MODULE 9

Comparative and Superlative adjectives - Presentation

Transcript

1. COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES 2. Comparatives Comparatives are used to show the difference between two objects. Let’s

say that I have two cars. I have a little Toyota and a big Ford. A comparative is used to show the difference between the two. The Ford is big so we can say “the Ford is bigger than the Toyota” . Because the Toyota is small , we can say “The Toyota is smaller than the Ford” . To learn to use these we need to learn five basic rules.

3.o Rule 1. If an adjective has 1 syllable we add the ending –er to the adjective.

i.e. small + er = small er than i.e. hard + er = hard er than

The ant is smaller than the hippo.

4.o Rule 2 . If a one syllable adjective ends with a consonant + a vowel + a consonant

you must double the last consonant and then ad –er. o i.e. big + er = big ger than i.e. fat + er = fat ter than

The elephant is fatter than the giraffe.

5.o Rule 3 . If an adjective ends with a “y”, remove the “y” and add –ier. i.e. happy –

y + ier = happ ier than i.e. funny –y + ier = funn ier than

The girl is happier than the duck .

6.o Rule 4 . If an adjective has two syllables or more without a “y” then add the word

“more” before the word. If the adjective ends with a “y”, you will only add the word “more” if it has three syllables or more. i.e. beautiful + more = more beautiful than

o i.e. expensive + more = more expensive than i.e. satisfactory + more = more satisfactory than

The butterfly is more beautiful than the frog.

7.o Rule 5 . There are a few exceptions. good = better than bad = worse than far =

farther than

8.o Remember, when using a comparative you must always follow it with the word

“than”. o The Toyota is smaller than the Ford. The Ford is bigger than the Toyota. The ant

is smaller than the hippo. o The elephant is fatter than the giraffe. o The girl is happier than the duck. o The butterfly is more beautiful than the frog.

9. Superlatives Superlatives are used to show the difference between more than two objects. Let’s say that I have three cars. I have a little Toyota, a medium size Jeep and a big Ford. A superlative is used to show the differences that exist in the group. The Ford is big so we can say “the Ford is the biggest” . Because the Toyota is small , we can say “The Toyota is the smallest” . To learn to use these we need to learn five basic rules.

10. The ant is the smallest. o Rule 1 . If an adjective has 1 syllable we add the ending –est to the adjective. i.e.

small + est = the small est i.e. hard + est = the hard est 11. The hippo is the fattest.

o Rule 2 . If a one syllable adjective ends with a consonant + a vowel + a consonant you must double the last consonant and ad –est. i.e. big + est = the big gest i.e. fat + est = the fat test

12. The elephant is the heaviest. o Rule 3 . If an adjective ends with a “y”, remove the “y” and add –iest. i.e. happy –

y + iest = the happ iest i.e. funny –y + iest = the funn iest 13. The airplane is the most expensive.

o Rule 4 . If an adjective has two syllables or more without a “y” then add the word “most” before the word. If the adjective ends with a “y”, you will only add the word “most” if it has three syllables or more. i.e. beautiful + most = the most beautiful i.e. expensive + most = the most expensive i.e. satisfactory + most = the most satisfactory

14. Rule 5 . There are a few exceptions. good = the best bad = the

worst far = the farthest 15.o Remember, when using a superlative you must always precede it with the word

“the”. The Toyota is the smallest. The Ford is the biggest. Brad Pitt is the most handsome. The airplane is the most expensive. Jim Carrey is the funniest.

Irregular Adjectives (comparative, superlative)

The regular way to make comparative/superlative adjectives is to add -er/-est or to use more/most. A small number of adjectives, however, are irregular and some of these can be regular or irregular. The most important ones are listed here:

Adjective Comparative Superlative Example

good better the best irregular Tara is the best athlete in the school.

well (healthy) better the best irregularHe is still in hospital, but he is better than he was last week.

bad worse the worst irregularYou are the worst driver I have ever known.

far further the furthest irregular My house is the furthest one.

far farther the farthest regular My house is the farther one.

old (people in a family)

elder the eldest irregular Ram is my elder brother.

old (general use) older the oldest regular Your teacher is older than my teacher.

Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

One-syllable adjectives.

Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.

One-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

tall taller tallest

old older oldest

long longer longest

Mary is taller than Max. Mary is the tallest of all the students. Max is older than John. Of the three students, Max is the oldest. My hair is longer than your hair. Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e Comparative Form Superlative Form

large larger largest

wise wiser wisest

Mary's car is larger than Max's car. Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block. Max is wiser than his brother. Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

big bigger biggest

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It

Comparative Form

Superlative Form

thin thinner thinnest

fat fatter fattest

My dog is bigger than your dog. My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood. Max is thinner than John. Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest. My mother is fatter than your mother. Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

Two-syllable adjectives.

With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

peaceful more peaceful most peaceful

pleasant more pleasant most pleasant

careful more careful most careful

thoughtful more thoughtful most thoughtful

This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning. Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world. Max is more careful than Mike. Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful. Jill is more thoughtful than your sister. Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add –est.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y Comparative Form Superlative Form

happy happier happiest

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y Comparative Form Superlative Form

angry angrier angriest

busy busier busiest

John is happier today than he was yesterday. John is the happiest boy in the world. Max is angrier than Mary. Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest. Mary is busier than Max. Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er and –est to form the comparative and superlative forms.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow Comparative Form Superlative Form

narrow narrower narrowest

gentle gentler gentlest

The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city. This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California. Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Adjective with Three or More Syllables Comparative Form Superlative Form

generous more generous most generous

important more important most important

intelligent more intelligent most intelligent

Exceptions.

Irregular adjectives.

Irregular Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

good better best

bad worse worst

far farther farthest

little less least

many more most

Italian food is better than American food. My dog is the best dog in the world. My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking. Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and with more and most.

Two-Syllable Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

clever cleverer cleverest

clever more clever most clever

gentle gentler gentlest

gentle more gentle most gentle

friendly friendlier friendliest

friendly more friendly most friendly

quiet quieter quietest

quiet more quiet most quiet

simple simpler simplest

simple more simple most simple

Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest. Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

Test your knowledge

Directions: Choose the best answer. (10 problems)

 Comparative & Superlative Adjectives    

Complete the sentences below with the correct form of the adjective.(The answers are at the end of the page.)

 

    1.   Jeremy is 10 years old.  Julie is 8 years old.  Jeremy is (old)__________________Julie     2.   The Alps are very high.  They are (high) ____________________ mountains in Europe.     3.   An ocean is (large) _____________________ a sea.     4.   A Rolls Royce costs a lot of money.   A Twingo costs less money.          A Rolls Royce is (expensive) ________________________ a Twingo.     5.   John's results were bad.  Fred's results were very poor.  Fred's results were (bad) _______________ John's.     6.   This exercise is not difficult.  It's (easy) _____________________ I expected.     7.   The weather is not good today - it's raining.   I hope the weather will be (good) _______________ next week.     8.   People are not friendly in big cities.  They are usually (friendly) ____________________ in small towns.     9.   In the government of a country, the President is (important) _____________________ person.   10.  People say that Chinese is (difficult) ____________________to learn than English. 

Module 3.

1.SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE.

 Structure  Examples We use the

Present Simple Tense:

 To form the Present Simple Tense we use the verb's base form (go, work, speak, study). In 3rd person singular (he, she, it), the base form of the verb takes -s/es.

1. Philip gets up at 6 o'clock every morning.2. I go to school every day.3. She sometimes goes out on Friday

when we talk about things that happen repeatedly or habitually

With Present Simple Tense we

(Auxiliary verbs "be," "do," "have", which can also be used as main verbs, are exceptions.)

 Affirmative form

Iyou                 workwe     they

he/she/it     works /-s/

go - goes /-es/watch - watches /-es/play - plays /-s/study - studies /-es/

! Remember:

to beI/you/we/they arehe/she/it is

to doI/you/we/they dohe/she/it does

to haveI/you/we/they havehe/she/it has

 Negative form

Iyou      DO NOT /don't/we           WORKthey

he/she/it    DOES NOT              /doesn't / WORK

1. She doesn't often go

night.4. I usually sleep late on Sunday morning.5. Peter works for 8 hours every day. 6. We usually start work at 8 o'clock.7. My children often watch TV in the afternoon.8. He always forgets his keys.

often use time expressions such as always, often, sometimes, usually, seldom, on Saturdays, rarely, never, every day, etc.

