Content
Use of Comparative adjectives
For example:
- My sister is taller than me.
- Turtle is slower than rabbit.
We use “than”, after the comparative adjective to say what we are comparing something with. However, some changes are necessary, depending on the number of syllables the adjective has.
Rules for comparative adjectives
Instructions: Click on each topic to see the contents. Click on another concept to go back to the initial position.
One- syllable
For most of One- syllable adjectives we have to add -er to the adjective: fast faster, hard harder.
- I can run faster than you.
- She works harder than me.
Examples:
If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form: big bigger, fat fatter, hot hotter.
- The London Eye is bigger than the Statue of Liberty.
Examples:
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As general rule the most adjectives with Two or more syllables: use more with the unchanged adjective.
Examples
- Russian grammar is more difficult than English grammar.
- I find maths lessons more enjoyable than science lessons.
Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: change the -y to –i and add er: happy happier , easy easier
- She's looking happier today.
- This grammar topic is easier than the last one.
Examples:
Some comparative adjectives are Irregular, they don’t follow any rule.
| Irregular Adjective | |
|---|---|
| good | better |
| bad | worse |
| far | farther |
Examples:
- Italian food is better than American food.
- My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.
Retrieved on 040617 Taken from https://pixabay.com/photo-1566470/
Reading
Activity 1
London or New York?
You can find comparatives in any text you read.
Reading Activity
Important facts about London and New York, I want to visit...
The debate over which is the better city — New York City or London — has been raging for a long time.
The cities are alike in that they're both densely populated cosmopolitan metropolises, but they also have their differences.
Cost
London and NYC are notorious for their high costs of living. It turns out that London appears to be more expensive for both inhabitants and tourists.
New York City is the less expensive city for both inhabitants and tourists.
Transportation
In New York City there's the subway, and in London there's the tube. According to Time Out, a total of 1.65 billion people ride the subway and a total of 1.2 billion ride the tube. With 24 lines, 468 stations, the subway covers a larger ground than the tube, which has 11 lines, 270 stations, and 249 miles of track. The subway also runs 24 hours a day, while the tube generally stops running at midnight.
Not only does the subway cover more ground than the tube, it's also less expensive to use. A single subway ride costs $2.75, and an unlimited monthly pass costs $116.50. A single ride on the tube costs around $7.30, and a monthly pass for zones 1-3 costs about $191.
New York City is the less expensive city for both inhabitants and tourists.
Nightlife
New York is called the city that never sleeps for a good reason: Nightlife in NYC goes on well into the morning, with clubs and bars staying open much later than those in London.
London pubs generally close at 11 pm, and bars stay open till 1 to 3am on the weekends (12:30-1:30am on the weekdays).
However, London wins when it comes to numbers. London has a total of 1190 nightlife establishments listed for the city; NYC has only 816.
Attractions
Although it's hard to calculate the quality of the attractions in each city, it's easy to see which city has more tourist attractions. London has a total of 492 sights and attractions, while New York City has 295. London has 38 more museums than NYC (262 vs 224) museums, and 36 more tours and attractions (475 vs 439).
Not only London has more attractions than NYC, many of London's museums and galleries offer free admission.
Weather
London is often portrayed as a very rainy city. But in reality, New York City gets more precipitation — not just rain, but also snow — during the year.
London also experiences more mild temperatures throughout the year. New York City's average lows during the winter months are mostly in the 20s and 30s Fahrenheit, whereas London's winter lows hover around 40 degrees F. NYC's summer highs are around 80 degrees F, and London's are a good 10 degrees cooler, around 70 degrees F.
Now with this information, what is your opinion?
Now you are going to read about some facts comparing London and New York and their lifestyles.. Which place is better? You will learn how to use the comparatives when you talk of two places. After that answer the questions.
Listening
Activity 2
Which is better?
You can use adjectives to compare countries around the world. In this activity, you are going to listen to an interview with Chris who has lived in Australia and USA. Then, answer the questions.
Listen to the conversation by clicking here:
Instruction. Decide if the following statements are true or false by choosing the appropriate option. You can know your score at the end of the exercise.
Writing
Activity 3
Compare… moreover, choose better.
We use comparative adjectives every day in many things. We use them when we make decisions such as comparing.
For this reason you will choose a topic from the list, and you are going to write 150 words comparing two important or famous elements using comparatives with different kinds of adjectives and their rules.
-
The topics are:
- Music
- Sports
- Weather
- Attractions
- School
- Man / men
Check the following example
Once you have finished writing your comparison, evaluate it using the following checklist. After that, look for your score on the “Results chart” and see how good you are at using comparisons.
Speaking
Activity 4
Mexico is better than…
Many times the foreigners tell us that Mexico is a great country because we are happier, more colourful, etc. Comparatives can help us to describe why Mexico is better than other countries.
Now is to live here in Mexico.
Instructions. You have to record yourself giving at least ten reasons why Mexico is a better country than others according (topics: weather, traditions, places, people, music, sports, among others) to your experience.
It is essential to keep in mind the use of comparatives in each idea.
Listen to the following example
Please, before you send your description, make sure it has the characteristics contained in the checklist.
Self-Assessment
I believe for better or worse?
We are always comparing everything, persons or places; but what about famous people, or essential teams in sports. It is your turn to unscramble these sentences, do not forget to use the rules reviewed in this topic.
References
Basic references:
Soarz, J. y Soarz, L. American Headway 1. Oxford Univerity Press. 2001.
Larsen-Freeman, Diane. (2007). Grammar Dimensions 1-4: Form, Meaning, and Use. USA.
Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las lenguas:http://cvc.cervantes.es/ensenanza/biblioteca_ele/marco/cvc_mer.pdf
McCarthy, M., McCarten, J., & Sandiford, H. (n.d.). Touchstone level 1.