9/5/2020 Comparative and superlative forms - advanced - C1

Comparative and superlative forms - advanced - C1

Why is this important?

Do you ever find yourself wanting to compare things or say how they are different from each other?

If you do, are you able to express yourself? 

This is where this flashcard will come in handy!

Take-aways

Today you will learn:

- How to use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives like a pro 

- The mistakes to avoid 

- …And some interesting trivia!

Examples & Explanations

Comparatives and Superlatives

=> Are forms of adjectives that we use to look at the differences between two objects, places, or people (comparatives) 

or a whole group of objects, places, or people (superlatives).

=> Jon is older than Jim. = This is a comparative. It takes an adjective about age (old) and gives us the age order of Jon
and Jim.
=> Jon is the oldest in his class. = This is a superlative. It takes an adjective about age (old) and tells us the age order of
Jon and all the members of a GROUP (his class).

NOTE: We could also say : Jon is older than the rest of his class. = Here, 'the rest of the class' is one thing and not a group
of things.

 
Let's look at the rules for making adjectives into comparatives: 
=> Remember to add is/are before the word. (was/were are also okay!)

=> And the adjective applies to the FIRST noun (person, place, thing, etc.).
For example, if Sam is 10 years old and Tim is 12 years old, the correct order is:

Tim is older thanSam, or

Sam is younger than Tim.

One-syllable words
=> remember, a 'syllable' is a SOUND.
=> for example, tall, green, cheap, nice

=> just add -er than to these words.

Jack is taller than Sam.
 

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9/5/2020 Comparative and superlative forms - advanced - C1

NOTE: if the one syllable word has a short sound, like hot, big make sure you double the final letter.
My car is bigger than your car. 
Thailand is hotter than England.
 
Two or more syllable words

=> for example, beautiful, comfortable, handsome

=> just add more than before the word.
My garden is more beautiful than your garden.
 

Words ending in -y
=> for example, pretty, ugly, funny
=> change the -y to an -i
=> and add -er than.
Sally is prettier than her sister.

 
Irregular words
=> good = is better than
=> bad = is worse than

=> far = is further than / is farther than

My new book is better than my last one.
Now, let's look at the rules for making adjectives into superlatives:
=> remember to add is/are before the word (was/were are also okay).
=> and the adjective applies to the FIRST noun (person, place, thing, etc.).

=> don't use than!

 
One-syllable words
=> remember, a 'syllable' is a SOUND.
=> for example, tall, green, cheap, nice

=> just add the -est to these words.

My building is the tallest in the city.
NOTE: if the one-syllable word has a short sound, like hot, big make sure you double the final letter.
This June is the hottest month on record!

 
Two or more syllable words
=> for example, beautiful, comfortable, handsome
=>just add the most before the word.
This was the most comfortable sofa in the store.

 
Words ending in -y
=> for example, pretty, ugly, funny
=> change the -y to an -i
=> and add the -est.
He is the funniest man I ever met.
 

Irregular words
=> good => is the best
=> bad => is the worst

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=> far => is the furthest / is the farthest

 
This is the best book I've ever read!

Look out!

LOOK OUT! Remember the spelling rules and don't confuse when to double a letter => if the sound is long (like the
name of a letter) then don't double it => ee, ea, the 'o' in 'cold' are all long sounds :
green => greener
cheap => cheaper
cold => colder
=> if the sound is short, like the 'a' in 'fat', the 'i' in 'big', or the 'o' in 'hot', double the last letter :

fat => fatter

big => bigger
hot => hotter

Don't forget!

One syllable => tall => is taller than => is the tallest
More than one syllable => beautiful => is more beautiful than => is the most beautiful
Words ending in -y => pretty => is prettier than => is the prettiest
Irregular words => good => is better than => is the best /=> bad => is worse than / => is the worst

Did you know?

Are you looking for a little light reading (something easy to read), well The Blah Story, might not be what you are looking
for. Nigel Tomm's novel has a staggering 7,312 pages! Making it the longest novel ever published!

It's about 700,000 words longer than the next record-breaking novel, Marienbad My Love.
War and Peace is a significantly easier read and a LOT shorter!

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