| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| good | better | (the) best |
| bad | worse | (the) worst |
| little | less | (the) least |
| many/much | more | (the) most |
| old | older/elder | (the) oldest/eldest |
| late | later/latter | (the) latest/ last |
| far | father/further | (the) farthest/furthest |
| near | nearer | (the)nearest/next |
Late: later - latest (refers to time)
latter - last (refers to position)
/ haven't heard the latest news.
Ours is the last house in the street. Old: elder - eldest (for people only in the same family) older - oldest (for people and things)
My father is the eldest in our family.
I get on well with my elder sister. Elder is not used with than following. We use older instead:
/ am five years older than my brother.
par: farther/farthest and further/furthest (about distances) further / furthest (additional)
You live father than I thought. I must have a reply without further delay. Turkey is the farthest/furthest I've ever been. Near: nearest (denotes distance) next (denotes position)
This is the nearest post-office to our house. My uncle lives in the next house.
Comparative Constructions with the Adjectives
| to compare things which are the same: as... as, the same... as - ; twice as... as, three times as... as | The adjective is used in the positive degree. | She is as busy as a bee. Father is the same age as mother. Petrol is twice as expensive as it was a few years ago. |
| to compare things that are different: not as... as, not so... as ( ); | Positive degree | Italy is not so hot as Iraq. He isn 't as poor as I thought. |
| than - than me/ than I am, etc. the... the - ... ; | Comparative degree Comparative degree | Your spelling is better than mine. The longer is the night, the shorter is the day. |
NOTE: Words that can modify a comparative form are: much, a little, a bit, slightly, far, rather, no, a lot, even, etc.
The book is much more interesting than the film.
The son is much richer than his father.
Substantivised Adjectives
Substantive adjectives have acquired some or all of the characteristics of the noun.
a) a native - the natives, a Russian - the Russians,
a German - the Germans;
b) the rich, the unemployed, the good, the evil, the beautiful, the English;
There are many pairs of adjectives in English ending in -ing and -ed
My job is boring. - I'm bored with my job.
Someone is -ed if something or someone is -ing
Or, if something is -ins, it makes you -ed.
Someone is interested because something is interesting.
Bill is interested in politics. He finds it interesting.
Some pairs of adjectives ending in -ed and -ing.
Adjective forming suffixes and prefixes
fascinating - fascinated exciting - excited amusing - amused astonishing - astonished tiring - tired surprising - surprised
horrifying - horrified terrifying - terrified depressing - depressed worrying - worried annoying - annoyed disappointing - disappointed
Word Order
Adjectives can be positioned before a noun. They describe a noun. Sometimes we use two or more adjectives together. One should remember that opinion adjectives usually go before fact adjectives.
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| opinion | size/age/ shape | colour | origin | material | purpose | noun |
| lovely | big/old/ round | yellow | English | gold | tea | cup |
We also use adjectives after link verbs, especially: be, get, become, feel, seem, sound, smell, taste, grow and look (when it means seem). After action verbs we use adverbs. Compare:
She looks nice and happy. She looked at me happily.
I don 'tfeel well today. I swim well.
less: hopeless, homeless un: unhappy
ful: hopeful, useful in: indifferent
ing: boring, frightening pre: prewar
ous: famous, courageous ir: irregular
en: wooden, woollen im: immortal
al: central, formal il: illiterate
y/ly: windy, lovely dis: dishonest
able: eatable, reliable a: alive
ish: foolish, childish non: non-governmental
ible: responsible inter: international
ant/ent: important, dependent post: post-war
Practice
1. Fill in the missing adjectives in the proper degree. Analyze the adjectives used in the song.
long, green, big, handsome, large, beautiful, strong
A Bigger Heart
His arms are stronger than mine
His legs are... than mine
His car's always cleaner
And his grass is always....
But my heart is... than his
And my love for you is stronger than his.
He's more..., much more elegant
More charming and more polite than me
He's more responsible, much more dependable
He is everything I long to be. His office is... than mine His martinis are drier than mine His roses are much... And his faults are far fewer.
But my heart is... than his
And my love for you is... than his.
