentence, giving your opinion about each of the following items concerning Belarus. You may use “one of the…” plus a plural noun.
Model: Minsk
Minsk is the biggest city in Belarus.
|
|
Ex. 21. Read the following to get some intercultural information. Pay attention to comparative and superlative forms.
In area, the United States is the third largest country in the world (after Russia and Canada). In population, the U.S. is the third largest country in the world (after China and India).
The biggest city in the U.S. in population is New York. It has about 8 million people.
The tallest building in the U.S. is the Sears Tower in Chicago (442 meters or 1,450 feet tall). But it is not the tallest building in the world. That building is in Cuala Lumpur (452 meters or 1,483 feet tall).
New York city has the highest cost of living. But the cost of living in Tokyo is much higher than in New York.
Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the U.S. In 2003, Hispanics passed African Americans as the largest minority.
Rhode Island is the smallest state in area (1,145 square miles or 2,700 square kilometers).
Alaska is the largest state in area. Alaska is even larger than Columbia, South America.
The least populated state is Wyoming. It has less than half a million people.
California is the most populated state. It has about 34 million people. There are more people in California than in Peru.
Juneau, Alaska, gets the most snow, about 101 inches per year.
There are five great lakes in the U.S. The biggest is Lake Superior. The others are lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
The tallest waterfall is in the U.S. in California. But Niagara Falls in New York and Ontario, Canada, is more famous. it is one of the most popular tourist attractions, Twelve million tourists a year visit Niagara Falls. It has the greatest volume of water.
The state that is the farthest north is Alaska. The state that is the farthest south is Hawaii.
The oldest state is Delaware. It became a state in 1787.
The Amazon is the second largest river in the world.
The hotel is the least expensive in the town.
Ex. 22. Write a card to some special people in your life on Valentine’s Day (14th of February) using comparatives and superlatives.
Model 1: To the loveliest, most original and most exciting woman I know…who just happens to be my wife! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Model 2:You are the best mother in the whole wide world. You are the cleverest, the brightest and the finest of all mums I’ve ever known. You are the nicest mum I’ve ever had. You are the most wonderful and definitely the least impatient. No mum in the whole wide world is better than you. You are the greatest mother of all. I love you very, very much! Happy Mother’s Day!
Love, Holly.
Ex. 23. Translate into English using the adjectives in the superlative degree.
1. Извините за опоздание. Мне понадобилось больше времени, чем я ожидал. 2. Сегодня теплее, чем вчера. 3. В Нью-Йорке больше парков, чем в Токио, но меньше, чем в Лондоне. 4. Дети проводят все больше времени у телевизора, нежели за книгой. 5. Становится все труднее найти работу. 6. Мой дедушка работал больше всех своих братьев и стал богаче. 7. Я встаю позже всех в нашей семье. 8. Она приехала раньше всех. 9. Из всех моих друзей он водит машину наиболее осторожно. 10. Это самый счастливый день в моей жизни. 11. Родительский дом – самое замечательное место в мире. 12. Волга – самая длинная река в Европе. 13. Эльбрус – самая высокая вершина Кавказских гор. 14. Лох Несс – самое большое озеро в Шотландии. 15. Это самый плохой опыт в моей жизни. 16. Какой самый лучший фильм, который ты когда-либо видел? 17. Он – лучший игрок в команде. 18. Аэропорт Хитроу – самый оживленный в Лондоне. 19. Юпитер – самая большая планета. 20. Самое жаркое место в мире – Эфиопия. 21. Самый легкий предмет для меня – литература. 22. Самый питательный фрукт – авокадо. 23. В среднем женщины живут дольше, чем мужчины. 24. Сыр имеет больше калорий, чем хлеб. 25. Женщины лучшие учителя, чем мужчины. 26. Чем больше вы работаете, тем лучших результатов вы добиваетесь. 27. Чем вы добрее, тем больше люди вас любят.
Ex. 24. Express your agreement or disagreement with the following statements.
Dogs are smarter and more obedient than cats.
A small car is more economical and easier to drive than a big car.
The weather in Spain is hotter than the weather in Finland.
The food in hot countries is spicier than the food in cold countries.
The one-bedroom apartment is bigger than the studio.
The studio is more economical than the one-bedroom.
Ex. 25. Analyze the use of the construction with “the … the”. Translate it into Russian.
The more we study, the more we know;
The more we know, the more we forget;
The more we forget, the less we know;
The less we know, the less we forget;
The less we forget, the more we know.
So, why study?
Ex. 26. Paraphrase the sentences using “the … the”.
Model: If you get up earlier you can do a lot; in fact the earlier you get up the more you can do.
