The adjective the category of degrees of comparison

Exercise 1. Give the comparative and superlative degrees of the following adjectives.

Cosy, merciful, bad, complete, fat, narrow, merry, considerate, well-worn, shy, polite, well-known, light-minded, happy, short-sighted

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with a comparative or superlative form, adding any words that are needed. You may use some words twice.

1. This exercise is too easy – can’t we try a ………. (difficult)?

2. England’s too cold in the spring – let’s go to Spain where it’s ………. (warm).

3. She comes top in all the exams – she must be ………. girl in the class (intelligent).

4. The temperature in July reaches forty-four degrees – it’s ………. month of the year (hot).

5. Let’s buy the video – it doesn’t cost that much – it’s ………. the other one (cheap).

6. This pen’s not very good – I’d like a ………. one (good).

7. When I passed my driving test, it was the ………. day of my life (wonderful).

8. Lying town in bed is ………. sitting on a hard chair (comfortable).

9. The rules of this game are too complicated. Can we play something ………. (simple)?

10. She’s ………. person I know she is always winning prizes in lotteries (lucky).

11. I have a ………. headache today than I did yesterday (bad).

12. This is ………. restaurant in town; I’m never coming here again (bad).

13. She was the ………. person at the party and I sat next to her all evening. It was awful (boring).

14. He was shorter than I was, and not more than an inch’ or two ………. than Irene, but his shoulders, neck and wrists were strong (tall). (Rosenberg).

15. I want Mrs. Lash flown to New Orleans by the ……… means (fast). (ibid).

16. Clive says there must be about ten blankets on the bed, and with each one you take off he gets ………. (cold). (ibid.)

17. He brought his project in the ………. way (quick).

18. The dispute grew ………. (simple, violent). (ibid.)

19. When I was a boy out here three years ago they were the ………. years (happy, jolly). (ibid.)

20. “Don’t you think it might be ………. if we turned out the light?” said Mr. Smiggs (wise). (ibid.)

21. It’s NASA Road, so it’s a little bit of a drive from here, but they’ve got to the ………. beef in town (good). (ibid.)

22. He winded his arms and approached the ………. of his pursuers still in the alley (young). (Truman).

23. In the National Gallery of Art’s hierarchy, Luther Mason stood ………. (tall) (child).

24. After stepping down as director, Walker often cited losing that painting as one of his ………. professional disappointments (great). (ibid.)

25. His friend called the next day the ………. eye for art, surely not like yours, but this stuff is embarrassing (keen). (ibid.)

26. He was after all, the ………. art critic (influential).

27. “I’m sorry,” the ………. of the two men said (tall). (Rosenberg)

28. “It’s not the ………. case I’ve ever tried, and it’s not the ………. (bad, good). (ibid.)

29. As she was beginning to see her uncle in a ………. light, she was feeling ………. over the way she had handled the situation with Mario (sinister, guilty). (ibid.)

30. Mario had an alarm and having the police respond was clearly not in her ………. interest (good). (ibid.)

Exercise 3. Choose the right forms in the following sentences.

1. It’s the (less, lesser) of two evils.

2. Have you heard the (last, latest) news?

3. We have no (further, farther) information.

4. His (latest, last) words were: “The end”.

5. This is the town’s (oldest, eldest) house.

6. It’s the (furthest, farthest) point west.

7. Our youngest son doesn’t want to be a teacher unlike his (older, elder) brother.

8. A couple of miles is the (furthest, farthest) I can walk. Then we’ll have to catch the bus.

9. Did you decide to expose it at the (last, latest) minute to influence the jury? (Rosenberg)

10. Stella listened as the rest of the verdicts were read, most of the charges classified as (less, lesser) or included crimes. (ibid.)

11. The (older, elder) district attorney rubbed the side of his nose with a gnarly finger… (ibid.)

12. “Trust me Stella. By this time (nearest, next) week, your problems should all be behind you. (ibid.)

13. Once he agreed, they left, discussing Mario’s love life and his (last, latest) photography assignments on the drive to the Hobby airport. (ibid.)

14. Stella almost broke out laughing when she spotted the (latest, last) addition – a small diamond stud in his right earlobe. (ibid.)

15. “If you want to take away a man’s (last, latest) time, then you’ll have to come and get it.” (ibid.)

16. She circled around and took the chair (nearest, next) to him.

17. An (older, elder) ramshackle structure that she and her husband had never taken the time to repair,…

18. Seeing the small storage shack she had christened the carriage house, after the actual carriage houses that so many of the (elder, older) homes around the lake had once possessed, Stella had a brainstorm. (ibid.)

19. They took all the money in the cash drawer, even some of the stone’s inventory, and the store owner was an (elder, older) man, Stella. (ibid.)

20. He handed Bishop the (last, latest) edition of the monthly bulletin Stolen Art Alert, compiled and distributed by the International Foundation for Art Research. (Truman)

21. I’d be the (latest, last) person to second-guess him. (ibid.)

22. Cardle Aprile had the (latest, last) word.

23. At five-thirty that afternoon, Annabel turned the (last, latest) page of the mug-shot book placed before her by Steve Jordan. (ibid.)

24. The New York detectives completed their report, and after some discussion and a promise of (farther, further) cooperation, left. (ibid.)

25. It would be the (last, latest) time he would ever see her. (ibid.)

26. Unless there are (further, farther) questions, we’ll meet next at eight sharp Monday morning. (ibid.)

27. Lord knew, there were enough of those situations to be faced over the (nearest, next) seven days. (ibid.)

28. He no longer had time for it, no time for anything but paying attention to every (last, latest) detail of his plan. (ibid.)

29. My pension won’t be large, but enough to live a comfortable life in a (less, lesser) expensive place. (ibid.)

30. He’d promised her a more senior job in the (near, nearer, nearest) future. (ibid.)

31. Pims was at the (far, farther, farthest) end of the bar when Lynn walked into Adiron dacks. (ibid.)

32. She was the (last, latest) to leave the hotel. (ibid.)

33. “Slow,” Colarulli said, leading a (further, farther) advance. (ibid.)

34. “You’ll love the show. I’ve managed to top even (last, latest) week’s production. (ibid.)

35. The skirt was hemmed several inches above the knee in the (last, latest) style, and Holly was wearing sheer black nylons and spike heels. (ibid.)

36. Carl Winters was standing in the (far, farther, farthest) corner of the booking room, leaning against the wall. (ibid.)

37. Lualle Maddox was in her (late, lost, latest) forties with ash blond hair and fair skin. (Tayor)

38. “Will you be retaining counsel in the (near, nearer, nearest) future, Mrs. Cataloni?” (ibid.)

39. These people start early. Who was the (older, elder) of the brothers? (ibid.)

40. “How awful,” he said, once she had relayed the (last, latest) developments. (ibid.)

41. Holly stormed into Frank Minor’s office after her (last, latest) court appearance of the day. (ibid.)

42. It was bigger and (farther, further) to the right. (ibid.)

43. As soon as Stella concluded her business at the police department, they would return to Dallas on the (nearest, next) available shuttle. (ibid.)