• It was an expensive large round antique dark spotted Italian wooden tray.

Exercise 1. Put the following adjectives into the comparative and superlative degrees.

a) dirty, clean, near, bad, famous, little, much, clever, good, expensive, cheap, important, pale, hot, beautiful, large, practical, fat, early, pretty, happy, bright, dark, dry, flat, fresh, foil, quick, late, nice, rich, sad, thin, thick, wet, weak, easy, funny, lazy, ugly.

b) cold, young, old, difficult, good, far, bad, beautiful, weak, little, easy, near, strong, late, interesting, pretty, great, quick, important, warm, happy, early, deep, large, hot, long, simple, thin, much, wide, small, many.

Exercise 2. Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative degree.

1.Sue's car isn't very big. She wants a (big) car.

2.This house isn't very modern. I prefer (modern) houses.

3.You're not very tall. Your brother is (tall).

4.Bill doesn't work very hard. I work (hard).

5.My chair isn't very comfortable. Yours is (comfortable).

6.Jill's idea wasn't very good. My idea was (good).

7.These flowers aren't very nice. The blue ones are (nice).

8.My case isn't very heavy. Your case is (heavy).

9.I'm not very interested in art. I'm (much) interested in history.

10.It isn't very warm today. It was (warm) yesterday.

11.These tomatoes don't taste very good. The other ones taste (good).

12.Britain isn't very big. France is (big).

13.London isn't very beautiful. Paris is (beautiful).

14.This knife isn't very sharp. Have you got a (sharp) one?

15.People today aren't very polite. In the past they were (polite).

Exercise 3. Use the required adjectives in the superlative degree.

1.This building is very old. It's....in the town.

2.It was a very happy day. It was....of my life.

3.It's a very good film. It's....I've ever seen.

4.She's a very popular singer. She's....in the country.

5.It was a very bad mistake. It was....I've ever made.

6.It's a very pretty village. It's....I've ever seen.

7.It was a very cold day. It was....of the year.

8.He's a very interesting person. He's....I've ever met.

Exercise 4. Put the adjectives in brackets in the appropriate form.

1.Which is (long) day of the year?

2.Winter is (cold) season.

3.Moscow is (large) than St. Petersburg.

4.My friend's car is not so (new) as my car.

5.Where is it (beautiful),in the mountains or near the sea?

6.It was (good) meal I've ever had.

7.It was (bad) cold I've ever had.

8.In spring the days are (long) than in winter.

9.It is (cold) today than it was yesterday.

10.The Russian grammar is (difficult) than the English one.

11.The Caucasus are (high) mountains in Europe.

12.Friendship is (strong) than steel.

13.Even (long) day has an end.

14.Health is (good) than wealth.

Exercise 5. Use the required form of the adjectives in brackets.

1.Iron is (useful) of all metals.

2.The Neva is (wide) and (deep) than the Moskva River.

3.Elbrus is (high) peak in the Caucasian mountains.

4.His plan is (practical) of all.

5.His plan is (practical) than yours.

6.This room is (small) than all the rooms in the house.

7.London is (large) city in England.

8.Silver is (heavy) than copper.

9.Our house is (low) than yours.

10.This exercise is (good) than the last one.

Exercise 6. Translate into English paying special attention to the degrees of comparison of adjectives.

1.Сегодня у меня меньше свободного времени, чем вчера.

2.Этот фильм не хуже того, который я видел на прошлой неделе.

3.Дети играли в самом дальнем углу сада.

4.Его ответ сегодня лучше, чем два дня назад.

5.Эта деревня находится дальше от Москвы, чем мы думали.

6.Разве у него больше английских книг, чем у меня?

7.-Ты думаешь, его доклад хуже наших? - Да, это самый неинтересный доклад.

8.Эти туфли не хуже ваших. Я советую вам купить их.

Exercise 7. Use the required form of the adjectives in brackets in the sentences below.

1.He was the (amusing) lad you ever met.

2.He's a far (intelligent) person than my brother.

3.She was the (practical) of the family.

4.When they told me I was cured and could go, I can tell you I was (afraid) than glad.

5.I wanted to ask you both what you thought of my (late) films if you saw them.

6.He is (talkative) than his sister. He won't tire you so much.

7.He turned out to be (angry) than I expected.

8.Today I am no (wise) than yesterday.

9.This wine is the (good) I ever tasted.

10.Jack is the (clever) of the three brothers.

11.I don't think it matters in the (little) which seat I choose.

12.He felt (bad) yesterday than the day before.

