Comparative Superlative
Comparative Superlative
Comparative Superlative
We use -er for short words (one syllable): We use more … for longer words (two
syllables or more):
cheap → cheaper fast → faster more serious more expensive
large → larger thin → thinner more often more comfortable
We also use -er for two-syllable words that We also use more … for adverbs that end
end in -y (-y → -ier): in -ly:
lucky → luckier early → earlier more slowly more seriously
easy → easier pretty → prettier more easily more quietly
210 Comparative 2–3 ➜ Units 106–107 Superlative (cheapest / most expensive etc.) ➜ Unit 108
Unit
Exercises 105
105.1 Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older / more important etc.).
1 This restaurant is very expensive. Let’s go somewhere cheaper .
2 This coffee is very weak. I like it .
3 The town was surprisingly big. I expected it to be .
4 The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be .
5 The weather is too cold here. I’d like to live somewhere .
6 Sometimes my job is a bit boring. I’d like to do something .
7 It’s a shame you live so far away. I wish you lived .
8 It was quite easy to find a place to live. I thought it would be .
9 Your work isn’t very good. I’m sure you can do .
10 Don’t worry. The situation isn’t so bad. It could be .
11 You hardly ever call me. Why don’t you call me ?
12 You’re too near the camera. Can you move a bit away?
105.2 Complete the sentences. Use the comparative forms of the words in the box. Use than where
necessary.
big early high important interested peaceful reliable serious slowly thin
1 I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed earlier than usual.
2 I’d like to have a more reliable car. The one I have keeps breaking down.
3 Unfortunately the problem was we thought at first.
4 You look . Have you lost weight?
5 We don’t have enough space here. We need a apartment.
6 James doesn’t study very hard. He’s in having a good time.
7 Health and happiness are money.
8 I like living in the country. It’s living in a town.
9 I’m sorry I don’t understand. Can you speak , please?
10 In some parts of the country, prices are in others.
105.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (-er or more …).
1 Yesterday the temperature was six degrees. Today it’s only three degrees.
It’s colder today than it was yesterday.
2 Dan and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dan stopped after eight kilometres.
I ran Dan.
3 The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train.
The journey takes train car.
4 I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o’clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30.
My friends I expected.
5 There is always a lot of traffic here, but today the traffic is really bad.
The traffic today usual.
211
Unit
106 Comparative 2 (much better / any better etc.)
A much / a lot etc. + comparative
Before comparatives you can use:
much a lot far (= a lot) a bit a little slightly (= a little)
I felt ill earlier, but I feel much better now. (or a lot better)
Don’t go by train. It’s a lot more expensive. (or much more expensive)
Could you speak a bit more slowly? (or a little more slowly)
This bag is slightly heavier than the other one.
The problem is far more serious than we thought at first.
B any / no + comparative
You can use any and no + comparative (any longer / no bigger etc.):
I’ve waited long enough. I’m not waiting any longer. (= not even a little longer)
We expected their apartment to be very big, but it’s no bigger than ours.
or … it isn’t any bigger than ours. (= not even a little bigger)
How do you feel now? Do you feel any better?
This hotel is better than the other one, and it’s no more expensive.
D the … the …
You can say the sooner the better, the more the better etc. :
a: What time shall we leave?
B: The sooner the better. (= as soon as possible)
a: What sort of bag do you want? A big one?
B: Yes, the bigger the better. (= as big as possible)
When you’re travelling, the less luggage you have the better.
We also use the … the … to say that one thing depends on another thing:
The sooner we leave, the earlier we’ll arrive. (= if we leave sooner, we’ll arrive earlier)
The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.
The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.
The more I thought about the plan, the less I liked it.
