STUDENT: ROQUE SEVILLA MARGARITA DEL ROCIO

Unit
105 Comparative 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)
A Look at these examples:
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How shall we travel? Shall we drive or go by train?
Let’s drive. It’s cheaper.
Don’t go by train. It’s more expensive.
Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms.
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After comparatives you can use than (see Unit 107):
It’s cheaper to drive than go by train.
Going by train is more expensive than driving.

B The comparative form is -er or more … .

We use -er for short words (one syllable): We use more … for longer words (two
syllables or more):
cheap → cheaper fast → faster more serious more expensive
large → larger thin → thinner more often more comfortable
We also use -er for two-syllable words that We also use more … for adverbs that end
end in -y (-y → -ier): in -ly:
lucky → luckier early → earlier more slowly more seriously
easy → easier pretty → prettier more easily more quietly

For spelling, see Appendix 6.

Compare these examples:

You’re older than me. You’re more patient than me.

The exam was quite easy – easier than The exam was quite difficult – more
I expected. difficult than I expected.
Can you walk a bit faster? Can you walk a bit more slowly?
I’d like to have a bigger car. I’d like to have a more reliable car.
Last night I went to bed earlier than I don’t play tennis much these days.
usual. I used to play more often.

We use both -er or more … with some two-syllable adjectives, especially:

clever narrow quiet shallow simple
It’s too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter? or … somewhere more quiet?

C A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms:

good/well → better
The garden looks better since you tidied it up.
I know him well – probably better than anybody else knows him.
bad/badly → worse
‘How’s your headache? Better?’ ‘No, it’s worse.’
He did very badly in the exam – worse than expected.
far → further (or farther)
It’s a long walk from here to the park – further than I thought. (or farther than)
Note that further (but not farther) also means ‘more’ or ‘additional’:
Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)

210 Comparative 2–3 ➜ Units 106–107 Superlative (cheapest / most expensive etc.) ➜ Unit 108
 Unit
Exercises 105
105.1 Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older / more important etc.).
1 This restaurant is very expensive. Let’s go somewhere cheaper .
2 This coffee is very weak. I like it stronger .
3 The town was surprisingly big. I expected it to be smaller .
4 The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be more expensive .
5 The weather is too cold here. I’d like to live somewhere hotter .
6 Sometimes my job is a bit boring. I’d like to do something more interesting .
7 It’s a shame you live so far away. I wish you lived nearer .
8 It was quite easy to find a place to live. I thought it would be more difficult .
9 Your work isn’t very good. I’m sure you can do better .
10 Don’t worry. The situation isn’t so bad. It could be worse .
11 You hardly ever call me. Why don’t you call me more often ?
12 You’re too near the camera. Can you move a bit farther away?

105.2 Complete the sentences. Use the comparative forms of the words in the box. Use than where
necessary.
big early high important interested peaceful reliable serious slowly thin
1 I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed earlier than usual.
2 I’d like to have a more reliable car. The one I have keeps breaking down.
3 Unfortunately the problem was more serious than we thought at first.
4 You look thinner . Have you lost weight?
5 We don’t have enough space here. We need a bigger apartment.
6 James doesn’t study very hard. He’s more interested in having a good time.
7 Health and happiness are more important than money.
8 I like living in the country. It’s more peaceful than living in a town.
9 I’m sorry I don’t understand. Can you speak slowlier , please?
10 In some parts of the country, prices are higher than in others.

105.3 Complete the sentences. Choose from:

than more worse quietly longer better careful frequent
1 Getting a visa was complicated. It took longer than I expected.
2 Sorry about my mistake. I’ll try and be more careful in future.
3 Your English has improved. It’s better than it was.
4 You can travel by bus or by train. The buses are more frequent than the trains.
5 You can’t always have things immediately. You have to be more patient.
6 I’m a pessimist. I always think things are going to get worse .
7 We were busier than usual in the office today. It’s not usually so busy.
8 You’re talking very loudly. Can you speak more quietly ?

105.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (-er or more …).
1 Yesterday the temperature was six degrees. Today it’s only three degrees.
It’s colder today than it was yesterday.
2 Dan and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dan stopped after eight kilometres.
I ran farther than Dan.
3 The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train.
longer by than by
The journey takes train car.
4 I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o’clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30.
My friends arrived earlier than I expected.
5 There is always a lot of traffic here, but today the traffic is really bad.
The traffic today worse than usual.

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Unit
108 Superlative (the longest / the most enjoyable etc.)
A Look at these examples:

What is the longest river in the world?

What was the most enjoyable holiday you’ve ever had?
Longest and most enjoyable are superlative forms.

