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.
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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.
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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                                                                        ?
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  Key to Exercises
358
                                                                                                                   Key to Exercises
359