UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS

ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA

Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

ASIGNATURA DOCENTE CURSO SEMANAS

INGLÉS FERNANDO ENGLISH III 16 AL 22 DE MAYO DE 2020
PARGA

TOPIC 1.REVIEW OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

2. A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE MODAL VERBS:
WILL, MAY, MIGHT, CAN, COULD, MUST (HAVE TO/HAD TO)

General objective
. To get familiar with the structures and functions of the Modal
Verbs in English.

Specific objectives

OBJECTIVES
. To review the comparative and superlative of adjectives.
● To recognize that the Modal Verbs have different structures and
functions from the verb ‘to be’ and from the regular and irregular
verbs.
● To get acquainted with the different communicative functions the
Modal Verbs can take according to the situation (polite requests,
speculation, abilities, suggestions, moral obligations)

CONTENIDOS Y CONTEXTUALIZACIÓN

REVIEW OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

How to form comparative and superlative adjectives

We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and

superlatives:

old older oldest

long longer longest

If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:

nice nicer nicest

large larger largest

If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant:

big bigger biggest

 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

fat fatter fattest

If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est:

happy happier happiest

silly sillier silliest

We use more and most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable

adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables:

careful more careful  most careful

interesting more interesting  most interesting

However, with these common two-syllable adjectives, you can either add –er/–

r and –est/–st or use more and most:

common narrow
cruel pleasant
gentle polite
handsome simple
likely stupid

He is certainly handsomer than his brother.

His brother is handsome, but he is more handsome.
She is one of the politest people I have ever met.
She is the most polite person I have ever met.
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

The adjectives good, bad and far have irregular comparatives and superlatives:

good better best

bad worse worst

far farther/further  farthest/furthest

Now watch the BBC Learning English Video in https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=U2DxNgQqDgQ
To clarify the rules mentioned above before doing the application activity.

How Paris, New York, London and Tokyo compare

Paris New York London Tokyo

THE FOUR
MOST FAMOUS
METROPOLITA
N CITIES

2.2 million people 8.360.000 7.3 million 8.340.000

population people people inhabitants
area 105 km2 780 km2 1590 km2 621 km2

21.258 10.756 5.590 6.373

density inhabitants/km2 inhabitants/km2 inhabitants/km2 inhabitants/k

130 mts above sea

height level (ASL) 10 mts ASL 35 mts ASL 6 mts ASL

250 before Christ

age 1624 50 1457

APPLICATION EXERCISE. Use adjectives from the box to write four comparative
sentences and four superlative sentences comparing Paris, New York, London and
Tokyo.

big - small – old - new – populated – crowded – high – low – large

 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

Comparative sentences

1. New york is bigger than paris.

2. Tokio is smaller than New York.

3. Paris is older than London.

4. New york is more populated than Paris

Superlative sentences

1. Paris is the most crowded than the other cities.

2. Paris is the highest city of the four.

3. Tokio is the lowest than the other cities.

4. London is the longest city of the four

General review of Modal Verbs

Notice how the modal verbs have fewer forms than the other verbs. These verbs are
called ”defectivos” in the Spanish language.

PRESENT PAST FORM PAST PARTICIPLE MEANING

FORM OR FORM
BASE
FORM
Can could Ø (been able to) Poder, ser capaz de

May might Ø (have + past participle of Puede que

other verbs)
Will would Ø (have + past participle of Indica futuro, según el
other verbs) verbo que le acompañe)
Shall should Ø (have + past participle of Similar a ‘will’
other verbs)
Must Ø (had to) Ø (have + past participle of Deber, tener que
other verbs)

Affirmative Form

Can (Puedo hacerlo)

 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

Could (Pude/podia/podría hacerlo)

May (Puede que lo haga)
Might (Podría hacerlo)
I Will (Lo haré) do it.
Would (Lo haría)
Shall (Lo hare)
Should (Debería hacerlo)
Must (Debo hacerlo)

Negative Form and contractions

Cannot(can’t)
Could not (couldn’t)
May not (mayn’t)
Might not (mightn’t)
I Will not (won’t) do it.
Would not (wouldn’t)
Shall not (shan’t)
Should not (shouldn’t)
Must not (mustn’t)

Interrogative Form

Can
Could
May
Might
Will I do it?
Would
Shall
Should
Must

APPLICATION EXERCISES. Look at the functions of the modal verb on the left and
complete the sentences on the right with the appropriate modal form, according to each
situation.

