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THE ADJECTIVE AND THE ADVERB: THE COMPARISON 3 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, expensive THE COMPARISON: SPELLING SPELLING SHORT ADJECTIVES - Most adjectives/adverbs add ER or EST to form the comparative or the superlative. Tall taller tallest Short- shorter- shortest - Adjectives in e, omit e and add er, -est. Nice, nicer, nicest Wide, wider, widest - Adjectives in cons. + vowel + cons double the final consonant Big- bigger- biggest Fat- fatter- fattest - Adjectives in consonant+y, omit y and add ier Happy- happier- happiest Dirty- dirtier- dirtiest Early- 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 boring Comfortable more comfortable- most comfortable Quickly more quickly- most quickly Certain adjectives form their comparative and superlative in both ways: COMMON, CRUEL, PLEASANT, POLITE, STUPID, QUIET IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS Positive Comparative Superlative Good/well better best Bad/badly worse worst Many/much more most Little less least Old older/elder oldest/eldest *1 Far 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: STRUCTURES Comparative + T1 + vb + comparative adjective/adverb + than + T2 This sweater is dirtier than that one.

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A sofa is more comfortable than a chair. They arrived later than them. = If the sentence is + : T1 + vb + as + adjective + as + T2 If 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 didnt take so/as long as I expected. - T1 + vb + less + adjective/adverb + than + T2 Reading 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/ time word + a relative clause (Ive 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 COMPARATIVE a)A LITTLE/ SLIGHTLY/A BIT + COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE/ADVERB FAR / MUCH / A LOT + COMPARATIVE ADJ./ADV Shes 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 ms o menos + adj. /adv get/become/run/ drive + short adjs. Adverbs: - er and er The 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 youll be back. d) HALF/TWICE / THREE TIMES AS+ ADJ./ADV. + AS The green one isnt 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 ms barato que un Ipod) The movie isnt half as good as the book. ( La pelcula no es ni la mitad de buena que el libro)