UNIT 4

GRAMMAR

COMPARATIVES AND
SUPERLATIVES
 1. Comparative adjectives
• The comparative adjective is the form of an
adjective used to compare two things.
• short adjective + er
• more + long adjective
a. Use “than” after comparative adjectives.
 Athens is older than Rome

Athens 8000 years old Rome 2762 years old

The red car is more expensive than
the blue car.
£ 4310

£ 4320
 b. Use “ a bit” and “much” before
comparative adjectives
• Athens is much older than Rome
• The red car is a bit more expensive than
the blue car.
Superlatives
 Definition and usage : We use a superlative
adjective to describe the highest quality of
one thing in a group of things.
• S + to be + the + short adj + est + in (
singular countable noun) ( place)/ of (
plural countable noun)
giraffe is the tallest of all the animals.
Jackie Kennedy is the most elegant of all
the ladies.
Marilyn Monroe is the most attractive
woman in the world.
Bill Gate is one of the richest men in the
world.
winter is the coldest season of the year.
 2. Formation of comparative adjectives
Rules Adjectives Comparative forms

1. one-syllable adjectives cold colder

2. one-syllable adjectives large larger
with final –e + r
3. one-syllable adjectives hot hotter
ending with a single big bigger
consonant with a short
vowel, double the final
consonant + er
4. two-syllable adjectives happy happier
ending with -y i+er
pleasant more pleasant
5. Adjectives with 2, 3 or
interesting more interesting
more syllables

6. Irregular adjectives good bad better worse

far farther/further
much/many a little more less
 Formation of superlative adjectives
Rules Adjectives Comparative forms

1. one-syllable adjectives cold the coldest

2. one-syllable adjectives large the largest
with final –e + r
3. one-syllable adjectives hot the hottest
ending with a single big the biggest
consonant with a short
vowel, double the final
consonant + er
4. two-syllable adjectives happy the happiest
ending with -y i+er
pleasant the most pleasant
5. Adjectives with 2, 3 or
interesting The most interesting
more syllables

6. Irregular adjectives good bad the best the worse

far the farthest/furthest
much/many a little the most the least
 3. practice
• Fill in the spaces with the correct comparative adjectives.
1. The red jacket is ______ (cheap) than the blue jacket.
2. The shoes are ______(nice) than the boots.
3. The pink socks are _______(small) than the white socks.
4. The brown sweater is ___________(good) than the blue sweater.
5. The chocolate is ____________(bad) than the candy.
6. The DVD player is ____________(expensive) than the radio.
7. The CDs are _____________(old) than the DVDs.
8. These apples are _________(bright) than those apples.
9. This dress is _____________(beautiful) than that dress.
10. Those green tomatoes are __________(sweet) than the red
tomatoes.
 Answer key
cheaper
1. The red jacket is __________than the blue jacket.
2. nicer
The shoes are _________than the boots.
3. smaller
The pink socks are _______than the white socks.
4. better
The brown sweater is ___________ than the blue
sweater.
worse
5. The chocolate is ____________ than the candy.
more expensive
6. The DVD player is ________________than the radio.
older
7. The CDs are ___________than the DVDs.
8. These apples are brighter
_________than those apples.
more beautiful
9. This dress is _____________ than that dress.
sweeter
10. Those green tomatoes are __________ than the red
tomatoes.
4. Consolidation
tennis football
Nile river (6,650 km) Amazon river (6,400km)
the elephant the mouse
 Tina
Vivien Leigh
Audrey Janet
the horse The giraffe
the cow The kangaroo
Adjectives

 popular
 beautiful
 tall
 slim
 big
 long
 fast
 large
Thank you for your participation