13.The (near) house is three miles away.

14.Of the two evils let us choose the (little).

15.He was the (late) man to come.

16.She waited until her silence became the (noticeable) thing in the room.

17.The (near) item on the programme is a piano sonata.

18.He is the (tall) of the two.

19.She is (amusing) in a small company.

20.Uncle Nick was the (old) son of the family.

Exercise 8. Do as above.

1.Kate is (young) than Mary.

2.John is the (clever) boy in the class.

3.The weather is (dull) today than it was yesterday.

4.London is one of the (big) cities in the world.

5.This sentence is (difficult) than the first one.

6.My dog is as ( good) as yours.

7.His dog is (good) than yours.

8.Her dog is the (good) of the three.

9.The cat is much (happy) in her new home.

10.My cold is (bad) today than it was yesterday.

11.This mountain is the (high) in Europe.

12.This piece of homework is as (bad) as your last one.

13.This piece of homework is (bad) than your last one.

14.This piece of homework is (bad) you have ever done.

15.Richard is not so (tall) as Tom.

16.Tom is (tall) than Richard.

17.Tom is the (tall) boy in the group.

18.Athens is (far) from London than Rome is.

19.Jack is (rich) than Richard, but I think he is (happy) than Richard.

20.Our neighbours have (many) hens than we have, but they get (few) eggs.

21.He doesn't look a day (old) than forty.

22.What (nice) present is there than a box of chocolates?

23.What (good) present is there than a box of cigarettes?

24.Jack and Peter are exactly as (old) as each other and as (tall) as each other.

25.Susan is (old) than Mark; she is the (old) of the family.

26.Summer is (warm) than winter.

27.Robert and Paul are the (noisy) boys I have ever seen.

28.Boys are always (noisy) than girls.

29.Summer is the (warm) of the four seasons.

30.Winter in London is (foggy) than in Paris.

31.These are the (bad) cigarettes I have ever smoked.

32.'I think I'm the (bad) dancer in the world!' - 'You're not (bad) than I am'.

33.Your work is much (good) than I thought.

34.London is (big) than Manchester. Manchester is (small) than

London.

35.A train goes (fast) than a ship but not as (fast) as an airplane. Which is the (fast)?Which is the (slow)?

36.It is (hot) in Athens than it is in London; it is not as (hot) in Oslo as it is in London. Which of the three cities is the (hot)?Which is the (cold)?

37.This is the (wonderful) and (beautiful) film I have ever seen.

38.Health and happiness are (important) than money.

39.I prefer this armchair. It's (comfortable) than the other one.

40.This hat is too small for me. I need a (big) one.

41.Her illness was (serious) than we first thought.

42.It's the (funny) story I've ever heard.

Exercise 9. Choose the appropriate form of the adjective.

1.Jane is the (tallest/taller) of the two girls.

2.Father was the (eldest/elder) of the seven sons.

3.This pencil is the (sharpest/sharper) of the two.

4.I think your plan is the (best/better) of the two.

5.This is the (heaviest/heavier) of the five books.

6.A (worse/worst) habit could not be found.

7.This was the (most large/largest) power station I ever saw.

8.That is of the (less/least) importance of all.

9.I like your plan the (better/best) of the two.

10.Albert is (elder/older) than James.

11.This bus will not carry (much more/many more) than forty people.

12.There are three routs leading to Court Square, but this one has the (least/fewest) turns.

13.Henry is the (oldest/eldest) of the three brothers.

14.I can walk (farther/further) than you without becoming tired.

15.Have you nothing (farther/further) to say?

16.When he died, his (oldest/eldest) son was only eight years old.

17.The ice-breaker is equipped with all the (last/latest) navigation instruments.

18.He bought the toys at the (next/nearest) store.

19.The (next/nearest) house was a new building.

Exercise 10. Translate the following sentences into English using various sentence patterns to express comparison.

1.Чем меньше ты будешь говорить, тем лучше.

2.К сожалению, я не смог прийти так рано, как обещал.

3.Кошка упала с крыши, но чувствует себя нисколько не хуже от этого.

4.Комната хорошая, но все же не такая хорошая, как бы мне хотелось.

5.Чем больше человек имеет, тем больше ему хочется.

6.Я не так молод, как вы.

7.Погода меняется к лучшему.

8.Окно узкое, как дверь.

9.Суп хорошо пахнет, а на вкус он еще лучше.

10.Как пройти к ближайшей почте?

11.Если он поможет нам, тем лучше.