2. Give adjectives corresponding to:
policy sun hope bore wool depend
economy wind use frighten wood complicate
Germany rain home interest silk pleasure
nature fog respect amuse gold courage
3. Give the comparative and superlative of the following adjectives:
strong beautiful important good
wide difficult magnificent bad
happy dangerous fortunate little
greedy useful courageous many
4. Write down adjectives opposite in the meaning to the following: courageous narrow slow healthy wild beautiful cruel new
hot civilized soft clean
heavy strong expensive friendly
5. Complete the sentences. Use the comparative of the adjectives in the brackets.
1. Sorry I'm late. It took me (long) to get there than I expected.
2. She looks about 18, but in fact she is much (old) than she looks.
3. This problem is not so complicated. It's (simple) than you think.
4. We always go camping when we go on holiday. It's much (cheap) than staying in a hotel.
5. It's (easy) to learn a foreign language in the country where it's spoken.
6. Your English has improved. You speak (good) than you did when we last met.
7. Health and happiness are (important) than money.
8. I like the countryside. It's (healthy) and (peaceful) than living in a city.
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9. My toothache is (painful) today than it was yesterday.
10. The second addition of the dictionary was (bad) than the first one.
11. A man's real character will always be (visible) in his household than anywhere else.
12. This railway station is (crowded) today than usual.
6. Complete the sentences with: a) the superlative form, b) one of the + superlative.
Model: It's a very nice house.
a) It's the nicest house in our town.
b) It's one of the nicest houses in our town.
1. He is a very dangerous criminal. He... in the country.
2. The Mississippi is a long river. It's... in the world.
3. I have never heard such a funny story. That's... I have heard.
4. We've never made such a bad mistake. It's....
5. They haven't had to make such a difficult decision for years. It's....
6. It was very bad experience. It was... in my life.
7. He is a very good player. He... in the team.
8. She is a very rich woman. She is... in the world.
7. Use: more and more or less and less if it is necessary.
1. Computers are becoming (expensive). 2. People are living (long). 3. Going to church is becoming (popular). 4. Divorce is becoming (common). 5. (Many) people are giving up smoking. 6. The roads are becoming (crowded) with cars. 7. The book is getting (interesting). 8. The weather is getting (bad). 9. My tooth's getting (painful). 10. Children spend (little) time on reading books but they spend (much) time on watching TV. 11. It's becoming (difficult) to find a job. 12. Your English is getting (good) and (...).
8. Ask and answer the questions, using the proper degree of comparison.
1. What is (large) city in the world?
2. Who is (popular) singer in your country?
3. What is (expensive) thing you have ever bought"?
4. What is (stupid) thing you have ever done?
5. Who is (intelligent) person you have ever known
6. What is (happy) day in your life?
7. What was (difficult) subject for you at school?
8. Excuse me. Where is (near) metro-station from here9
9. What is (easy) way for learning English?
10. What was (interesting) book you read in childhood?
11. Which of you is (good) chess-player?
12. What do you think is (happy) time in a person's life: when you are a child or an adult?
13. What is (bad) thing that has ever happened to you?
9. Complete the sentences using the adjectives given below in the proper degree.
1. It gets... and... in autumn and the days become.. and.... But Italian summer is a very... and... time of the year.
2. We all grow... with years.
3. You look....What's the matter?-I feel....
4. I'll try to do my... to help you -Thank you. It's very... of you.
5. The hotel was surprisingly cheap. We expected it to be much....
6. This flat is too small for our family. We need something... but not very....
7. The Moon is... neighbour to the Earth.
8. Venus is... planet in our solar system.
9. I prefer watching TV sitting in this old armchair. It's... than a new one.
10. There were a lot of people on the bus. It was... than usual.
11. This jacket is too small for you. You need... size.
12. You look... Have you lost your weight?
13. He is not keen on his studies. He's... in having a... time.
14. I was... with the film. It was not... for me to see it.
15. A man is as... as he looks and no... than he feels.
| beautiful | pleasant | young | expensive |
| thin | interesting | comfortable | bad |
| cold | short | old | sad |
| good | close | kind | crowded |
| large | bright | interested | disappointed |
10 Use: a)as... as, b) not so... as/not as...as.
Model: My grandfather is younger than he looks.
a) My grandfather isn't as old as he looks.
b) My grandfather is not so old as he looks.
