Types of Comparisons

There are a number of different sentence patterns with comparative and superlative forms:

Than чем	This book is more interesting than that one. Today is warmer than it was yesterday. The chair is less comfortable than this armchair. You are two years older than me/than I am.
the most (the least) наибольший, больше всего (наименьший, меньше всего)	This is the most exciting place of all I have ever been to. Carol is the least experienced person in our team.
As…as такой же … как, так же … как	He is as tall as his father. Could you come as soon as possible?
Not as…as не такой … как, (not so …as) не так … как	The weather is not as (so) good as it was yesterday. He is not so (as) tall as his father.
Twice as…as Three times as…as в два/три раза больше The same …as такой же … как	Oil is twice as expensive as it was several years ago. I'll have the same ice-cream as last time.
The more... , the better чем… , тем	The warmer the weather, the better I feel.

Ex. 3. Follow the model and make the sentences in which comparison is expressed.

Model 1: This problem is … (difficult) … the first problem.

This problem is as difficult as the first problem.

1. This text is … (interesting) … that one. 2. This sentence is … (long) … the second one. 3. This definition is … (exact) … the definition given in the text-book. 4. His answer is … (good) … that girl’s answer. 5. English classes are … (important) … lectures on mathematics.

Model 2: This theorem is … (famous) … people may think.

This theorem is not so famous as people may think.

1. This system is … (reliable) … the one we studied. 2. That dictation is … (easy) … we’ll write next lesson. 3. The proof is … (valid) … he supposed at first. 4. This story is … (boring) … he thought about it before. 5. This solution is … (good) … she suggested at the conference.

Model 3: (Big) the plan (long) they will work.

The bigger the plan the longer they will work.

1. (Soon) the problem is solved, (good). 2. (Long) the student refuses to learn the words, (bad) for him. 3. (Hard) they work, (good) is for their salary. 4. (Much) she practices, (healthy) she becomes. 5. (Convincing) the lecturer speaks, (attentive) the audience listens.

Ex. 4. Open the parentheses and use the correct form.

1. Our sitting-room is (light) room in our flat. 2. There are (many) students in our group than in yours. 3. The railway station is (far) from here than the airport. 4. My suit is much (expensive) than yours. 5. Betty is a little (short) than her brother. 6. Who was (late) person to leave the building yesterday? 7. Her (old) brother is a well-known Belarusian mathematician. 8. Who is (old) in your group? 9. Her translation is (bad) than his. 10. You will get (far) instructions in a few days. 11. His equation is (difficult) than hers. 12. Silver is (heavy) than copper. 13. There were (few) problems than we expected. 14. It is (successful) experiment we have ever made. 15. (Long) the days, (short) are the nights. 16. He has to work a lot (hard) in his new job than he used to (early). 17. The (carefully) you do it, the (well) it will be. 18. The (much) I get to know you, the (little) I understand you.

Ex. 5. Give the proper English equivalents for the Russian expressions.

the best, greater, as difficult as, less, longer… that one, as interesting as, not so important as, the youngest, better, not so famous as, the sooner… the better, the older… the happier

1. In the improper fraction the denominator is меньше than the numerator. 2. If you want to say that six is больше than 5, we write: 6>5. 3. Чем скорее you answer the text, тем лучше. 4. This film такой же интересный как the one we have already seen. 5. This sentence is длиннее than то предложение. 6. She reads English лучше than I do. 7. Чем старше I get, тем счастливее I am. 8. Ann is самая молодая in our family. 9. The first equation is такое же трудное как the second one. 10. These problems are не такие важные как those we have dealt with. 11. Our laboratory is самая лучшая in the University. 12. This scientist is не такой знаменитый как Einstein.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Эта статья – самая трудная из всех, которые мы когда-либо переводили. 2. Сегодня намного холоднее, чем вчера. 3. Его книга гораздо интереснее вашей. 4. Эта аудитория меньше той. 5. Мое пальто такое же теплое, как его. 6. «Ваша сестра старше вас?» - «Нет, она немного моложе меня». 7. Этот студент самый младший в своей группе. 8. Сегодня ветер не такой сильный, как вчера. 9. Моя ручка гораздо хуже вашей. 10. Ее перевод значительно лучше того, который она сделала вчера. 11. Какой язык труднее: немецкий или английский? 12. В пятой группе больше студентов, чем в во второй.13. У меня меньше книг, чем у Кати. 14. Мария гораздо красивее своей сестры. 15. Я получил дальнейшую (добавочную) информацию по этому делу. 16. У мамы меньше времени, чем у отца.17. Этот текст намного больше, чем предыдущий. 18. Он не так молод, как мой брат.