12.Если он не делает уроков, тем хуже для него.

13.Чем скорее ты сделаешь это, тем лучше.

14.Он становился все слабее и слабее.

15.На этот раз у вас меньше ошибок.

DEGREES OF COMPARISON

TEST 1

Choose the correct variant. Mark your answers with the capital letters 'A' and 'B'. 'A' - right; 'B' - wrong (in this case correct the sentence, please).

1.I'm busier than my little sister.

2.London is more old than New York.

3.It's the most sharp pencil I have.

4.Do you know the shortest way to the station?

5.This exercise is more difficult than that one.

6.Be activer at your lessons, please.

7.She is the most pretty girl I've ever known.

8.The boy is as taller as his father.

9.He makes more mistakes than you do.

10.Baseball is the popularest summer sport in America.

11.Yesterday he started to feel more bad.

12.Soon it began to get more darker and it was time to go back home.

13.He said that money was the most important thing for him.

14.I've got a headache. Be quieter, please.

15.Mary's answer is correcter than yours.

16.Can you come more early next time?

17.You should be carefuler.

TEST 2

Choose the only correct variant.

1.I met my (good) friend yesterday.

A. goodest B. better C. best

2.Drothy is (young) in her family.

A. the youngest B. the younger C. young

3.Henry is not (strong) his elder brother Bob.

A. so strong as B. strong as C. stronger

4.-It isn't very warm today, is it?

-No, it was (warm) yesterday.

A. more warm B. warmer C. the warmest

5.Your friend looked upset yesterday. I'm glad he looks (happy) today.

A. more happy B. happier C. happy as

6.Where is (near) post-office, please?

A. the nearest B. the next C. nearer

7.That's (good) film I've ever seen.

A. a good B. the goodest C. the best

8.Public transport in London is (expensive) in Europe.

A. the expensivest

B .the most expensive

C. more expensive

9.Do you think Americans are (nice) English people?

A. nicer than B. the nicest C. nice than

10.The 22nd of December is (short) day in the year.

A. the short B. the shorter C. the shortest

11.This is (old) theatre in London.

A. an older B. the oldest C. the eldest

12.Pluto is (cold) of all the planets.

A. the coldest B. a coldest C. a colder

13.My (old) sister doesn't live with us.

A. older B. elder C. more old

14.This house is (old) of all the houses in the street.

A. as old as B. older C. the oldest

15.Go to the library if you need (far) information.

A. farther B. further C. farer

16.Life is (easy) it used to be.

A. so easy as B. more easy than C. easier than

17.I'm getting (fat) and (fat).

A. the fattest and the fattest

B .fatter and fatter

C. fat and fat

18.The problem was (serious) we expected.

A. seriouser than B. more serious than

19.Moscow is (large) city in Russia.

A. the largest B. largest C. larger

20.Let's go by train. It's much (cheap).

A. cheap B. cheaper C. the cheapest

21.Is Alan (tall) than Jim?

A. taller B. tall C. as tall as

22.I earn (little) money than he does.

A. littler B. more little C. less

23.He has .... time than me.

A. bigger B. much C. more

24.Your cottage isn't (far) I thought.

A. farther B. so far as C.as farther as

25.(Old) I get, (happy) I am.

A. The oldest, the happiest

B. Older, happier

C. The older, the happier

26.The grass is always (green) on the other side.

A. greener B. greenest C. green

27.Dad often says that Mom is his (good) half.

A. good B. better C. the better

TEST 3

I. Choose the correct variant.

1.It isn't very warm today. It was much .... yesterday.

a) more warm b) warmer

c) warm d) warmest

2.Some people think Russian is .... than English.

a) more difficult b) most difficult

c) much difficult d) difficulter

3.My old flat wasn't .... the flat I've got now.

a) as nice as b) as nice that

c) so nice that d) so nice as

4 .-You are early.

-Yes, but not ....I had intended.

a) as early as b) early

c) as early d) so early

5.Who is .... in your family?

a) the older b) the elder

c) the oldest d) the eldest

6.Have a look, .... people in the street are girls and women.

a) most the b) most of the

c) much of the d) much the

II. Adverb or adjective?

7.She speaks .... English.

a) a good b) good

c) well d) a well

8.She also speaks French .... .

a) very good b) very well

c) very better d) well very

9.You shouldn't work .... .

a) so hardly b) so hard

c) hardly so d) hard so

10.There is something wrong with my leg. I .... .

a) can walk hardly b) can hard walk

c) hardly can walk d) can hardly walk