1. The examination was more difficult than we expected.
2. The weather is warmer today than it was yesterday.
3. The situation is still unpleasant but yesterday it was worse.
4. I was a bit nervous before the interview but usually I'm a lot more nervous.
5. The exhibition was less beautiful than we hoped to see.
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6. This book is less interesting than the one I read last week.
7. Tokyo is exciting but for musicians London is more exciting than Tokyo and, of course, New York is the most exciting of all.
8. London is, of course, much older than New York, but it is younger than Rome.
9. New York has more parks than Tokyo, but less than London.
10. Everything is cheaper in our country than in yours.
11. The shops were more expensive than we thought.
12. The film was less interesting than I expected.
13. This business trip is less important for our firm than you think.
14. We are more tired today after our tiring job than usual.
| . | Which meaning goes with | which saying? | |
| 1. Two heads are better than one. | a) Doing something late is not as bad as forgetting it completely. | ||
| 2. For better for worse; for richer for poorer. | |||
| b) Family ties are very strong. | |||
| 3. Better late than never. | c) It's easier to find an answer if someone thinks with you. | ||
| 4. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. | |||
| d) Other situations always seem more attractive than your own situation. | |||
| 5. The grass is always greener on the other side. | |||
| e) In every situation in life. (Man and woman say these words when they get mar- ried.) | |||
| 6. Blood is thicker than water. | |||
| 7. Better safe than sorry. | |||
| 8. The least said the better. | f) An unpleasant but familiar situation is better than a new one. | ||
| 9. The best things in life are free. | |||
| 10. It's easier said than done. | g) It's better not to talk about it. | ||
| h) Take precautions. | |||
| i) Money doesn't buy happi- ness. | |||
| j) It's a nice plan but not very practical. | |||
12. Choose the best saying from exercise 11 for the following situations.
1. It's so cold today. Put your fur-coat. -....
2. Sorry I'm late. -....
3. Jim and Delia are getting married today....
4. Everyone is so much luckier than we are. -....
5. I wish I were rich. -....
6. My car doesn't go very well but I can't afford to buy a new one. Do you think I should sell my car and buy another old one? -....
7. Your elder sister has never been nice to you, so why do you defend her when other people criticize her?
8. Let me help you with this problem. -....
9. Try to keep calm.
10. What's wrong with your husband today? -....
13. Complete the sentences and say if you agree or disagree.
Model: If you get married early, it's better; in fact the earlier you get married the better it is.
1. If you are generous, you will be popular; in fact....
2. If you have many boy/girlfriends, you will be happy; in fact....
3. If you are honest, you will have fewer problems; in fact....
4. If you smoke, you will be kissed less often; in fact__
5. When you are kind, people respect you less; in fact....
6. When you love someone, you have fewer arguments; in fact....
7. When you win an argument, you may lose a friend;. in fact....
8. If we work hard, we always become rich; in fact....
9. When people earn much money, they become less careful; in fact....
10. If you have much, you want more; in fact....
11. If you work hard, you always have good results, in fact....
12. If you are happy, you see few unhappy people around; in fact....
13. If you know English well, it's easy to find a good job; in fact....
14. If a man knows many foreign languages, it's easy for him to learn a new one; in fact....
14. Fill the blank spaces with: later or latter; father or further
nearest or next; older or elder oldest or eldest.
1. This is the... bank to our house. Take a taxi to get there.
2. The... railway station is two miles from here.
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3. He walked off without... ceremony.
4. He is the... member of the School Committee.
5. I prefer the... preposition to the former.
6. Is there no... news than the last week's?
7. The nephew is... than his uncle.
8. No... reasons were given.
9. She is the... of the two sisters.
10.... discussion will be useless.
11. What is... theatre in London?
12. How long does it take you to get to the... river?
15. Supply the proper degree of comparison.
1. Trust the man who hesitates in his speech and is (quick) and (steady) in actions.
2. The (little) men think the (much) they talk.
3. Prevention is (good) than cure. The public is (good) judge.
4. It is good to be clever, but it is (good) to be industrious.
5. Some people have (much) money than brains.
6. Australia is (large) island in the world.
7. He would (soon) die than tell a lie.
8. The Times is one of (powerful) newspapers in England.
9. "What is (good) film you've ever seen?" - "I've seen so many good films that I can't say which one is (good)".
