Unit 5 – comparative and

superlative adjectives
 comparative and superlative
adjectives
Let’s look at:
1. When we use comparative and superlative adjectives.
2. When we use other forms with comparatives.
3. How we make comparative adjectives.
4. How we make superlative adjectives.

When do we use them?

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 Function: When do we use comparative
and superlative adjectives?
The new cinema is nicer than the old
cinema but the tickets are more expensive.
I went for a picnic in the park
It’s bigger, so it’s easier to find a good seat.
yesterday. It was the hottest day
We saw the Spider-Man film there
of the year, and the sunniest. I
yesterday.
think the park is better than the
cinema when the weather is
OK, but it was the best superhero film ever! Spider-
good. It’s cheaper, too!
Man climbs the tallest buildings in the city and...

Look at what the girl says: ‘The Look at what the boy says: ‘It was
Comparing new cinema is nicer than the old the hottest day of the year, and the
them. cinema.’ sunniest!’ Is he comparing the All the
Is she describing the cinemas weather yesterday to one other other
or comparing them? day or to all the other days this days.
year?

Six. How many examples of

comparatives can you find in the How many examples of
conversation? superlatives are there? Four.

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 Function: When do we use comparative
and superlative adjectives?
1. comparative adjectives: to compare two people, things or places.

The
Thenew
new cinema is nicer
cinema is nicer than
than the
theold
old Here are the The
The park
park is better than
cinema.
cinema. two objects the
the cinema.
cinema.

The tickets are more In this example, we

expensive. don’t need to
mention both objects
because we know we
The tickets are more expensive (than the are talking about
tickets for the old cinema). tickets for the two
cinemas.
2. superlative adjectives: to compare one person, thing, etc. to a group.

It’s the best Here, the girl is comparing It was the hottest
The boy is comparing one
superhero film one film to all the other day of
day to all the other days in
ever! films (a group of films). the year, and the
the year.
sunniest!

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 Function: When do we use (not) as ... as
and too/enough?
1. We use as + adjective + as to say that two things or people are the same in some way.

Is the old cinema as nice as the No, but it isn’t as expensive as the
new one? new one, either.

The negative is not as ... as.

2. We use adjective + enough to mean ‘the right amount’.

We use too + adjective in a negative way to mean ‘more than the right amount’.
Was the park big enough to play a
game of football? Yes, but it was too hot to run around!

What is the negative form of

adjective + enough?
not + adjective
This has a negative + enough
meaning: ‘less than the right
amount’.
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 Function: When do we use other forms
with comparatives?

describes a big difference describes a small difference

Does she have short hair or is it a bit longer?

Look at these
This river is much wider than the one in my town. sentences. Where do
they go in the table?
I’m not quite as interested in art as I am in sport.
How do we make
I’m a lot more nervous than you about flying. comparative and
superlative adjectives?

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Form: How do we make comparative
adjectives?
The new cinema is nicer than the old
cinema but the tickets are more I think the park is better than the Look at these parts of the
expensive. It’s bigger, so it’s easier to cinema when the weather is conversation again. Use the
find a good seat. good. It’s cheaper, too! examples to complete the
table below. The first one is
done for you.
types of adjectives comparative adjectives
most one-syllable adjectives cheaper (cheap) Now look at the rules and
one-syllable adjectives ending in -e nicer (nice) add them to the table. The
first one is done for you.
one-syllable adjectives ending in a
bigger (big)
vowel and then a consonant double
two-syllable adjectives ending in -y easier (easy) consonant + -er

long adjectives (two or more more expensive more + adjective

syllables) (expensive) + -er
irregular adjectives better (good) no rule delete -y + -ier
+ -r
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Form: How do we make superlative
adjectives?
It was the hottest day of
It was the best superhero film ever! Spider-
the year, and the Look at these parts of the
Man climbs the tallest buildings in the city.
sunniest. conversation again and
use the examples to
types of adjectives comparative adjectives complete the table below.
most one-syllable adjectives the tall Some examples are done
(tallest) for you.
one-syllable adjectives ending
in -e the widest (wide)
Now look at the rules and
one-syllable adjectives ending add them to the table. The
in a vowel and then a the hottest (hot) first one is done for you.
consonant
the + double
two-syllable adjectives ending the sunniest consonant + -est
in -y (sunny) the + -st
long adjectives (two or the most exciting the + -est
more syllables) (exciting) the most + adjective
the best (good) no rule
irregular adjectives the + delete -y + -iest

Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+

Form: How do we make comparative
and superlative adjectives? Don’t forget
the!
types of adjectives comparative adjectives superlative adjectives
most one-syllable adjectives cheaper (cheap) + -er the tallest (tall) the + -est

one-syllable adjectives ending nicer (nice) + -r the widest (wide) the + -st
in -e
one-syllable adjectives ending bigger (big) double consonant the hottest (hot) the + double
in a vowel and then a + -er consonant + -est
consonant
two-syllable adjectives ending easier (easy) delete -y + -ier the sunniest the + delete -y +
in -y (sunny) -est
long adjectives (two or more expensive more + adjective the most exciting the most +
more syllables) (expensive) (exciting) adjective
irregular adjectives better (good) no rule the best (good) no rule
The rules are very similar for worse (bad) the worst (bad)
both comparatives and comparative adjective + than… We often use expressions like
further
e.g. The (far)
new cinema is nicer inthe
thefurthest
world, in(far)
the town, in the Let’s
superlatives.
than the old cinema class, in the shop with practise!
Copyright © 2018 by Pearson Education Gold Experience 2nd Edition A2+
superlative structures.
 Practice activities
Find and correct the errors in these sentences.

worse
1. I think this film is worst than the one we saw last week.

fast enough
2. I wasn’t too fast to win the race, but I came in second place.

3. She’s the best player on the team.

as confident
4. A: Is he confident as his sister? B: Yes, he is!

easiest
5. That was the most easy question in the exam.

6. My best friend isn’t quite as old as me.

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