106.2 Complete the sentences using any/no + comparative. Use than where necessary.
1 I’ve waited long enough. I’m not waiting any longer .
2 I’m sorry I’m a bit late, but I couldn’t get here .
3 This shop isn’t expensive. The prices are anywhere else.
4 I need to stop for a rest. I can’t walk .
5 The traffic isn’t especially bad today. It’s usual.
213
Unit
107 Comparative 3 (as … as / than)
A Study this example situation:
214 Comparative 1–2 ➜ Units 105–106 as long as ➜ Unit 115B as and like ➜ Unit 117
Unit
Exercises 107
107.1 Complete the sentences using as … as.
1 I’m tall, but you are taller. I’m not as tall as you .
2 My salary is high, but yours is higher. My salary isn’t .
3 You know a bit about cars, but I know more.
You don’t .
4 We are busy today, but we were busier yesterday.
We aren’t .
5 I still feel bad, but I felt a lot worse earlier.
I don’t .
6 Our neighbours have lived here for quite a long time, but we’ve lived here longer.
Our neighbours haven’t .
7 I was a little nervous before the interview, but usually I’m a lot more nervous.
I wasn’t .
The superlative form is -est or most … . In general, we use -est for short words and most … for
longer words.
long → longest hot → hottest easy → easiest hard → hardest
but most famous most boring most enjoyable most difficult
A few superlative forms are irregular:
good → best bad → worst far → furthest or farthest
The rules are the same as those for the comparative – see Unit 105.
For spelling, see Appendix 6.
E We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A):
What’s the most important decision you’ve ever made?
That was the best holiday I’ve had for a long time.
216 Comparative (cheaper / more expensive etc.) ➜ Units 105–107 elder ➜ Unit 106E
Unit
Exercises 108
108.1 Complete the sentences. Use the superlative forms (-est or most …) of the words in the box.
bad cheap good honest popular short tall
1 We didn’t have much money, so we stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town.
2 This building is 250 metres high, but it’s not in the city.
3 It was an awful day. It was day of my life.
4 What is sport in your country?
5 I like the morning. For me it’s part of the day.
6 Sarah always tells the truth. She’s one of people I know.
7 A straight line is distance between two points.
108.2 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) or a comparative (-er or more …).
1 We stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town. (cheap)
2 Our hotel was cheaper than all the others in the town. (cheap)
3 I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, but I feel a bit today. (good)
4 What’s thing you’ve ever bought? (expensive)
5 I prefer this chair to the other one. It’s . (comfortable)
6 Amy and Ben have three daughters. is 14 years old. (old)
7 Who is the person you know? (old)
8 What’s way to get to the station? (quick)
9 Which is – the bus or the train? (quick)
10 I can remember when I was three years old. It’s memory. (early)
11 Everest is mountain in the world. It is
than any other mountain. (high)
12 a: This knife isn’t very sharp. Do you have a one?
B: No, it’s one I have. (sharp)
108.3 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) + a preposition (of or in).
1 It’s a very good room. It’s the best room in the hotel.
2 Brazil is a very large country. It’s South America.
3 It was a very happy day. It was my life.
4 This is a very valuable painting. It’s the museum.
5 Spring is a very busy time for me. It’s the year.
In the following sentences use one of + a superlative + a preposition.
6 It’s a very good room. It’s one of the best rooms in the hotel.
7 He’s a very rich man. He’s one the country.
8 She’s a very good student. She’s the class.
9 It was a very bad experience. It was my life.
10 It’s a very famous university. It’s the world.
108.4 What do you say in these situations? Use a superlative + ever.
1 You’ve just been to the cinema. The movie was extremely boring. You tell your friend:
(boring / movie / ever / see) That’s the most boring movie I’ve ever seen .
2 Someone has just told you a joke which you think is very funny. You say:
(funny / joke / ever / hear) That’s .
3 You’re drinking coffee with a friend. It’s really good coffee. You say:
(good / coffee / ever / taste) This .
4 You have just run ten kilometres. You’ve never run further than this. You say:
(far / ever / run) That .
5 You gave up your job. Now you think this was a very bad mistake. You say:
(bad / mistake / ever / make) It .
6 Your friend meets a lot of people, some of them famous. You ask your friend:
(famous / person / ever / meet?) Who ?
217
Key to Exercises
358
Key to Exercises
359