Grammar comparatives and superlatives

Comparative adjectives are forms like younger, more expensive.

Superlative adjectives are forms like youngest, most expensive.

Note: Особые случаи

• П осле согласной + е немое + еr, est:

large + er = larger large + est = largest

• П осле согласной + y I + er, est:

dry + er = drier dry + est = driest

• П осле гласной + у + er, est:

gay + er =gayer gay + est = gayest

• Если односложное прилагательное оканчивается на согласную, перед которой стоит одна гласная, то согласная удваивается:

thin + n + er = thinner thin + n + est = thinnest

Exercise 7. Look at the examples and match the beginnings and ends of the rules.

more/most beautiful more/most careful more/most distant easier, easiest faster, fastest happier, happiest later, latest more/most intelligent nice, nicest older, oldest

Rules

To make the comparative and superlative of:	You:
One-syllable adjectives ending in -e Other one-syllable adjectives Two-syllable adjectives ending in –y Other two-syllable adjectives Longer adjectives	Put more and most in front. Change y to i and add –er, -est. Add –er, -est. Put more and most in front. Add –r, -st.

Exercise 8. Look at the examples and complete the rule correctly.

Bigger longest fatter shortest sweeter hottest oldest plainer thinnest meaner

Rule

Before –er and –est, we double the last letter of:

1. all adjectives.

2. adjectives that have three letters.

3. adjectives that have one vowel.

4. adjectives that end in one vowel + one consonant.

5. adjectives that end in one consonant.

6. adjectives that end in –g or –t.

Exercise 9. Write the comparative and superlative.

Boring cheap fine full funny handsome hard honest interesting lazy light nervous sad safe silly sorry stupid uncomfortable useful violent wet

Irregular comparison

Good/well – better – best bad – worse – worst far – farther/further – farthest/furthest old – older/elder – oldest/eldest little – less – least much/many – more – most

Farther/further and farthest/furthest are both used to talk about distance.

We use further to mean ‘additional’ in some expressions.

She lives three miles farther/further away from the office than I do.

Further education further information further discussion

Elder and eldest are used with brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter.

John’s my elder brother.(I have one brother older than me.)

Sarah’s my eldest sister. (I have more than one sister).

Exercise 10. Write the comparative or superlative.

1. Petrov is the (good) student in the group.

2. The (long) examination session is in summer.

3. The street our university is situated in is (beautiful) in our town.

4. My friend got a (high) mark at the examination in chemistry than I.

5. Our first-year study (bad) than the senior students.

6. Pharmacognosy is as (difficult) as botany.

7. Pharmacology is not so (easy) as you say.

8. It is necessary to work (much) to become a pharmaceutist.

AS…AS

We use as…as to say that people or things are equal in some way.

She’s as tall as her brother.

She speaks French as well as the rest of us.

After not, we can use so…as instead of as…as.

He’s not so/as successful as his father.

Other useful structures:

I haven’t got as much time as I thought.

She earns twice as much money as me/ as I do.

Exercise 11. Here are the beginnings and ends of some traditional expressions with as…as. See how many you can put together correctly.

Example: as cold as ice

AS: black cold flat good green hard old pretty quiet red thin warm white

AS: A beetroot gold grass the grave the hills ice iron night a pancake a picture a rake a sheet toast

Some colourful and unusual comparisons:

Exercise 12. Compare some of these people and things. Use (not) as…as.

Examples:

I’m as good-looking as Robert Redford.