Comparative Forms

Here you have a summary of what we have seen in class. Remember that although this grammar point is not in this lesson of aour text book, we have alredy seen it in class. At the end you have links with exercises to do. I hope this will be helpful.

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS

The comparative (and superlative) is formed depending on how many syllables the adjectives or adverbs have. Look at the chart below:

·         The comparative form:   -ER THAN     or     MORE + adjective+ THAN

She is taller than me                           He isn’t more handsome than Peter                               That dog was funnier

The box is more beautiful than mine                              My car is more expensive than yours

1 syllable	2 syllables	3 syllables
Old  -- older (than me) Fat  --- fatter (than Susan) Nice  ---nicer (than Tony)	Adjectives ending in-Y Funny  ---  funnier than TV Lovely  ---  lovelier than mine	Expensive  ---  more expensive than this one Beautiful  ---  more beautiful than yours Easily done  ---  more easily done than hers
	The rest of 2-syllable adjectives handsome --- more handsome Boring  ---  more boring than TV

·         The superlative form:   -EST IN     or     THE MOST + adjective+ IN

They are the most important people in the room                         This is the easiest exercise in the test

1 syllable	2 syllables	3 syllables
Old  --- the oldest Fat  --- the fattest Nice  --- the nicest	Adjectives ending in-Y Funny  ---  the funniest in TV Lovely  ---  the loveliest	Expensive  ---  the most expensive in the shop Beautiful  ---  the most beautiful in my house Easily done  ---  the most easily done in my job
	The rest of 2-syllable adjectives handsome --- the most handsome Boring  --- the most boring

Spelling rules

1)  If the adjective ends in CONSONANT + STRESSED VOWEL + CONSONANT = you double the consonant. For example:  

big  ---  bigger ; the biggest     or     thin  ---  thinner ; the thinnest

2)  If the adjective ends in –E, you drop the –E and add –ER or –EST .E. g :  white  ---  whiter ; the whitest

3)  If the adjective ends in –Y and you add –ER you have to change it into –IER, or –IEST like in the following examples: 

pretty  ---  prettier ; the prettiest                       easy  ---  easier; the easiest

Inferiority form: LESS and THE LEAST

This form is not very frequent but you can use it in certain occasions; the forms LESS and THE LEAST is the same for all the adjectives and adverbs because it doesn’t change. For example:

My car is bigger but less expensive and less fast than my father’s           She’s the least shy of all my children

Comparison with AS ..... AS

You use this form to say that two things or people have the same quality; e.g.: Susan is as tall as Mary

Exercises

·         http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/single/compare1.htm

·         http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/regcom.htm : an explanation with exercises

·         http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/adjektive_steig.htm :  a large explanation and some pages for exercises 

·         http://www.better-english.com/grammar/comparatives.htm

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fleok757P90 : a video explaining comparatives

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pwwrF0UBQQ&feature=player_embedded#at=40 : a simple video with comparatives

·         http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/adjectives-adverbs/adjectives/exercises : an easy exercise to practise

·         http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/45.html : a bit longer but still easy to do

·         http://www.saberingles.com.ar/curso/lesson12/05.html : this page is in Spanish and at the end you can go to the following exercise with superlative adjectives or click this: http://www.saberingles.com.ar/curso/lesson12/06.html

·         http://www.autoenglish.org/gr.comp.i.htm : it has the three forms of comparative

Cooking at Christmas

Last coursse we published this post about cooking for Christmas with these recipes of very traditional dishes. If you can have a try, here you have the links again.

Do you like cooking? Are you good at cooking?
Here you are some recipes to try to make delicious things to eat at Christmas.

• Peanut butter cookies: very easy to make.
• shortbread: a very traditional biscuit
• Christmas bread pudding: as easy as delicious

But if you have difficulties to understand the directions of these recipes, try to see these videos to practise your English... and your cooking!

• American apple pie: step-by-step recipe
• Muffins: one of the most traditional recipes

Enjoy your cooking with your family and have nice holidays.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!