GRAMMAR

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES

Comparatives

With words of one syllable, we use -er or -r to make the comparative:

Small Smaller

Hot Hotter

Nice Nicer

NOTE: We often use than with comparatives: This shoe is smaller than that shoe.

Superlatives

With words of one syllable we use the + -est to make the superlative:

Small the smallest

Hot the hottest

Nice the nicest

Practice 1

Try to complete this table. Some of the comparative/superlative forms are irregular and do not have the same forms as above:

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

Big bigger the biggest

Cheap cheaper the cheapest

Far ______________ the furthest/farthest

Fast ______________ ________________

Long ______________ ________________

Good ______________ the best

_______________ worse ________________

Old ______________ ________________

ADJECTIVES WITH MORE THAN ONE SYLLABLE

Comparatives

When the adjective is more than one syllable, we do not use -er or -r. We use more or less:

Intelligent more/less intelligent NOT intelligenter

Modern more/less modern NOT moderner

Interesting more/less interesting NOT interestinger

Superlatives

When the adjective is more than one syllable, we do not use the + -est. We use the most/the least:

Intelligent the most/the least intelligent NOT the intelligentest

Modern the most/the least modern NOT the modernest

Interesting the most/the least interesting. NOT the interestingest.

UWAGA 1 There are some adjectives with more than one syllable which can take more than one form:

happy, funny, dirty, tidy, busy, early, empty, clever, gentle, simple, stupid, tired.

Happy happier/more happy OR the happiest/the most happy

Funny funnier/more funny OR the funniest/the most funny

UWAGA 2 We use a comparative when comparing two things and a superlative with more than two things:

John and George are good at football, but John is better. (comparative)

John and his friends are good at football, but john is the best. (superlative)

Practice 2

Make the comparative or superlative of the adjective to complete the sentence:

1. Everest is ............................................. (tall) mountain in the world.

2. John is a ........................................... (good) player than Hermann.

3. This is the ......................................... (bad) soup I have eaten in my life!

4. Some people say that Picasso was ............................... (creative) artist ever.

5. Do you think that Maria is ................................. (beautiful) than Sarah.

6. I think that the film is ..................................... (exciting) than the book.

7. Herbert Zebbedy is ......................................(funny) comedian in the world.

8. Heathrow Airport is .................................... (busy) airport.

9. Have you ever seen a ......................... (big) one than that?

10. Sarah has .............................. hair than Hermann.

Practice 3: (REVISION) GOING TO AND WILL

Choose going to or will to complete these sentences:

1. Is your homework difficult? I ............................. help you.

2. ......................................... go to the pub tonight? We're going.

3. The air is very cold and the clouds are dark: it ................................... rain.

4. Call me when you want to come home and I ....................................... collect you.

5. What ................................. do during your holiday?

6. I .................................... buy you a present if I go to Germany.

VOCABULARY

THE WEATHER

Rain It's raining/It's going to rain/It's rainy

Snow It's snowing/It's going to snow/It's snowy

Fog It's going to be foggy/ It's foggy

Wind The wind is blowing/It's going to be windy/It's windy

Sun The sun is shining/It's going to be sunny/It's sunny.

Hot The weather is hot/It's going to be hot/It's hot

Cold The weather is cold/It's going to be cold/It's cold

Practice 1

Match the words to their description:

Clouds Small piece of ice from the sky.

Ice Rain for a very short period.

Dry A light wind, often in the summer.

Cool Dramatic weather with wind and rain.

Warm Frozen water.

Shower They can be black, white or grey.

Storm A loud noise and a flash of light.

Breeze A little less than cold

Thunder and lightning No rain.

Hail A little less than hot.

Practice 2

Choose a suitable weather word to fill the spaces:

1. It is very ................. in the mountains, so take a coat.

2. It was a hot day, but there was a nice ........................... so we were comfortable.

3. John slipped on some ............................ and broke his leg.

4. The pieces of ........................ were as big as golf balls!

5. The ........................ was so thick that we couldn't see anything.

6. There were no ................. in the sky. It was a beautiful day.

Dialogue:

John: What will the weather be like tomorrow?

Hermann: It's going to be sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon.

John: I hate cold weather. Winter is the worst season for me.

Hermann: Oh no! I love winter. I like snow and ice and cold winds.

John: You're crazy! I like blue skies, a light breeze and hot weather.

Hermann: You shouldn't live in England. The weather there is very bad.

John: Really?

Hermann: Yes, they always have cloudy skies, fog, rain and storms. It's never sunny.

Vocabulary from the unit:

above - powyżej, nad

blow - wiać

breeze - wietrzyk, bryza

comedian - komik

compare - porównywać

cool - chłodny

dry - suchy

exciting - ekscytujący, podniecający

flash - błysk

fog - mgła

gentle - łagodny, delikatny

golf balls - piłki golfowe

hail - grad

ice - lód

irregular - nieregularny

shine - świecić

shower - przelotny deszcz

slip - poślizgnąć się

storm - burza

sunny - słoneczny, pogodny

table - tabela

thick - gęsty, gruby

thunder - grzmot

lightning - błyskawica

tidy - schludny

warm - ciepły

windy - wietrzny

LESSON 7 - answer key

GRAMMAR

Practice 1

ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

Big bigger the biggest

Cheap cheaper the cheapest

Far further/farther the furthest/farthest

Fast faster the fastest

Long longer the longest

Good better the best

Bad worse the worst

Old older the oldest

Practice 2

1. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.

2. John is a better player than Hermann.

3. This is the worst soup I have eaten in my life!

4. Some people say that Picasso was the most creative artist ever.

5. Do you think that Maria is more/less beautiful than Sarah.

6. I think that the film is more/less exciting than the book.

7. Herbert Zebbedy is the funniest comedian in the world.

8. Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport.

9. Have you ever seen a bigger one than that?

10. Sarah has less/more hair than Hermann.

Practice 3: (REVISION) GOING TO AND WILL

1. Is your homework difficult? I will help you.

2. Are you going to go to the pub tonight? We're going.

3. The air is very cold and the clouds are dark: it is going to rain.

4. Call me when you want to come home and I will collect you.

5. What are you going to do during your holiday?

6. I will buy you a present if I go to Germany.

VOCABULARY

Practice 1

Clouds They can be black, white or grey.

Ice Frozen water.

Dry No rain.

Cool A little less than cold

Warm A little less than hot.

Shower Rain for a very short period.

Storm Dramatic weather with wind and rain.

Breeze A light wind, often in the summer.

Thunder and lightning A loud noise and a flash of light.

Hail Small piece of ice from the sky.

Practice 2

1. It is very cold in the mountains, so take a coat.

2. It was a hot day, but there was a nice breeze so we were comfortable.

3. John slipped on some ice and broke his leg.

4. The pieces of hail were as big as golf balls!

5. The fog was so thick that we couldn't see anything.

6. There were no clouds in the sky. It was a beautiful day.

---