Comparing people and things

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Degrees of comparison

                                                                        Comparative + superlative                                        adjectives

Lesson aim

At the end of this lesson you will be able to 

1. recognise and use the comparative adjective in a sentence.

2. recognise and use the superlative adjective in a sentence.

Comparing people and things

Listen to the songs on the following slide

Take down at least 10 words: ending with -ER (example: hardER) OR words that have MORE/MOST + adjective (example: MOST interesting).

Write 4 adjectives that you heard

In your own words, what are comparative + superlative adjectives?

Nikki is as … as Jeroen.

1. cooler
2. cool
3. funnier
4. coolest

Kayleigh is … than Senne.

1. more studious
2. happy
3. sweet
4. louder

Ronald is the … man of them all.

1. weirder
2. most handsome
3. strict
4. greatest

Positive degree

A comparison of equals 

Combined with 'as'
'as' prior to and following it

Nikki is as cool as Jeroen. 

Comparative degree

Between two persons or things

Use of Comparative Degree

Add -er -> most one syllable adjectives 

Kayleigh is louder than Senne.

Use of Positive Degree

Add 'more' or 'less' -> adjectives three or more syllables 

Kayleigh is more intelligent than Senne.

Form

pattern: Noun (subject) + verb (is/are/was/were) + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

Jimmy (noun) is (verb) taller (adjective) than Nasser (object).

We use adjectives to compare differences between nouns. 

Superlative degree

Between three or more people or things

Use of Superlative Degree 

Add -est -> most one- and two- syllable adjectives  

Ronald is the greatest man of them all.

Use of Positive Degree 

Add 'most' or 'least' -> adjectives three or more syllables  

P.e. Ronald is the most handsome man of them all.

Shannon's dog is … than Femke's cat

1. lazyer
2. bigger
3. lazier
4. biger

Yanni's panda is the … of them all.

1. lazyiest
2. bigest
3. laziest
4. biggest

Warning

-y after a consonant 

-> -ier  in comperative degree

 -> -iest in superlative degree

Lazy: Shannon's dog is lazier than Femke's cat.

Yanni's panda is the laziest of them all.

Warning

Double the consonant after a short vowel

Shannon's dog is bigger than Femke's cat.

Yanni's panda is the biggest of them all.

Sanne is … than Jarni.

1. purer
2. wiseer
3. wiser
4. pureer

Severine is the … of them all.

1. wisest
2. wiseest
3. pureest
4. purest

Warning 

-e 

 -> -er in comparative degree

-> -est in superlative degree

Sanne is wiser than Jarni.

Severine is the wisest of them all.  

Warning

irregular form:

Good: good, better, best
Tom is better in English than Daan, but Ronald is the best.

Bad: bad, worse, worst

Tom is worse in French than Daan, but Ronald is the worst of them all.

Tom is … in English than Daan.

1. better
2. gooder
3. worse
4. badder

Ronald is the … teacher of them all

1. goodest
2. best
3. worst
4. baddest

Comparative of LOUDLY:
He talked ... than the other students.

1. most loudly
2. more loudly
3. loudlier

What are the comparative/superlative of "happy"?

1. happier - happiest
2. happyer - happyest
3. happyr - happiest
4. more happy - most happy

Comparative of 'HARD'

She worked ... than the other students.

1. more hardly
2. more hard
3. harder

Make a sentence with the adjective "good" in the comparative and superlative form (2 sentences)

www.english-4u.de

www.englisch-hilfen.de

www.englisch-hilfen.de

Choose the right comparative for this sentence:
June is ................ than me/I am

1. more ugly
2. uglier
3. ugler
4. ugliest