Grammar: The Comparison of Adjectives.

Common comparative and superlative forms:

• We use the comparative when comparing one person or thing with another.

• We use the superlative when comparing one person or thing with more than one.

Adjectives		Comparative	Superlative
One-syllable and some two-syllable words ending in –y, -er, -ow,-le	Hot Large Narrow Simple	… + - er hotter larger narrower simpler	… + - est hottest largest narrowest simplest
Two or more syllable words	Beautiful Interesting	More + …	Most + …
		More beautiful More interesting	Most beautiful Most interesting
Irregular forms	Good Bad Old Far	Better Worse Older Elder Farther Further	The best The worst The oldest The eldest The farthest The furthest

NOTE:

• Some two syllable adjectives like happy (clever, common, narrow, pleasant, quiet, simple, stupid) have two comparative or superlative forms:

- either with – er / est:

She is cleverer than you. She is the cleverest person I know.

- or with more / the most

She is more clever than you. She is the most clever person I know.

Comparative and superlative forms often confused:

• Further and farther refer to distance:

London is five miles further/farther.

• Further (not farther) 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

(but not: He is elder than me)

We use older/oldest for people and things:

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

• Lesser is formed from less but it is a true comparative. We can not use than after it. Lesser means not so great and we use it in fixed phrases like: the lesser of two evils.

• Latest/last:

I bought the latest (i.e. most recent) edition of today’s paper.

I bought the last (i.e. final) edition of today’s paper.

• The comparative and superlative of little is smaller/smallest:

a small/little boy, a smaller/the smallest boy.

Ex.5. Give the comparative and superlative of the following adjectives:

Polite, happy, glad, complete, honorable, shy, dry, just, free, recent, merry, uncomfortable, hot, accurate, narrow, real, sweet, right, wicked, yellow, cozy, merciful, bad, fat, cheap, stupid, miserable, simple, lazy, old, serious, tiny, beautiful, interesting, considerate, intimate, good, much, dark, expensive, clumsy, significant, sad, bitter, clever, little, dear, far.

Ex.6. Give both comparative and superlative forms where possible.

Example: 1. His brother is talented. (than he) - His brother is more talented than he. (person I have ever met) - His brother is the most talented person I have ever met.

1. His work was careless. (than mine) (in the class) 2. Basketball is popular. (than tennis) (in the USA) 3. This watch is expensive. (than that one) (in the shop) 4. Tuesday is convenient for me. (than Friday) (of all week-days)

Ex.7. Choose the right forms in these sentences. In some cases both forms are right.

1. Is this station is much (farther/further)? 2. You’ll find the explanation (farther/further) on. 3. Your record is (worse/worst) than mine. 4. It is the (less/lesser) of two evils. 5. She always wears the (last/latest) fashion. 6. We have no (farther/further) information. 7. Nick skates (good/well). 8. His (last/latest) words were: “The end”. 9. She is the (oldest/eldest) member of our family. 10. My flat is (little/smaller) than yours. 11. I’ve got (less/lesser) patience than you. 12. He is much (older/elder) than his wife. 13. This is the (more/most) beautiful picture I’ve ever seen. 14. His English is (best/better) than mine. 15. She is (best/better) now. 16. It is the (farthest/furthest) point west.

Ex.8. Translate into English.

1.Өзіңіздің бөлмеңіз үшін ақшыл түсқағаз сатып алыңыз.

2. Бүгін кешегіден гөрі салқынырақ.

3. Сорпаның иісі тамаша, ал дәмі тіпті жақсы.

4. Ол күннен-күнге әлсізденіп барады.

5. Қазақ тілінің грамматикасы ағылшын тілінің грамматикасынан қиынырақ.

6. Бұл – біздің қаламыздағы ең әдемі ғимарат.

7. Үйдегі ең жақсы бөлме - осы.

8. Ол менен бес жас кіші.

9. Бұл – театрға баратын ең қысқа жол.

Ex.9. Fill in the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives. Example: new - __________ - __________

Answer: new - newer – newest

1) old - …………..- ……………….

2) bad - …………..- ………………..

3) difficult - …………..- ……………….

4) large - ……………- …………………

5) good - …………..- ………………….

6) big - ………………- ………………….

7) easy - ………………- ……………………

8) much - ………….- …………………….

9) little - …………….- ……………….

10) interesting - ……….- ………………..

