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THE ADJECTIVE AND THE ADVERB: THE COMPARISON3 degrees:Positive: I am short

Physics is difficult.Comparative: We use the comparative to compare one person, thing or place with another.

- Superiority: I am shorter than my mother. Physics is more difficult than English.- Equality: I am as short as my mother. English is not so difficult as Physics.- Inferiority: My mother is less short than me. English is less difficult than physics.

Superlative- + I am the shortest person in this classroom. Physics is the most difficult subject in the curriculum.- - I am the least tall person in this classroom. Physics is the least difficult subject in the curriculum.

Adjectives can be:- SHORT: one- syllable adjectives/adverbs: long, short, small, nice, large, hard…

Two-syllable adjectives/advs. in –y, -ow, -le, -er: happy, narrow, simple, clever.- LONG: two-syllable adjectives/adverbs: boring, amazing, quickly, slowly

3 or more syllables: comfortable, interesting, difficult, expensiveTHE COMPARISON: SPELLINGSPELLING SHORT ADJECTIVES

- Most adjectives/adverbs add –ER or –EST to form the comparative or the superlative.Tall – taller – tallestShort- shorter- shortest

- Adjectives in –e, omit –e and add –er, -est.Nice, nicer, nicestWide, wider, widest

- Adjectives in cons. + vowel + cons double the final consonantBig- bigger- biggestFat- fatter- fattest

- Adjectives in consonant+y, omit –y and add –ierHappy- happier- happiestDirty- dirtier- dirtiestEarly- earlier-earliest

SPELLING LONG ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS They add MORE + ADJ. or MOST + ADJECTIVE/ADVERB to form the comparative or the superlative. Adverbs in –LY form the comparative and the superlative using more and most.

Boring- more boring- most boringComfortable – more comfortable- most comfortableQuickly – more quickly- most quickly

Certain adjectives form their comparative and superlative in both ways: COMMON, CRUEL, PLEASANT, POLITE, STUPID, QUIETIRREGULAR ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS

Positive Comparative SuperlativeGood/well better bestBad/badly worse worstMany/much more mostLittle less leastOld older/elder oldest/eldest *1Far farther/further farthest/furthest *2

*1 Elder/eldest are used to talk about relatives only, with family members: my elder brother, her eldest cousin. We use elder when there are only 2; eldest when there are more than 2.*2 Further/farther (adverb) means ‘longer’ in distance. His office is further/farther away than mine.Further (adjective) means ‘more’: For further information, contact Mr. Smith.

THE COMPARISON: STRUCTURESComparative+ T1 + vb + comparative adjective/adverb + than + T2

This sweater is dirtier than that one.A sofa is more comfortable than a chair.

2

They arrived later than them.

= If the sentence is + : T1 + vb + as + adjective + as + T2If the sentence is -: T1 + vb + not + so + adjective + as + T2(as… as can be used both in positive and negative sentences)

I am as intelligent as you.Sharon is not so/as polite as Peter.He walked as slowly as her.I didn’t take so/as long as I expected.

- T1 + vb + less + adjective/adverb + than + T2Reading the newspaper is less interesting than surfing the Net.

SUPERLATIVE + Subject + vb + THE + SUPERLATIVE ADJ. + NOUN + IN + places /collective nouns

ADV. + OF + pronoun/plural noun/ timeword

+ a relative clause (I’ve ever…)Everest is the highest mountain in the world.Twilight is the most romantic novel (that) Penny has ever read.Messi is the best player of the year.They have run the farthest of all.She worked the hardest of the people in the office.

- Subject + vb + THE + LEAST + ADJECTIVE + NOUN + IN/OF/RELATIVE CLAUSE ADV

Who is the least attractive man in the company?

SPECIAL STRUCTURES WITH THE COMPARATIVEa)A LITTLE/ SLIGHTLY/A BIT + COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE/ADVERB

FAR / MUCH / A LOT + COMPARATIVE ADJ./ADVShe’s far more beautiful than her daughter.The Queen is much older than the King.Oxford St. is rather noisier than Kensington Rd.I feel a little/a bit better.

b) DOUBLE COMPARATIVE. If something is increasing, we use COMPARATIVE + COMPARATIVE. It means ‘cada vez más o menos + adj. /adv’

get/become/run/ drive + short adjs. Adverbs: - er and –erThe weather is getting warmer and warmer.He drove faster and faster.

Get/become/run/drive… + long adjs./advs. : more and more + adj./adv.Life is becoming more and more expensive.She ran more and more slowly.

c) PARALLEL CHANGE. We use the following structure to talk about a change in one thing causing a change in another.

THE + COMP. ADJ./ADV.+ SUBJECT + VERB … , THE + COMP. ADJ. /ADV. + SUBJECT + VERB…

The cheaper (it is), the better (it is)The more handsome men are, the sillier they are.The earlier you start, the sooner you’ll be back.

d) HALF/TWICE / THREE TIMES AS+ ADJ./ADV. + AS …The green one isn’t half as good as the blue one.(La verde no es ni la mitad de buena que la azul)An MP4 is twice as cheap as an Ipod.(Un MP4 es lo doble más barato que un Ipod)The movie isn’t half as good as the book.( La película no es ni la mitad de buena que el libro)