The superlative form is -est or most … . In general, we use -est for short words and most … for
longer words.
long → longest hot → hottest easy → easiest hard → hardest
but most famous most boring most enjoyable most difficult
A few superlative forms are irregular:
good → best bad → worst far → furthest or farthest
The rules are the same as those for the comparative – see Unit 105.
For spelling, see Appendix 6.

B We normally use the (or my/your etc.) with a superlative:

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
The Louvre in Paris is one of the most famous museums in the world.
She is really nice – one of the nicest people I know.
What’s the best movie you’ve ever seen, and what’s the worst?
How old is your youngest child?
Compare the superlative and the comparative:
This hotel is the cheapest in town. (superlative)
It’s cheaper than all the others in town. (comparative)
He’s the most patient person I’ve ever met.
He’s much more patient than I am.

C oldest and eldest

The superlative of old is oldest:
That church is the oldest building in the town. (not the eldest)
We use eldest only when we talk about people in a family (you can also use oldest):
Their eldest son is 13 years old. (or Their oldest son)
Are you the eldest in your family? (or the oldest)

D After superlatives we normally use in with places:

What’s the longest river in the world? (not of the world)
We had a nice room. It was one of the best in the hotel. (not of the hotel)
We also use in for organisations and groups of people (a class / a company etc.):
Who is the youngest student in the class? (not of the class)
For a period of time (day, year etc.), we normally use of:
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
What was the happiest day of your life?

E We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A):
What’s the most important decision you’ve ever made?
That was the best holiday I’ve had for a long time.

216 Comparative (cheaper / more expensive etc.) ➜ Units 105–107 elder ➜ Unit 106E
 Unit
Exercises 108
108.1 Complete the sentences. Use the superlative forms (-est or most …) of the words in the box.
bad cheap good honest popular short tall
1 We didn’t have much money, so we stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town.
2 This building is 250 metres high, but it’s not the tallest in the city.
3 It was an awful day. It was the worst day of my life.
4 What is the most popular sport in your country?
5 I like the morning. For me it’s the best part of the day.
6 Sarah always tells the truth. She’s one of the most honest people I know.
7 A straight line is the shortest distance between two points.
108.2 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) or a comparative (-er or more …).
1 We stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town. (cheap)
2 Our hotel was cheaper than all the others in the town. (cheap)
3 I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, but I feel a bit better today. (good)
4 What’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought? (expensive)
5 I prefer this chair to the other one. It’s more comfortable . (comfortable)
6 Amy and Ben have three daughters.The eldest is 14 years old. (old)
7 Who is the oldest person you know? (old)
8 What’s the quickest way to get to the station? (quick)
9 Which is quicker – the bus or the train? (quick)
10 I can remember when I was three years old. It’s the earliest memory. (early)
11 Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is
than any other mountain. (high)
sharper
12 A: This knife isn’t very sharp. Do you have a one?
B: No, it’s the sharpest one I have. (sharp)
108.3 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) + a preposition (of or in).
1 It’s a very good room. It’s the best room in the hotel.
2 Brazil is a very large country. It’s the largest country in South America.
the happiest day of
3 It was a very happy day. It was my life.
4 This is a very valuable painting. It’s the most valuable painting in the museum.
5 Spring is a very busy time for me. It’s the busiest time of the year.
In the following sentences use one of + a superlative + a preposition.
6 It’s a very good room. It’s one of the best rooms in the hotel.
7 He’s a very rich man. He’s one of the richest men in the country.
8 She’s a very good student. She’s the most intelligent student in the class.
9 It was a very bad experience. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.
10 It’s a very famous university. It’s one of the most famous universities in the world.
108.4 What do you say in these situations? Use a superlative + ever.
1 You’ve just been to the cinema. The movie was extremely boring. You tell your friend:
(boring / movie / ever / see) That’s the most boring movie I’ve ever seen .
2 Someone has just told you a joke which you think is very funny. You say:
(funny / joke / ever / hear) That’s the funniest joke I've ever heard .
3 You’re drinking coffee with a friend. It’s really good coffee. You say:
(good / coffee / ever / taste) This is the best coffee I've ever tasted .
4 You have just run ten kilometres. You’ve never run further than this. You say:
(far / ever / run) That 's the furthest I've ever run / 's the farthest I've ever run .
5 You gave up your job. Now you think this was a very bad mistake. You say:
(bad / mistake / ever / make) It's the worst mistake I've ever made / is the worst mistake I've ever made .
6 Your friend meets a lot of people, some of them famous. You ask your friend:
(famous / person / ever / meet?) Who 's the most famous person you've ever met ?

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