If we work hard, we always become rich; in fact …
If you work hard, you always have good results; in fact …
When people earn much money, they become less careful; in fact …
If you have much, you want more; in fact …
If you are happy, you see few unhappy people around; in fact …
If you are honest, you will have fewer problems; in fact …
If you get married early, it’s better; in fact …
If a man knows many foreign languages, it’s easy for him to learn a new one; in fact …
If you know English well it’s easy to find a good job; in fact …
If the queue is short, the service is faster, in fact …
If the menu is long, the choice is difficult, in fact …
If the restaurant is crowded, it is very noisy, in fact …
If I worry much I become nervous, in fact...
Ex. 27. Here are some famous quotations and sayings that include a comparative or superlative adjectives. Insert them in the right form.
It was the best of times, it was (bad) of times. (Charles Dickens)
Democracy is (bad) form of government apart from all the others. (Winston Churchill)
The reason I wanted to be an actress was to play people much (interesting) than I am, and to say things (intelligent) than anything I could think of myself. (Prunella Scales)
Dictionaries are like watches; (bad) is better than none, and (good) cannot be expected to go quite true. (Samuel Johnson)
The (entertaining) surface in the world is a face of a man.
Good, (good), (good). Never let it rest, until good is (good) and better is (good).
Being funny is much (difficult) than being clever.
A man is as (young) as he looks and no (old) than he feels.
A man is as (old) as he feels, and a woman is as (old) as she looks.
If I cannot do (great) things, I can do small things in a (great) way.
Ex. 28. Open the brackets and use the adjective in the proper degree.
1. Tokyo is (exciting) but for musicians London is (exciting) than Tokyo and, of course, New York is (exciting) of all. 2. London is, of course, much (old) than New York but it is (young) than Rome. 3. Are you (old) in your family? – No, I’m (young) in our family. 4. What is (good) film you have ever seen? – I’ve seen so many good films that I can’t say which one is (good). 5. The Nile is (long) river in the world at 6.741 kilometres – slightly (long) than the Amazon, which is the second (long) at 6.440 kilometres. 6. The weather in November is not so (cold) as in December but it’s (cold) than in October. 7. Apples are not so (expensive) as oranges, and they are (cheap) than pears. 8. One of (narrow) streets in the world is St. John’s Lane, in Rome: it is 49 sm wide but there is a street in Cromwell, England, that is even (narrow): it is 48sm (wide) in its (narrow) point. 9. The (young) you are, the (easy) it is to learn. The (early) you start, the (much) you reach. 10. I bought the (late) edition of today’s paper. 11. The two men are sitting at the bar. The one (near) me is the (big) and (strong) man I’ve ever seen. The one (far) from me is the (small) and (weak) one. 12. It’s (easy) to learn a foreign language in the country where it’s spoken. 13. Your English has improved. You speak (good) than you did when we last met. 14. My new job is far (good) than the old one. I work (little) hours but earn more. 15. Mexico City is one of the (crowded) cities in the world. 16. The faster Daniel walks, (tired) he gets. 17. Thank you! That’s (nice) information I’ve ever received.
Ex. 29. Explain the meaning of the following proverbs and sayings. Try to find their Russian equivalents.
Two heads are better than one.
Better late than never.
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
It’s easier said than done.
False friends are worse than open enemies.
Fortune favours the fool (fools).
New Lords – new laws.
Of two evils choose the least.
Two heads are better tan one.
Ex. 30. Think of the sentences of your own using the following comparative constructions.
as brave as a lion as busy as a bee as green as a cucumber as bright as a day as good as gold as free as air as large as life |
as white as a sheet as like as two pears as old as the hills as plain as ABC as sober as a judge as thin as rails as ugly as sin |
Ex. 31. Read the text and say what helps you become better and more confident in life.
Better than Before
David is a shy young man. He recently completed a public speaking club and he is very happy with the results. His family has noticed that he is speaking louder, more clearly and more confidently than before. His boss has noticed that he is more effective in his work. All his friends tell him that he is friendlier and more outgoing than before.
David is feeling much better about himself these days. He has noticed that he is more comfortable when he speaks with people and he is even enjoying himself much more at parties. Now he is recommending public speaking class to everybody he knows.
Ex. 32. Read and retell the text as it is. Make use of the adjectives you come across.
My Aunt Susan
Of all my relatives, I like my aunt Susan the best. She is my mother's youngest sister. She has never married, and she lives alone in a small village near Bath. She is in her late fiftieth, but she's still quite young in spirit. She has a kind face and when you meet her, the first thing you notice is her lovely warm smile. Her face is a little wrinkled now, but I think she is still rather attractive.
She is the sort of person you can always go to if you have a problem. She likes reading and gardening and she goes for long walks over the hills with her dog, Buster. She's a very active person. Either she is making something or mending something, or doing something to help others. She does the shopping for some of the old people in the village. She's extremely generous, but not very tolerant with people who don't agree with her.
