Degrees of Comparison

Positive degree	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
One- and two-syllable adjectives
small large big happy	smaller larger bigger happier	the smallest the largest the biggest the happiest
Remember the following forms
good bad old far many/ much little	better worse older elder farther further more less	the best the worst the oldest the eldest the farthest the furthest the most the least
Multy-syllable adjectives
interesting beautiful	more interesting more beautiful	the most interesting the most beautiful

Ex. 20. Tell if the word written in bold type adjective or an adverb.

1. It was an easy question and I answered it easily. 2. Try to write this exercise better. Take a better pen. 3. He has little time for sports. 4. I thought little of that question. 5. We talked much. 6. There is much water in the glass.

Ex. 21. Form the degrees of comparison of the adjectives.

vast, industrial, wonderful, electrical, progressive, difficult, complex, creative, great, good, scientific, new, full, bad, broad, little, late, far.

Ex. 22. Open the brackets choosing the correct form of the adjectives:

1. The monument to Pushkin is one of (old, the oldest) and (good, better, the best) in Moscow. 2. The Moscow underground is (better, the best) in the world. 3. The Korolenko Library is (large, the largest, larger) than other libraries in our city. 4. This street is as (green, the greenest) as that one. 5. This building is much (big, bigger, the biggest) than the old one. 6. This park is (beautiful, the most beautiful) in our city. 7. This street is not so (longer, long) as that one.

Ex. 23. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian:

Note: hard – трудний, старанний

старанно, багато

hardly – навряд, ледве

1. There is hardly anybody who doesn’t know the properties of oxygen. 2. His work was very hard. 3. He worked very hard and passed all his exams well. 4. There is hardly any living substance which does not consist of compounds containing oxygen. 5. Though he spoke very slowly I could hardly understand him as my English was very poor at the time. 6. The text was very hard and we could hardly understand it.

Ex. 24. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the meanings of the word "much":

1. This experiment is much more tedious and time consuming than the first one. 2. That work was much more interesting for us though it was more difficult. 3. The solubility of helium is much less than that of nitrogen. 4. It would be noted that as much as 20 per cent of this solvent was used. 5. He worked very much last year and could fulfil as much as 50 per cent of his work. 6. Much attention has been paid to the development of nuclear physics in our country. 7. Much research in the field of atomic structure has been carried out recently. 8. As much as 30 per cent of water was evaporated from this solution upon heating. 9. This new discovery is much spoken about.

Ex. 25. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian. Mind the following constructions:

as … as – такий (самий) … як

not so … as/ not as … as – не такий … як

1. English is as difficult as German. 2. My composition is not as long as yours. 3. It isn't as warm today as it was yesterday. 4. The house his aunt lives in is as old as the one his uncle lives in. 5. His apartment isn't as elegant as her apartment, but it’s much bigger. 6. Johnny isn’t as rich as Don but he is younger and much happier. 7. My dog isn’t as friendly as your dog. 8. You can eat as much as you like. 9. A football match isn’t as exciting as a hockey match. 10. The hotel isn’t as cheap as we expected. 11. His songs aren’t as popular as the Beatles' songs. 12. Her brother is as intelligent as his wife.

Ex. 26. Fill in the gaps with as … as and so … as.

1. Mike is ... tall ... Pete. 2. Kate is not ... nice ... Ann. 3. My room is ... light ... this one. 4. This book is not ... thin ... that one. 5. Sasha is ... old ... Michael. 6. She is ... young ... Tom's brother. 7. This woman is ... good ... that one. 8. Nick's English is not ... good ... his friend's. 9. I am not ... tall ... Pete. 10. This woman is ... young ... that one. 11. 1 am ... thin ... you. 12. Kate is ... lazy ... her brother. 13. This child is not ... small ... that one.

Ex. 27. Translate the following sentences into Ukrainian.

1. The longer a candle stands the shorter it grows. 2. The lower the energy barrier, the more often will it be passed over. 3. The larger the molecule, the less is the chance for the shift to occur. 4. Within each disintegration series, the energy is greater the shorter the half-life period. 5. The danger of oversimplification is the greater the more multifarious and complex the phenomenon is. 6. As the pressure is increased, the overflow through the pipe increases and, within rather wide limits, the greater becomes the current through the pipe. 7. The amount of the deflection is greater the less the velocity of the particles. 8. The more readily molecules can carry momentum from point to point, the greater is the viscosity. 9. The boiling point will be lower, the lower is the atmospheric pressure. 10. At any instant most of the molecules have orientations in the slower speed region; this tendency is greater the stronger the force of gravitation.

Ex. 28. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Мій комп’ютер не такий новий, як у мого друга. 2. Наш університет – один із найстаріших в Україні. 3. Яка з цих доповідей Вам сподобалась більше? 4. Граматика англійської мови складна, але англійська вимова важче. 5. Сьогодні Ви написали роботу набагато краще. 6. Наше місто не таке велике як Київ, але воно теж красиве. 7. Сьогодні полімери використовуються ширше, ніж у минулому столітті. 8. Стан навколишнього середовища став гіршим. 9. Ви маєте поводити більше часу у лабораторії. 10. Хімія – одна з найважливіших галузей промисловості.

Ex. 29. Before reading the text, think if these statements are true or false.

1. At the university D. I. Mendeleyev studied at the chemical faculty.

2. D. I. Mendeleyev got the degree for his work on the combination of alcohol and water.

3. There is hardly any branch of science that was not contributed by D. I. Mendeleyev.

4. D. I. Mendeleyev left Russia in order to work in London.

5. The greatest achievement of D. I. Mendeleyev was the Periodic Law.