CAN: ability in the present, Fill in the blanks with proper modal verbs
asking
permission.
When Susan was five, she __could_ read and
write.
I ___don’t have to___ get up early today.
COULD: ability in the
Because it is Sunday.
past, polite requests, Birds __can___ fly but lions ___can’t______.
asking permission politely
This bag is too heavy for you. __can__ I help
you?
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

Now match the following sentences to get meaningful sentences and complete the
gaps with: can, can’t, must, mustn’t, may, might not and should.
You ____should_____ have had a It’s against the law.
2. Choose the
terrible modal verb which best fits each of the following sentences.
fright.
I don’t know. I ___must___ be coming this
That ___may_____ be Helen knocking weekend at all.
a) I think
the door. you must / ought to have the car washed, Jim. It’s so dirty!
You are still trembling.
b) HerSorry
bedroom
to interrupt light
you for aissecond.
still on. Dorothy should / must be studying for the
He ____can_____ play the trumpet very well.
History test. take a coat with you.
You _____can____
It’s going to get cold later.
Are you coming on Saturday or Sunday?
She is supposed to be at school.
You ___mustn’t______ drop litter in the
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

c) It’s not surprising that we couldn’t / might not find the house. You gave us

the wrong address.

d) “It’s the end of the term. So you shouldn’t / don’t have to do any

homework”, the teacher said.

e) Excuse me. Could / Might you lend me your pen?

f) What are your plans for the next summer? I’m not sure. I must/ may go to

London.

g) If the traffic gets very bad, we might / should miss the train.

h) I thought I saw James in town, but I could / ought to have been wrong.

i) You may / must come and visit us. I would be so nice to see you again.

The First Conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the
other clause:

if + present simple, ... will + infinitive

It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't
know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could
easily come true.

If it rains, I won't go to the park.

If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
She'll be late if the train is delayed.
She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
If I see her, I'll tell her.

First vs. Zero Conditional:

The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero

conditional describes what happens in general.

For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking
about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the
sitting)

But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about
what will happen today, another day might be different).
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

First vs. Second Conditional

The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to happen in the future,
whereas the second conditional talks about things that I don't think will really happen.
It's subjective; it depends on my point of view.

For example (first conditional): If she studies harder, she'll pass the exam (I think it's
possible she will study harder and so she'll pass)

But (second conditional): If she studied harder, she would pass the exam (I think that
she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and so she won't pass).

NOTE: For reinforcement practice you can go to https://www.perfect-english-

grammar.com/first-conditional-exercise-1.html and do the exercises about the First
Conditional.

READING COMPREHENSION. After you read the text, give it a title and subtitles to
the different paragraphs. Finally answer the TRUE or FALSE questions at the end,
correcting the false statements.
TITLE: _Coronavirus Covid-19____________

SUBTITLE: ____What is it? _____________

Coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s. They are a
group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals and
birds. In humans, coronaviruses cause respiratory tract
infections that are typically mild, such as the common
cold. The name "coronavirus" is derived from the
Latin corona, meaning crown or halo. The name refers to
the characteristic appearance of the infective form of the
virus, which is reminiscent of a crown or a solar corona.

SUBTITLE: ______New type of coronavirus __________________________

At the end of 2019, a new type of coronavirus started spreading in China. This type of
coronavirus is often called 2019-nCoV, novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. It is believed
that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. Some of the first cases were
diagnosed in people who had visited a market selling live seafood and animals.
Unfortunately, when viruses are transmitted from animals to people, it can take
scientists a lot of time before they can develop a vaccine or medicines to cure it.

SUBTITLE: _ What are the symptoms of coronavirus? ______________

Some of the symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat,
headache, and trouble breathing. These symptoms are very much like those people
have with a cold or the flu. The virus can be more serious in some people, especially if
they are sick or have health problems.
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

While it is early to have a definite picture of the disease because scientists are still
collecting the data, some patterns have already emerged. Some early reports reveal
that children seem to be getting coronavirus at much lower rates than adults. Even if
they get infected, the symptoms are milder. However, most people who get severely
infected are those with a weak immune system, like the elderly. Coronavirus may be
life-threatening for these people. They may develop more serious respiratory tract
illnesses that may be fatal.