I hope that I'll be as happy and contented as she is when I'm her age.
Ex. 33. Read the advertisement and the text given below:
Come to the Seaside Resort Hotel • Clean and beautiful beach! • Friendly and helpful hotel staff! • Clear and warm ocean water! • Spacious and comfortable rooms! • Delicious food! • Entertaining nightclub show! • A beautiful indoor pool! Come and Stay with Us! We promise you'll have a wonderful vacation by the sea. Seaside Resort Hotel. |
Sunnyville, Florida
The Seaside Resort Hotel
Eden and Mark read the advertisement in the newspapers and took a vacation last month at the Seaside Resort Hotel. They were very pleased with the hotel and had a wonderful time on their vacation. This is what they say about it.
The beach was the cleanest and most beautiful they've ever seen. The ocean water was the clearest and the warmest they've ever swum in. Their room was the most spacious and the most comfortable they have ever stayed in. The food was the most delicious they have ever eaten. The Hotel staff was the friendliest and the most helpful they've ever encountered. And the nightclub show was the most entertaining they have ever been to.
Eden and Mark really enjoyed themselves at the Seaside Resort Hotel. It was the best vacation they have ever taken.
Task: Describe the vacation you remember best of all and say if advertising has ever helped you in choosing the place of rest.
Ex. 34. Read the texts and ask some questions with adjectives in different forms of comparison.
The Morning Star
Venus is our closest neighbour among other planets of the solar system. It is also one of our most interesting, cosmic neighbours. There is hardly a person who hasn't observed the brilliance of Venus at daybreak or at sunset. Since time immemorial this planet has been known as the Morning Star.
Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun, and is separated from it by approximately 108 million kilometres (two-thirds the distance from the Earth to the Sun). This is why we always observe Venus in the sky close to the Sun and can watch it either in the evening at sunset or in the morning before sunrise. Venus is an extraordinary bright planet. No other planet is so bright as this one. Its brilliance is 13 times that of the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius.
***
Alberta is the world’s largest shopping and entertainment centre and it is number one tourist attraction. It comprises a world – class hotel, tremendous stores, fantastic attractions, spectacular games, restaurants to suit all tastes. Located in ‘Canada’s Festival City’, this amazing structure – often called the ‘8th Wonder of the World’ – occupies the area of 48 city blocks in the prestigious west end of the city of Edmonton. West Edmonton Mall is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the ‘largest shopping centre in the world’ and ‘world’s largest parking lot’. And the Mall isn’t only about shopping. Families can turn shopping into a fun outing at the Galaxyland, the world’s largest indoor amusement park. news?
TEST
a) Use the proper form of the word in brackets.
Martin seemed … (gentle, gently), but there was something … (cruelly, cruel) about him.
It was really a … (terrifying/terrified) experience. Everybody was … (terrifying/terrified) at knowing the results.
The … (depressing/depressed) news discouraged him. I was … (depressing/depressed) by the news.
She is an … (interesting/interested) personality. Are you … (interesting/interested) in politics?
If I cannot do … (great) things, I can do small things in a … (great) way.
Do you have a … (young) sister or a brother. – I have a … (ten-year-old) sister.
Who is the … (old) in your family? – My father is. He is five years … (old) than my mother.
London is much … (old) than New York but it is … (young) than Rome.
Everything has changed today: snow is …(heavy), rain is …(wet), draughts are …(severe), buses are … (quick), staircases are … (steep) than they used to be. Everything was … (good) when we were … (young).
Young people of today are not becoming … (little) hard-working, … (little) honest, than those of … (early) times.
It is a bit … (windy) in February than in March.
Excuse me, where is the … (near) bus stop.
The … (next) item on the programme is a piano concerto.
They got down to business without … (farther, further) delay.
Jane wasn’t a diligent student. The teacher was giving her test after test and she was doing … (bad and bad).
What you have told is a … (more, most) important thing for me.
The roads are becoming … (much and much) crowded with cars.
People spend … (little and little) time on reading books but they spend much time on watching TV.
The buildings in New York are … (tall) than those in any other city and the streets are … (busy) streets in the world.
Do you happen to know which is … (small) planet in our solar system? – I think it’s Pluto; it’s … (far) planet from the Sun.
Venus is the second … (close) planet to the Sun.
This time David spoke… (loud and confident) than before.
… (popular) tourist attraction in the United States is Disneyworld in Florida.
Johnson is one of … (common) last names in the U.S.
Harvard is one of … (well-known) universities in the U.S.
Dry bread at home is … (good) than roast meat abroad.
Windsor Castle is the world’s … (old) royal residence.
