Comparative and Superlative forms

There is an old post from 2011 about this grammar topic so click here if you want to see it and do exercises. Nevertheless, this is a short summary of what we saw in class. try to use comparatives to express preferences, give reasons, explain something or your opinion.

Comparing qualities

This is waht you do when you compare 2 things or people; you use an adjective and you should use the comparative form. Look at this chart:

1 syllable	2 syllable	3 or more syllable
You add -ER THAN Clean = cleaner than Big = bigger than yours dry = drier than	Ending in -y = -IER THAN easy = easier friendly = friendlier lovely = lovelier	You use MORE --- THAN expensive = more expensive than beautiful = more beautiful than
Exceptions: bored = more bored than	Ending in consonat = MORE --- THAN careful = more careful than boring = more boring than	Adverbs ending in -LY = MORE --- THAN easily = more easily than

Comparing quantities

Uncountable (singular)	Countable (plural)
There is more water than ice	There are more people than I thought
There is less sugar than the amount I need	There are more places to visit than expected

Subordinate sentences:

• SO + adjective + THAT = she's so nice that everybody likes her
• SUCH + (modifier) noun + THAT = she's such a nice person that everybody likes her
  • Notice the changes for singular/plural and countable/uncountable: they are such nice boys; he is such a nice boy; it's such nice bread a = 1 (not 2,3,4...)

The meaning is very similar in both sentences, but the grammar form changes. 

If you want to practise eith this grammar point, go to these exercises:

• exercise 1      exercise 2      exercise 3      exercise 4: this is a huge page with a lot of links