Comparisons

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Grammar: Comparisons

Do you know the answers?

This flower is .................. (beautiful)
than that one.

1. beautifuller
2. more beautiful

It is strange but often a coke is .........(expensive) than a beer.

1. expensiver
2. more expensive

Which is the ............... (dangerous)
animal in the world?

1. dangerousest
2. most dangerous

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

1. richest
2. most rich

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

1. longer
2. more long

Degrees of comparison

There are three degrees of comparison: 

• adjective (adverb): tall
• comparative (vergrotende trap) : taller
• superlative (overtreffende trap) : tallest
  

Adjectives of one syllable (1 lettergreep):

                                                                                                    Tall – Taller – Tallest 

mind the spelling of:

sad-sadder-saddest

big-bigger-biggest

thin-thinner-thinnest

fat-fatter-fattest

hot-hotter-hottest

wet-wetter-wettest

Does it sound short? Double consonant!

-er & -est

Adjectives of two or more syllables (2 or meer letgr.): 

beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful 

• Adjectives of two syllables that end in a consonant + -y: 
  Slimy – slimier – slimiest 
• Some adjectives of two syllables have two forms:
  Simple – simpler-simplest / simple – more simple – most simple
  Other examples: clever, common, cruel, gentle, likely, narrow, pleasant, polite 

Adjectives of two or more syllables 

Irregular adjectives of comparison: 

good – better – best 

bad – worse – worst 

far – farther – farthest (distance only) 

further – furthest 

old – older – oldest 

elder-eldest (family relationship) 

Comparing

This house is bigger than that one.

Our house is not as expensive as our neighbours'.

Our house is not so expensive as our neighbours'.

She is as intelligent as her brother.

Adverb of degree

You can put an adverb of degree in front of a comparative adjective: 

Examples: a bit, a great deal, a good deal, a little, a lot, much, rather, slightly 

• The potatoes are slightly more expensive than last year. 

You can put an adverb of degree in front of a superlative adjective: By far, easily, much, quite. 

• John is by far the most intelligent pupil in the school. 

If you compare two things: 

• Susan is as tall as Carol 
• Chris is not as friendly as Kate. 

Comparative and superlative adverbs 

Adverb – comparative adverb – superlative adverb:

Readily – more readily – most readily 

Rabbits are seen more frequently than hares. 

Irregular adverbs of comparison:

badly – worse – worst  

close – closer – closest  

early – earlier – earliest  

far – farther/further – farthest/ furthest  

fast – faster – fastest  

hard – harder – hardest  

near – nearer – nearest  

well – better – best                                                              NOW DO EXERCISES 1 - 8

Extra exercise

Rewrite sentences a-f, keeping the same meaning, but using  another form of the comparative 

Example:  I’m worse at remembering faces than I am at remembering names. 

I’m not as good at remembering faces as I am at remembering names. 

a. My best friend drives more slowly than I do. 

b. The weather is cooler in the autumn. 

c. Air tickets are getting less and less expensive 

d. In my opinion, the exercise isn’t as easy as it looks. 

e. This school isn’t as big as I remember it. 

f. Our local shops are further than we’d like them to be. 

Answers extra exercise

 

a. My best friend doesn't drive as fast as I do. 

b. The weather is not as hot in the autumn. 

c. Air tickets are getting cheaper and cheaper. 

d. In my opinion, the exercise is more difficult than it looks. 

e. This school is smaller than I remember it. 

f. Our local shops are not as close as  we’d like them to be. 

Do you understand the explanation of the degrees of comparison?

1. yes
2. no
3. I am not sure
4. Sorry. I have been sleeping or doing other things that I should not do in class.