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INGLS

PROF.: M. ANTONIETA ROSSI

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

To begin with, you have to know the way we form the comparative and the superlative
degrees.
A: First group = one syllable adjective and SOME two-syllable adjectives.
Adjectives of one syllable: brave, cheap, clean, deep, fat, thin, fresh, pale, short, long, soft,
tall, fast.
Comparative:

A is smaller than B
A is longer than B
A is taller than B

Superlative:

Z is the smallest
Z is the longest
Z is the tallest

ADJECTIVE + ER

THE + ADJECTIVE + EST

Two-syllable adjectives ending in: -y, -ly, -ow, -er, and _le follow this rule, too.

Endings:

Positive

Comparative

Superlative

-y

happy
funny

happier
funnier

the happiest
the funniest

-ly

friendly
early

friendlier
earlier

the friendliest
the earliest

-ow

shallow
narrow

shallower
narrower

the shallowest
the narrowest

-er

clever
tender

cleverer
tenderer

the cleverest
the tenderest

-le

able
gentle

abler
gentler

the ablest
the gentlest

B. Second group: Adjectives of three syllables or more (extravagant, interesting,

expensive, convenient, fantastic, important, impossible, intelligent, sensitive, insignificant,
beautiful, etc.), adjectives of two syllables that do not end in y, -ly, -ow, -er or le, and
adjectives ending in __ing, -ed, -ful, -some, etc., no matter how many syllables they have.
Comparative:A is more interesting than B
A is more expensive than B
A is more beautiful than B
Superlative:

MORE + ADJECTIVE

Z is the most interesting

Z is the most expensive
Z is the most beautiful

THE MOST + ADJECTIVE

C. Irregular Comparison
Positive

Comparative

Superlative

Good

better

the best

Bad

worse

the worst

EXERCISES.
1.

Rome is old but Athens is.................................................... (old)

2.

Which is......................................... (bad), a headache or a toothache?

3.

My bag isn't very heavy. Your bag is..................................... (heavy).

4.

A car is much ............................................................. (expensive) a bike.

5.

Which is ..................................................... (long) river in the world?

6.

Ken is a good tennis player. I think he is ............................................... (good) in the

club.

7.

She works ............................................. (hard) her sister.

8.

She is ............................................................. (intelligent) person that I know.

9.

January is ........................................................ (hot) month of the year.

10.

This exercise is .......................................................(difficult) the previous one.

D. IDIOMATIC COMPARISON
THE + COMPARATIVE ........................................, THE + COMPARATIVE
(Spanish: Mientras ms (menos) , ms (menos) .

1) .................................... you study, ..................................... results you get.

(good)
2) .................................... the car, .................................. expensive it is.
(new)
3) .................................... the weather, ...................................... problems we face.
(dry)
4) ......................................... you read English texts, .......................... you learn the language.

Write the Spanish equivalent of each sentence:

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