10. We had a great holiday. It was one of (great) holidays we have ever had.
11. The hotel we stayed at was (cheap) than all the others in the town.
12. Everest is... mountain in the world. It is... than any other mountain (high).
13. What's (quick) way of getting from here to the station?
14. It was an awful day. It was (bad) day in my life.
15. "Are you (old) in your family?" "No, I'm (young) in our family".
16. Why do you always come to see me at (bad) possible moment?
17. I spent (little) money than you but I spent (much) than my mother did.
18. There are (few) people at this match than at the last one.
19. Now her hair isn't as (long) as it used to be.
20. The Nile is (long) river in the world at 6. 741 kilometres - slightly (long) than the Amazon, which is the second (long) at 6. 440 kilometres.
21. The (big) city in the world is Tokyo-Yokohama with a population of about 28,5 million.
16. Use the adjectives in the proper degree.
1. Spring is a very busy time. It is (busy) time in the year.
2. That was (boring) film I've ever seen.
3. There wasn't as (much) snow in the fields as in the forests.
4. She is a really nice person - one of (nice) people I know.
5. The (much) snow you have in winder, the (good) crop you have in summer.
6. The weather in November is not so (cold) as in December but it's (cold) than in October.
7. No park in London is as (popular) as Hyde Park.
8. One of (famous) places of interest in London is St. Paul's Cathedral.
9. A tram is not so (quick) as a bus. It's one of (slow) means of transport.
10. The film is (interesting) than the book.
11. Apples are not so (expensive) as oranges, and they are (cheap) than pears.
12. He is not so (bad) as you think, but, perhaps, he is (bad) than she is.
13. My sister is (economical) than I am, but she isn't as (economical) as our mother.
14. The river was not so (shallow) as we expected. It was one of (deep) rivers in the area.
15. "Your mother was (intelligent) and (little) naive than you are", my grandmother used to say.
16. One of (narrow) streets in the world is St. John's Lane, in Rome: it is 49 sm. wide but there is a street in Cromwell, England, that is even (narrow): it is 48 sm. (wide) in its (narrow) point.
17. Legends of (large) water-creatures in Loch Ness, an immensely (deep) lake in the north-eastern Highlands of Scotland, go back much (far) than 1993, when a motorist saw a (tremendous) upheaval in the loch.
18. Scientists have seriously suggested that (large) creatures may have been stranded in the (deep) waters of the loch when 60 million years ago it was cut off from the sea.
19. The (near) cinema is (far) from here than the (near) theatre.
20. (High and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish) people, all have the right to be happy.
21. The (young) you are, the (easy) it is to learn. The (early) your start, the (much) you reach.
17. Fill the gap with the correct adjective.
1. I couldn't work out who the letter was from. The signature was....
I know Shakespeare is very popular but I find him totally....
2. Sarah is so.... She is always having temper
tantrums.
It was wonderful to watch the tiny lambs playing, I got such... pleasure from the experience.
3. Sophie is extremely... at the moment. Anything you say seems to upset her.
Karen is not a very... person. She wore high-heeled shoes for our four-mile walk.
4. I've never known her to tell a lie. She is a very... person.
I can never watch sad films that are based on a... story. They always make me cry.
5. Susan is so... of other. She never accepts anyone else's opinion, and she always thinks she knows best.
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I find Mark's behaviour....It's unfair to be so selfish.
6. We are having an... crisis at the moment. James has lost his job and I don't know how we are going to pay the mortgage.
It's more... to drive slowly. You can do a lot of more miles to the gallon.
7. The result was a... disappointment to us, though the lawyer outlined a... defence.
unreadable illegible
childish
childlike
sensible sensitive
true truthful
intolerable intolerant
economic economical
great/large
powerful
strong
18. Complete the following conversations, using a synonym to avoid repeating words: handsome, modern, messy, marvelous, wealthy, generous, annoyed.
Model: "It's a lovely day today". - "Yes, it's really beautiful".