1. I work in a bank.2. Kate speaks English very well. 3. Tom lives in London.

when we talk about permanent or long-lasting situations

1. People make choices because they can't have everything they want.2. Nurses work in clinics and hospitals. 3. Football is a very popular sport in Bulgaria.

when we talk about people or things in general

1. The Earth is spherical.2. My birthday is in May.3. California is in the Unated States.4. The sun rises in the east.5. Water freezes at 0°C (32°F).

to indicate general truths, facts and scientific laws

1. We arrive in Rome at 6 p.m.2. The train leaves

When we talk about travel plans and timetables (mainly

to the cinema.2. I don't get up early at the weekend.3. They don't speak English very well.

 Interrogative form

               IDO       you       WORK?             we             they

DOES   he/she/it    WORK?

1. Do they speak foreign languages?2. Do you want a banana?3. Does your sister play the piano?

 Questions and short answers:

Do you like spaghetti?Yes, I do.No, I don't.

Does she know Bulgarian? Yes, she does.No, she doesn't.

in five minutes. 3. The course starts next Thursday.

with verbs such as go, leave, arrive, start, come, return etc.)

1. She loves jazz music.2. My aunt hates travelling by train.3. I like ice cream. I don't like spinach.4. I think she is a wonderful person.5. Do you believe in God?6. I have no money at the moment.7. My brother has a new car.8. That bicycle belongs to me.

with state (or stative) verbs such as like, dislike, love, think, seem, look, know, feel, understand, want, need, hate, remember, forget, prefer, believe, mean, taste, hear, see, have (when the meaning is "possess"), own, belong, etc. These verbs are not normally used in the Continuous Tense (but there are exceptions).

1. Pour all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.2. Walk down the street to the corner and then turn right.

to give instructions/directions

The Present Simple Tense is also used in :

sentences after "when", "after", "while", "till" / "until", "before", "as soon as" - When the rain stops, we'll go out.I'll call you back as soon as I return home.

 zero conditional sentences (when the result of the condition is always true) - If you heat water to

100°C (212°F), it boils.

first conditional sentences (Often called the "real" conditional because it is used for real (or possible) situations. These situations take place if a certain condition is met.) - If you finish your homework I'll bring you to the zoo.

 Notes about formation of the 3rd person singular (he, she, it):

If the verb ends in -ss, -sh, -ch, -x or -o, add -es to the base form:  kiss - kisses, finish - finishes, watch - watches, mix - mixes, go - goes

 If the verb ends in consonant + y change y to i and add -es:  study - studies, copy - copies,  try - tries, carry - carries

 Comparative & Superlative Adjectives    

Complete the sentences below with the correct form of the adjective.(The answers are at the end of the page.)

 

    1.   Jeremy is 10 years old.  Julie is 8 years old.  Jeremy is (old)__________________Julie     2.   The Alps are very high.  They are (high) ____________________ mountains in Europe.  

  3.   An ocean is (large) _____________________ a sea.     4.   A Rolls Royce costs a lot of money.   A Twingo costs less money.          A Rolls Royce is (expensive) ________________________ a Twingo.     5.   John's results were bad.  Fred's results were very poor.  Fred's results were (bad) _______________ John's.     6.   This exercise is not difficult.  It's (easy) _____________________ I expected.     7.   The weather is not good today - it's raining.   I hope the weather will be (good) _______________ next week.     8.   People are not friendly in big cities.  They are usually (friendly) ____________________ in small towns.     9.   In the government of a country, the President is (important) _____________________ person.   10.  People say that Chinese is (difficult) ____________________to learn than English. 

Answers : 

  1) older than  2) the highest   3) larger than  4) more expensive than  5) worse than   6) easier than    7) better     8) friendlier   9) the most important    10) more difficult