Ex.10. Put in the adjective in bold from the first sentence into the second sentence in its correct form (comparative or superlative). Example: I have a fast car, but my friend’s car is ______ .

Answer: I have a fast car, but my friend’s car is faster.

1) This is a nice cat. It's much ……..than my friend's cat.

2) Here is Emily. She's six years old. Her brother is nine, so he is ……………..

3) This is a difficult exercise. But the exercise with an asterisk (*) is the ………exercise on the worksheet.

4) He has an interesting hobby, but my sister has the ……hobby in the world.

5) In the last holidays I read a good book, but father gave me an even …….one last weekend.

6) School is boring, but homework is ………than school.

7) Skateboarding is a dangerous hobby. Bungee jumping is ……than skateboarding.

8) This magazine is cheap, but that one is ……..

9) We live in a small house, but my grandparents' house is even …..than ours.

10) Yesterday John told me a funny joke. This joke was the ……joke I've ever heard.

Ex.11. Put in the adjective from the first sentences into the second sentence in its correct form (comparative or superlative). Example: I have a fast car, but my friend’s car is ______.

Answer: I have a fast car, but my friend’s car is faster.

1) My father is heavy. My uncle is much ……than my father.

2) The test in Geography was easy, but the test in Biology was …….

3) Florida is sunny. Do you know the …..place in the USA?

4) Stan is a successful sportsman, but his sister is …..than Stan.

5) My mother has a soft voice, but my teacher's voice is …..than my mother's.

6) Amy has a beautiful baby, but my daughter has the …..baby on earth.

7) I live in a large family, but my grandfather lived in a ……family.

8) We have only little time for this exercise, but in the examination we'll have even …..time.

9) Lucy is clever, but Carol is …..than Lucy.

10) Have you visited the old castle? It was the …..castle we visited during our holidays.

Ex.12. Fill in all the gaps with the correct forms of the adjectives. Example: ____ - newer - _______

Answer: new - newer – newest

1) …….- longer - …….

2) ……- ……- worst

3) modern - …..- ……..

4) …….- ……..- nicest

5) …….- ……….- nearest

6) …….- ……..- flattest

7) popular - ……..- …………….

8) ………- happier - ……….

9) many - ……..- …………..

10) …………..- ……….- cleverest

UNIT 5

CHARACTER

Text: The Brothers.

Grammar: Pronouns.

The Brothers

“Come along, boys, this is Emma Harte. Mrs. Harte”. She led them to Emma, her face radiant. “This is David,” she said, introducing the taller boy, “and this is Victor.” The Kallinski boys shook hands with Emma, extended their greetings, and thanked her for coming to their father’s aid. They crossed the room to the sofa and sat down together.

David and Victor Kallinski were as different in every way as two brothers could be. David, who was the elder at nineteen, was tall like his mother and well built. He had been blessed with her lovely blue eyes, and his face, handsome and open, had a suggestion of her Slavic bone structure. He had the same black wavy hair his father’s had once been and he had also inherited the older man’s outward – going manner. David was a mover, a doer, ambitious, clever and driven. If there was a faint hint of cynicism in his alert blue eyes it was counteracted by generosity of his wide mouth and his friendly demeanor. David was intelligent, intuitive, and excessively motivated towards one goal: success. He lived by one rule and one rule alone – the survival of the fittest. He not only intended to survive, but to survive in style and with wealth.

Victor, who was sixteen, was small, almost birdlike, and this he resembled his father to some extent. He had his mother’s straight shiny black hair, but otherwise he did not appear to physically favor either of them. His large eyes were soft and hazel in color and his face was smooth and bland without any emphatic features, but he was pleasant – looking. His sober face mirrored his character, for Victor Kallinski was a gentle and reflective boy; and in one way his temperament was similar to his father’s, he had a great forbearance and a deep understanding of human frailties, an understanding that was mature and remarkable in one so young. He was a thinker and a dreamer, and he had the soul of a poet. Victor was happiest when he was alone reading, or gazing at great paintings in the museum, or listening to the music of Mahler and Beethoven. He was reserved of nature to a point of shyness and not given to conversing easily with anyone, especially strangers. Victor was looking at Emma from under his long dark lashes, a quiet smile playing around his mouth, thinking what a compassionate girl she must be, and how her actions today only reinforced his inherent belief that essentially mankind was good. Like his father, Victor was utterly without bitterness.