COMPARATIVES & SUPERLATIVES

By Shanti

We use the comparative when we compare 2 places/things/people. Sham is quite short. His body is fat. His car is new.

Tama is quite tall. His body is thin. His car is old. ShamTama

Comparatives

Sham is shorter than Tama. Sham is fatter than Tama. His car is newer than Tama’s car.

Tama is taller than Sham. Tama is thinner than Sham. His car is older than Sham’s.

ShamTama

We use the comparative to talk about two people, places or things.

Notice the spelling: The UAE is smaller than Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is bigger than the UAE. My car is faster than your car. My friend is busier than me.

My sister is beautifuler than yours. (wrong) Your English is gooder than mine. (wrong)

WHY are they wrong?

Comparatives Spelling RulesOne syllable adjectives

1 syllable = adj + er + thanfast = faster than cheap = cheaper than

1 syllable ending with one vowel and one consonant = double final consonant + er + thanb i g = bigger than

h o t = hotter than

More Spelling2 syllable Adjectives 2 syllables ending with -y change to - ier +

than busy = busier than ugly = uglier than

Other 2 syllable adjectives = more + adj + than

bor ing = more boring thanex pen sive = more expensive thanbeau ti ful = more beautiful than

More Spelling

Irregular Adjectives: good, bad and far

good = better than (gooder than)bad = worse thanfar = further than

Complete these sentences about you and your partner

1. My family is (big/small) ________ than __________’s family.

2. My father is (old/young) ________ than ________’s father.

3. My bag is (expensive) ____________ than _______’s bag.

4. I am (tall/short)__________ than __________.5. My hair is (long/short) __________ than ________’s.6. I go to bed (early/late) __________ than _________.

Which sentences are wrong?1. My dress is prettyer than yours.

2. My result was is more better than my friend’s.

3. Ahmed gets up at 6 o’clock and Ali gets up at 6.30am, so Ali gets up later than Ahmed.

4. Shamsa is more tall than Hassa.

We use the superlative when we compare 3 or more places/things/people. ________ is the tallest.

________ is the fattest.

________ has the least hair.

________ is the happiest.

________ is the least happy.

Superlative Spelling RulesOne syllable adjectives

the + adj + estfast = the fastest cheap = the cheapest

cold = the coldest

double final consonant + estb i g = the biggest

h o t = the hottest

More Spelling2 Syllable Adjectives 2 syllables ending with -y = change to -iest

busy = the busiest ugly = the ugliest

Other 2 syllable adjectives = the + most + adj

bor ing = the most boringex pen sive = the most expensivebeau ti ful = the most beautiful

More Spelling

Irregular Adjectives: good, bad and far

good = the best bad = the worstfar = the furthest

We can compare 2 things using the following structure.

as + adj/adv + as ORnot as/so + adj/adv + as

The watch is as expensive as the phone.The watch is not as expensive as the ring.

AED 1200 AED 1200 AED 9999

GAME

Make a sentence to compare the 2 or 3 pictures that you see. Use the grammar stated. You cannot use the same adjective more than once in this game. This is an example.

Grammar: comparative adjective

The television is older than the computer.

Grammar: comparative adjective

Grammar: not as adjective as

Grammar: superlative adjective

Grammar: comparative adjective

Grammar: not as adjective as

Grammar: comparative adjective

Grammar: not as adjective as

Grammar: superlative adjective

Grammar: as adjective as

Grammar: superlative adjective