What’s your … (far) decision? – I haven’t decided yet.
He is too tired to walk any … (far).
Do you know who lives … (near) door to you?
The … (entertaining) surface in the world is a face of a man.
It was the … (last) thing I had expected from him.
Your mother used to be … (intelligent) and (little) naïve than you are.
The situation is still unpleasant but yesterday it was … (bad).
None of this year’s films were … (interesting) … the one we saw last night. It was … (exciting) film I’ve ever seen.
In my opinion, women are … (intelligent) than men.
I prefere the … (late) proposal to the former.
My granny is getting … (much) forgetful as she grows … (old).
As she gets … (old), she becomes … (experienced).
In the future computers will be a million times … (fast) than they are today. They will become … (easy) to use as well.
This suitcase is half as … (heavy) as that one.
He is twice as … (wealthy) as I thought.
As a rule … (poor) get … (poor), … (rich) become … (rich).
Trust the man who hesitates in his speech and is … (quick and steady) in actions.
The … (many) foreign languages a man knows, the … (easy) for him to learn a new one.
The … (much) snow you have in winter, the … (good) crop you have in summer.
The … (much) one has, the …(much) one wants.
“Are you … (old) in your family?” – “No, I’m … (young) in our family.”
He is as … (young) as his hope and as … (old, older) as his despair.
He was offered a cup of … (black, delicious, fresh, English) tea.
b) Use the proper form of the word in brackets.
***
When I was a child I loved visiting my grandmother. I thought her house was as … (beautiful) as a palace and the garden seemed …(big) than a park. As I grew older the house and the garden seemed … (small), but I still love visiting the old lady. There are so many lovely things to look at in the house.
Sometimes I play with the doll’s house which is … (old) than grandmother herself; at other times I look at books which are … (lovely) and … (interesting) than many children’s books at home.
I love her paintings and the old clocks, but most of all I love a big Chinese vase which is standing in the hall. It is … (tall) than me, and I don’t see anything inside it. I am walking round and round it looking at the beautiful ladies, birds, flowers and trees which are painted on it. I admire the beauty of the vase and grandmother often tells me … (lovely) stories about these ladies. Before my grandmother died, she had given me the vase I loved so much. I was really happy. It looks … (beautiful) than any other thing in our modern hall.
***
New York City is … (large) city in the United States and the business centre of the world. It has a population of more than seven million people. Sometimes people call New York City “The Big Apple.” It has five parts (boroughs): Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. … (big) and … (important) street in New York is Broadway Street.
The city has some of … (big) buildings in the world called “skyscrapers.” The … (tall) buildings in Manhattan were the twin towers of the World Trade Center. They were built in 1971, and were 110 stories high (1,34 feet or 411 meters). They were … (tall) buildings in the world till the Sears Tower in Chicago was built (443 meters). Nowadays the Towers of the World Trade Center don’t exist any more. They were ruined by terrorists on September 11, 2001.
There are a lot of places to see and things to do in New York. It has more than 200 museums. Some of … (famous) ones are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Natural History Museum.
New York has … (good) opportunities for doing sports and recreations. Many of such places are situated in Central Park. It’s like a piece of country in the middle of Manhattan, with a zoo, a theatre, sport grounds and much more.
One of the … (interesting) and unusual things about New York is the many different kinds of people living there. Black, white, yellow, brown, tall, short, thin, fat; they are all New Yorkers. Two important reasons for immigrants to come to New York are economic and educational opportunities.
How to Guess Your Age
Everything was … (good) when we were … (young). It seems to me that they are building staircases … (steep) than they used to be. May be this is because it is so much … (far) today from the first to the second floor, but I've noticed it is getting … (hard) to make two steps at a time any more.
Another thing I've noticed is the small print they are using lately. Newspapers are getting … (far and far) away when you hold them. Everything is … (far) than it used to be. It's twice the distance from my house to the station now. The trains leave sooner, too. I've given up running for them because they start … (fast) these days when I try to catch them.
A lot of other things are different lately. Revolving doors revolve much … (fast) than they used to. I let a couple of openings go past me before I jump in. It's the same with golf, I'm giving it up because these modern golf balls they sell are so hard to pick up.
Even the weather is changing. It's … (cold) in winter and the summers are … (hot) than they used to be. Snow is … (heavy) when I try to shovel it, and I put on rubbers whenever I go out, because rain today is … (wet) than the rain we used to get. Draughts are … (severe), too. It must be the way they build windows now.
People are changing too. They seem to be … (polite) than in my time. They call me "Sir" and help me cross streets.
While I was shaving this morning, I stopped for a moment and looked at my own reflection in the mirror. They don't seem to use the same kind of glass in mirrors any more.