Comparisons

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 2

Welcome

What's the difference between these sentences?

1) John is taller than Mark.

2) John is the tallest in the class.

Comparisons

vergrotende trap = comparative

(twee dingen/mensen met elkaar vergelijken)

overtreffende trap = superlative

(1 ding/mens vergelijken met een grote aantal)

Comparisons

bijvoegelijke naamwoorden (adjectives)

Comparative:

+ER

Superlative:

+EST

Comparative:

+ER

John is taller than Timmy.

Patty runs faster than anyone else.

Poppy jumps higher than Mark.

Superlative:

+EST

John is the tallest.

Patty runs the fastest.

Poppy jumps the highest.

Comparative + superlative

small - smaller - smallest

big - bigger - biggest

nice - nicer - nicest

Vergrotende + overtreffende trap

Pay attention to words ending with a 

consonant + Y! 

Comparative:

+ER

Often followed by: THAN

Frank is taller than Rob.

The boys are faster than us.

Superlative:

+EST

Comparative:

+ER

Often followed by: THAN

Frank is taller than Rob.

The boys are faster than us.

Superlative:

+EST

 THE is often placed before a superlative.

Rob is the tallest boy I know.

That is the fastest car ever.

Fill in:
1) This house is .... (cheap) house I have ever seen!

2) My house is ... (big) yours.

3) Who is ... (rich) woman on earth?

4) Non-smokers usually live ... (long) smokers.

5) Keys are .... (heavy) than feathers.

6) Roses are .... (pretty) flowers!

7) Roses are .... (pretty) flowers!

Syllables (lettergrepen)

Syllables are important when talking about comparisons.

Tree | tree = 1 syllable

Funny | fun-ny = 2 syllables

Beautiful | beau-ti-ful = 3 syllables

Intelligent | in-tel-li-gent = 4 syllables

How many syllables:
'nice'

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3

How many syllables:
'complicated'

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5

How many syllables:
'popular'

1. 2
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5

How many syllables:
'small'

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

Words with 2 syllables (= lettergrepen)

Adjective ends in: -y, -le, -er, -ow:

Comparative = -er

Superlative = -est

slow - slower than - the slowest

funny - funnier than - the most funniest

clever - cleverer than - the cleverest

Words with 2 syllables or more

more + (the) most

careful - more careful  - (the) most careful 

famous - more famous - (the) most famous

Pay attention!

goed - beter - best

good - better - best

slecht - slechter - slechtst(e)

bad - worse - worst

Fill in:
This exercise is .... (difficult) the other exercise.

Fill in:
This house is ...... (expensive) house in the street.

Fill in:
You won the lottery? You must be … (lucky) person in the world!

A holiday by the sea is ... (good)
a holiday in the mountains.

Roses are _____ (lovely) than sunflowers.

The weather this summer is even ... (bad) last summer.

The orange cat is ______ (nice) than the white one.

Pizza is the ______ (good) food ever made!

The dog found the _____ (big) bone ever!

Susan is ______ (tall) than James.

Comparative:

+ ER

• 1 syllable
• 2 syllable ending in:                             -y, -le,    -er, -ow

MORE

• 2 or more syllables

Often followed by: THAN

Superlative:

+EST

1 syllable

2 syllable ending in: -y, -le, -er, -ow

MOST

2 or more syllables

 THE is often placed before a superlative.

What to do?

What:

4 on page 97.

5 and 6 on pages 97-98.

10 on page 99.