i We can use a lot/a bit (especially in conversations) or much/a little (more formal) before comparatives.
- for large differences, we use much/a lot/far.
- for small differences, we use a little/a bit.
e.g. Here are the prices of four products:
Product A $200 Product B $250 Product C $400 Product D $450
- Product B is a little more/a bit more expensive than Product A.
- Product C is much more/a lot more expensive than Product A.
- Product D is far more expensive than Product A.
ASSIGNMENTS
A Complete these sentences about the cars.
1 The Rolls-Royce is . bigger than the Ferrari.
2 The Ferrari is .. bigger than the Smart Car.
3 I think the is faster than the ...
4 In my opinion, the .. is . comfortable than the .
B Read the information about two mobile phones. Then match the sentences halves to describe the differences between them.
| Virga M 100 | Pronto - X | |
| Price | 299.99 | 149.99 |
| Weight | 120 grams | 90 grams |
| Size | 6 × 11 × 3 cm | 6 × 10 × 2 cm |
| Special features | Has 20 ringtones Has built-in digital camera Comes with 3 fun games Get 80 of free calls when you buy one! | Has 5 ringtones Has built-in digital camera Comes with 10 fun games Get 40 of free calls when you buy one! |
| 1 The Virga M100 is much | a) cheaper than the Virga M100. | 1______ |
| 2 The Pronto-X is a lot | b) than the Virga M100; it is only 6 × 10 × 2 cm. | 2 ______ |
| 3 You get a lot more free calls | c) heavier. It weighs 120 grams! | 3_______ |
| 4 The Pronto-X is a bit smaller | d) fun games than the Pronto-X | 4_______ |
| 5 The Virga M100 has a lot | e) more expensive than the Pronto-X. | 5_______ |
| 6 The Virga M100 has a lot fewer | f) more ringtones than the Pronto-X. | 6_______ |
| 7 The Virga M100 is much | g) when you buy a Virga M100. | 7_______ |
C Read the information about a third mobile phone. Then complete the sentences.
| Star 8 | 1 The Star 8 is a lot cheaper than the Pronto-X. 2 The Pronto-X is ... heavier that the Star 8. 3 The Virga M100 is ...........that the Star 8. It is 6 × 11 × 3 cm. 4 The Star 8 has ringtones than the Virga M100. 5 Both the Virga M100 and the Pronto-X are he Star 8, which costs only 90. 6 The Star 8 weighs only 85 grams. It is ... the Virga M100. | |
| Price | 90 | |
| Weight | 85 grams | |
| Size | 6 × 10 × 2 cm | |
| Special features | Has 2 ringtones Get 10 of free calls when you buy one! |
VOCABULARY BOOSTER
A Complete the text with the best words:
| What is the secret of successful marketing? The answer is easy: think about your 1. First, 2 market research to get some information about the customers needs. Then, supply exactly what the customers want. A successful product needs to be at the right .3, and it needs to be ..4 at the right place. This means that you distribute it in the right way. | Finally, how do you want to present the product to customers? Think about ..5, image, advertising in one word: promotion. In ..6, just remember: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. These are the four Ps of the marketing mix. To market a ..7 successfully, you need to get this mix right. |
|
|
|
| 1 a) customers | b) orders | c) sellers |
| 2 a) do | b) make | c) work |
| 3 a) expenses | b) cost | c) price |
| 4 a) reliable | b) available | c) profitable |
| 5 a) design | b) shop | c) type |
| 6 a) end | b) conclusion | c) final |
| 7 a) client | b) profit | c) product |
B Fill in the gaps in the text with the words from the box. Translate and retell the text.
| market (*3) activity start prices companies from government forces economy |
In China, all economic _________1 used to be* controlled by the state. Prices were fixed by the ___________ 2, not by buyers and sellers in the _____________3 place. But in the last 20 years there has been a series of _____________4 reforms that have allowed people to go into business and ___________5 their own companies. Market ____________ 6 are determined** by what buyers are willing to pay, rather than by the state. There are still state-owned _____________7 that lose a lot of money. Until recently, they have been protected ______________8 market pressures, but market ____________9 will eventually mean that they close down. Of course, the market ______________10 has its losers: those without work, and victims of crime, which used to be very rare.
used to be* - used to
, ,
: ,
are determined**- ,
C Read this description of a language training market. Answer the questions.
| In Paris, 500 organizations offer language training to companies. However, 90 per cent of sales are made by the top five language training organizations. The market is not growing in size overall. | Organization A has 35 per cent of the market, and faces tough competition from B, which has about 25 per cent of the market, and from C,D and E, who each have 10 per cent, but who are trying to grow by charging less for their courses. |
1 How many competitors are there in this market?
2 Is competition in the market strong?
3 Who is the market leader?
4 Who are the two key players?
5 Who mainly makes up the competition, from the market leaders point of view?
6 If one competitor increases its market share, can the others keep their market share at the same
level?