SUBTITLE: ___ How is the coronavirus transmitted? __________________________

The virus appears to spread mainly from person to person. The transmission occurs
when someone comes into contact with an infected person. For example, a cough,
sneeze or handshake could cause transmission. The spread may also be caused by
coming into contact with something an infected person has touched and then touching
your mouth, nose or eyes.

SUBTITLE: ____How to cure coronavirus?____________________________

There is no specific vaccine or medication to cure the disease, but generally, symptoms
will go away on their own. However, experts recommend seeking medical care early if
symptoms feel worse than a standard cold. Doctors can relieve symptoms by
prescribing pain or fever medication. As far as antibiotics are concerned, they are
useless to treat coronavirus.

People who think they may have been exposed to the virus should contact their
healthcare provider immediately. A set of preventive measures are usually followed in
case someone gets infected. This includes keeping infected people in quarantine for a
certain period, generally fourteen days.

SUBTITLE: __ recommendations to protect yourself from the coronavirus ______

To protect yourself from the virus, here are six recommendations to follow:

▪ Avoid contact with people who are already infected.

▪ Wash your hands well and regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or
use hand sanitizer.
▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth if you haven't washed your hands.
▪ Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people touch a lot.
▪ Stay home when you are sick.
▪ Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Principio del formulario

Comprehension questions. True or false? Correct the false statements.

1. Coronaviruses were discovered at the end of the last century.

a.  X True
b.   False

The coronaviruses were discovered at 1960s.

2. It’s not sure that the source of the coronavirus probably comes from animals.
a.   True
b.  X False

It is believed that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans.

 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs

3. Children get as infected as adults.

a.   True
b.  X False

Some early reports reveal that children seem to be getting coronavirus at much
lower rates than adults.

4. Doctors sometimes prescribe antibiotics to treat the coronavirus.

a.  X True
b.   False

Doctors can relieve symptoms by prescribing pain or fever medication.

CONSULTED SOURCES

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/comparative-and-
superlative-adjectives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2DxNgQqDgQ
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292544629_How_can_we_compare_New_Yo
rk_London_Paris_and_Tokyo_defining_spatial_units_of_analysis
https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tokyo-skyline-mountain-fuji-japan-
260nw-552100717.jpg
https://www.renfe-sncf.com/es-es/blog/PublishingImages/paris-noche-
museos/paris_noche_museos_01.jpg
https://blog.bestday.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/EstatuadelaLibertad-
929x617.jpg
https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/elvocero.com/content/tncms/assets/v
3/editorial/9/1a/91ae8af0-b069-11e7-9dfd-cb81cb2987d1/59e144adca5da.image.jpg?
resize=400%2C266
https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/first-conditional.html
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19
https://www.eha.cl/upload/noticias/cropping/base/sepa-todo-del-coronavirus-que-es-
como-muta-y-como-traspaso-de-animal-a-humano-
1d2416bb6788d3434832c039cc00e3d7.jpeg
https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/first-conditional-exercise-1.html

EVALUATION

The students must do all the exercises in the workshop and send it all developed in a
Word file to the E-mail [email protected] and the deadline is next Friday,
May 22nd 2020. The grading criteria for this guide and, in general, the other guides
are: Full development of the guide (1 point), follow instructions (1 point), punctual
delivery of the guide (1 point) and evidence of good management of the topics (2
points). Los estudiantes deben hacer todos los ejercicios del taller y enviarlo
desarrollado en un archivo de Word al correo electrónico
[email protected] y la fecha límite es el próximo viernes 22 de
mayo de2020. Los criterios de calificación de esta guía, y de todas las guías en
general son: Total desarrollo de la guía (1 punto), seguimiento de
instrucciones (1 punto), entrega puntual (1 punto) y evidencia de buen
manejo de los temas (2 puntos).
 UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSÉ DE CALDAS
ILUD ENGLISH COURSES –LEVEL III – TEACHER: FERNANDO PARGA
Student’s Guide No. 2: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Modal Verbs