1. "Mary's family is rich". - "Well, I know her parents were... ".
2. "Look at the new buildings!" - "Yes, the city... much more than I expected".
3. "Her boyfriend is really good-looking". - "Yes, he is certainly one of the most... men in out college".
4. "Derek doesn't earn much money but he is so kind". - "I know. He is very... to both his family and his friends".
5. "Was your mother angry when you told her everything?" - "Yes, she looked really... ".
6. "His room is really untidy again!" - "Is it? I told him it was... yesterday, and he promised to clean it".
7. "Wasn't the film wonderful?" - "Yes, it was
20. Read and retell the text making use of all the adjectives you come across in it.
My Aunt Susan
Of all my relatives, I like my aunt Susan the best. She is m> mother's youngest sister. She has never married, and she lives alone in a small village near Bath. She is in her late fiftieth, but she's still quite young in spirit. She has a kind face and when you meet her, the first thing you notice is her lovely warm smile. Her face is a little wrinkled now, but I think she is still rather attractive.
She is the sort of person you can always go to if you have a problem. She likes reading and gardening and she goes for long walks over the hills with her dog, Buster. She's a very active person. Either she is making something or mending something, or doing something to help others. She does the shopping for some of the old people in the village. She's extremely generous, but not very tolerant with people who don't agree with her.
I hope that I'll be as happy and contented as she is when I'm her age.
20. Choose a tactful way to describe someone by using not very + opposite adjective instead of adjectives given in column a).
a) intolerant b) not very polite
rude not very tolerant
ugly not very interesting
boring not very generous/kind
cruel not very pretty/handsome/beautiful
mean attractive/good looking
stupid not very clever/intelligent
Task: Describe the appearance and character of your friend/relative.
21. Complete the following conversations.
I. What is/are... like? (For general description of people, place or things.)
Model: a) What's London like?
- Oh, it's big and noisy, with a lot of parks, b) What's your friend like?
- She is very nice, intelligent and pretty.
1) A.: I've got anew car.
.: Oh, really? What is it like? A.: Well, it's faster than my old one, though it isn't as economical, but....
2) A.: I moved in a new house last week. .: Oh, really? What's the house like? A.: Well,....
3) A.: You know I met a very nice girl/boy last night. .: Oh really? What's she/he like?
A.: Well,....
//. What does he/she look like? (only for physical description).
Peter: Jane, what was your first boyfriend like? Jane: Goodness! Why do you want to know that? Peter: I'm just interested.
Jane: Well, he was very good-looking, with dark hair and big brown eyes. He was very romantic. He was always buying me flowers and presents. Of course, he wasn't as nice as you. And now don't you want to tell me what your first girlfriend looked like?
Peter: Well,... I remember the day I met her. "It was a young girl of about eighteen, with dark eyes, and an enormous fringe, puffed-out and curled and frizzed, covering her whole forehead from side to side, and coming down to meet her eyebrows. She was dressed in brilliant violet, with great lappets of velvet, and she had on her head an
enormous black hat covered with feathers. Liza saw what a sensation she was creating; she arched her back and lifted her head, and walked down, swaying her body from side to side, and swaggering along as though the whole place belonged to her"5. Jane: Oh....
22. Role-play the conversation. Pay attention to the use of the adjectives after some verbs.
You look nice
= Betty; A = Aida
a) .: Oh, Aida! I'm glad to see you. You look nice today. A.: Thank you. Do you like my perfume?
.: Yes, why? It smells terrific. It smells expensive. Is it?
A.: I don't know. It's a present.
.: A present? Who gives you perfume?
A.: Billy. My friend Billy.
b) A.: I like your fur coat, Betty. .: Oh, you do? Thank you.
A.: Yes, it looks very expensive.
.: Really? It isn't expensive. I bought it at a secondhand
store.
A.: You did? It doesn't look secondhand. It looks brand
new.
c) .: Oh, Aida, listen to my new stereo. Does it sound all right?
A.: Yes, it sounds fine to me.
.: I think the bass is too loud.
A.: No, it sounds perfect. It sounds better than mine.
d) A.: Betty, I have some news. My younger sister wants to get married.
