UNIDADES TECNOLÓGICAS DE SANTANDER

LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
INFORMATION – GUIDE
ENGLISH 1 – GROUP E063

STUDENT´S NAME: ________________________________DATE__________________

SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES
 COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES
When we talk about two things, we can "compare" them. We can see if they are the
same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and different in other ways.
We can use comparative adjectives to describe the differences.

We use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or more

things).
In the example below, "bigger" is the comparative form of the adjective "big":

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

There are two ways to make or to "form" a comparative adjective:

 short adjectives: add "-er"
 long adjectives: use "more"

Short adjectives: add -er examples

1-syllable adjectives old, fast

2-syllable adjectives ending in -y happy, easy

RULE: add "-er" old → older

Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r late → later

Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, big → bigger

consonant, double the last consonant

Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i happy → happier

Long adjectives: use more examples

2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y modern, pleasant

all adjectives of 3 or more syllables expensive, intellectual

RULE: use "more" modern → more modern

expensive → more expensiv
e
With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use "-er" OR "more":

quiet →quieter/ more quiet

clever → cleverer/more clever
narrow → narrower/more narrow
simple → simpler/more simple

Exception: The following adjectives have irregular forms:

Good → better
well → better
bad → worse
far →
farther/further

USE OF COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES

We use comparative adjectives when talking about 2 things (not 3 or 10 or 1,000,000

things, only 2 things). Often, the comparative adjective is followed by "than".

Look at these examples:

 John is 1m80. He is tall. But Chris is 1m85. He is taller than John.

 America is big. But Russia is bigger.
 I want to have a more powerful computer.
 Is French more difficult than English?

If we talk about the two planets Earth and Mars, we can compare them as shown in the
table below:

  Earth Mar  
s

Diameter (km) 12,76 6,79 Mars is smaller than Earth.

0 0

Distance from Sun (million 150 228 Mars is more distant from the Sun.
km)

Length of day (hours) 24 25 A day on Mars is

slightly longer than a day on Earth.

Moons 1 2 Mars has more moons than Earth.

Surface temperature 22 -23 Mars is colder than Earth.

(degrees Celcius)

Although we use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or

more things), in fact one or both of the things may be a group of things.

 Mt Everest is higher than all other mountains.

Here, we are talking about hundreds of mountains, but we are still comparing one thing
(Mt Everest) to one other thing (all other mountains).
1. READ THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES AND USE THE COMPARATIVE OF THE
ADJCTIVE GIVEN IN BRACKETS.
EXAMPLE:
Marie is     than Lisa. (old)

Marie is older than Lisa.

1. Jake's room is   than Larry's room. (small)

2. The blue car is   than the black car. (nice)

3. This exercise is   than that one. (boring)

4. His pullover is   than his jeans. (dark)

5. Susan's hair is   than my hair. (long)

6. George is   than Robert. (funny)

7. My result in the test was   than Harry's. (good)

8. Gold is   than silver. (expensive)

9. Christine is   than Alice. (smart)

10. Football is   than handball. (popular)

2. LOOK AT THE THREE CHARACTERS, AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES BY
CORRECTLY USING THE COMPARATIVE OF THE ADJECTIVE GIVEN IN
BRACKETS.

1. Alan is
 than Livia (tall)
2. Diana is
 than Alan (old)
3. Livia is
 than Diana (short)
4. Alan is
 than Livia (heavy)
5. Livia is
 than Diana (young)
6. Livia is
 than Alan (intelligent)
7. Diana is
 than Livia (beautiful)
8. Spain is
 than Canada (hot)
9. Canada is
 than Italy (big)
10. Spanish is
 than Italian (easy)
 Jairo A. Chaparro Cárdenas, English Teacher