Comparative Adjectives
When we talk about 2 things, we can “compare” them. We can see if they
are the same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and
different in other ways.
A B
We can use comparative adjectives to describe the differences. “A is
bigger than B.”
Formation of Comparative Adjectives
There are two ways to form a comparative adjective:
short adjectives: add ‘-er’
long adjectives: use ‘more’
Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives old, fast
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y happy, easy
Normal rule: add ‘-er’ old > older
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r late > later
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double
the last consonant big > bigger
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the -y to -i happy >
happier
Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables expensive, intellectual
Normal rule: use ‘more’ modern > more modern
expensive > more expensive
Tip. With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use ‘-er’ or ‘more’:
quiet > quieter/more quiet
clever > cleverer/more clever
narrow > narrower/more narrow
simple > simpler/more simple
Exception! The following adjectives have irregular forms:
good > better
well (healthy) > better
bad > worse
far > farther/further
Use of Comparative Adjectives
We use comparative adjectives when talking about 2 things (not 3 or 10
or 1,000,000 things, only 2 things).
Often, the comparative adjective is followed by ‘than’.
Look at these examples:
John is 1m80. He is tall. But Chris is 1m85. He is taller than John.
America is big. But Russia is bigger.
I want to have a more powerful computer.
Is French more difficult than English?
If we talk about the two planets Earth and Mars, we can compare them
like this:
Earth Mars
Diameter (km) 12,760 6,790 Mars is smaller than Earth.
Distance from Sun (million km) 150 228 Mars is more distant from the
Sun.
Length of day (hours) 24 25 A day on Mars is slightly longer than a day
on Earth.
Moons 1 2 Mars has more moons than Earth.
Surface temperature (°C) 22 -23 Mars is colder than Earth.
Superlative Adjectives
Comparison is between 2 things: “A is bigger than B.”
A B
But the superlative is the extreme between 3 or more things. “A is the
biggest.”
A B C
Formation of Superlative Adjectives
As with comparative adjectives, there are two ways to form a superlative
adjective:
short adjectives: add ‘-est’
long adjectives: use ‘most’
We also usually add ‘the’ at the beginning.
Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives old, fast
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y happy, easy
Normal rule: add ‘-est’ old > the oldest
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -st late > the latest
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double
the last consonant big > the biggest
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the -y to -i happy > the
happiest
Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y modern, pleasant
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables expensive, intellectual
Normal rule: use ‘most’ modern > the most modern
expensive > the most expensive
Tip With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use ‘-est’ or ‘most’:
quiet > the quietest/most quiet
clever > the cleverest/most clever
narrow > the narrowest/most narrow
simple > the simplest/most simple
Exception! The following adjectives have irregular forms:
good > the best
bad > the worst
far > the furthest
Use of Superlative Adjectives
We use a superlative adjective to describe 1 thing in a group of 3 or
more things.
Look at these examples:
John is 1m75. David is 1m80. Chris is 1m85. Chris is the tallest.
America, China and Russia are big countries. But Russia is the biggest.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
If we talk about the three planets Earth, Mars and Jupiter, we can use
superlatives like this:
Earth Mars Jupiter
Diameter (km) 12,760 6,790 142,800 Jupiter is the biggest.
Distance from Sun (million km) 150 228 778 Jupiter is the most distant
from the Sun.
Length of day (hours) 24 25 10 Jupiter has the shortest day.
Moons 1 2 16 Jupiter has the most moons.
Surface temperature (°C) 22 -23 -150 Jupiter is the coldest.
When we compare one thing with itself, we do not use “the”:
England is coldest in winter. (not the coldest)
My boss is most generous when we get a big order. (not the most
generous)
Comparison of Adverbs
There are 2 ways how the adverbs form their comparative and superlative.
1. Adverbs in -ly form their comparative and superlative with more and
most. (But not early)
Could you say that more slowly, please?
Tom can shoot the most accurately.
You will just have to get up earlier.
2. Adverbs with the same form as adjectives form their comparative and
superlative with -er and -est.
Sarah run the fastest.
Some adverbs form their comparative and superlative irregularly.
Positive Comparative Superlative
badly worse worst
well better best
little less least
far farther, further farthest, furthest
much more most
Comparison as…as, less etc.
We use as…as to compare 2 things that are the same in the same way.
I cannot do crosswords as quickly as you.
Less and least are the opposites of more and most.
The old man’s son visits him less often nowadays.
We can repeat a comparative after and to talk about a change in
something else.
They went faster and faster down the hill.
We use the+comparative to talk about a change in one thing which causes
a change in something else.
The more you practise, the better you will play.
Ten sentences:
I am not the tallest student in our group.
James Hetfield plays electric guitar much better than I.
I think that tomorrow it will be colder than today.
On my girlfriend’s birthday I bought the most expensive present I could
afford.
Sevastopol is the most picturesque city in Crimea.
T-1 line Internet connection is much faster than dial-up one, however it
is more expensive.
The more I study, the better will be results.
On average, people eat about twice as much proteins as they need.
Calculus is simpler than statistics.
10) Mice are smaller than elephants.
Text(~1500 symbols):
The first computers with their electronics filled more room than
up-to-date computers do. Photographs of early computers show men and
women in business suits and laboratory coats standing in the middle of a
room surrounded by a U-shape machine. In reality, people operating and
developing the first computers did not wear suits. Air-conditioning was
poorer than people needed and they dressed in T-shirts and tennis shoes.
The development of the transistor in 1948 made it possible to build
smaller electronic devices. Computers became smaller and smaller and in
our days personal computer can easily be fitted on the desk. Notebooks
have less size than personal computers and they widely used by
businessmen. For the most pretentious people engineers created a Pocket
personal computer that can find room in pocket. Pocket PC is the
smallest PC, on the other hand, it is the slowest and the least powerful
than other personal computers. For people who do not need features like
Infrared or Bluetooth connection or color display that offers Pocket PC,
Palm designed small electronic organizer. It has fewer features and it
is less powerful than Pocket PC, but it is also less expensive.
Computer designers are trying to create more friendly interface
computer, because it is sold better. The one of the most important
factors is a noise uttered by computer. Nobody likes noise and people
are ready to pay more to buy quieter PC.
The progress never stops and smaller, more powerful and quieter
computers will appear soon.
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