ACTIVITY 2

Comparatives and Superlatives-Talking

 GRAMMAR
Comparatives and Superlatives
Forming regular comparatives and superlatives
We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is taller than
her husband.)
1.Superlatives are used, however, to show the difference between more than two
things or more than two people. (e.g Paris is the biggest city in France)
2.To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number of
the syllables in the adjective. Syllables are like "sound beats".
To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number of
the syllables in the adjective. Syllables are like "sound beats".
For instance:

 "find" contains one syllable,

 but "finding" contains two — find and ing.

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent 'e' — nice

 Comparative — add 'r' — nicer

 Superlative — add 'st' — nicest

2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonant — big

 Comparative — the consonant is doubled and 'er' is added —bigger

 Superlative — the consonant is doubled and 'est' is added—biggest

3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a
vowel (or long vowels) — high, cheap, soft.

 Comparative — 'er' is added — higher, cheaper, softer.

 Superlative — 'est is added — highest, cheapest , softest.

4. A two syllable adjective ending in 'y' — happy

 Comparative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'er' is added — happier

 Superlative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'est' is added — happiest

5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without 'y' at the end — exciting

 Comparative — more + the adjective + than — more exciting than

 Superlative — more + the adjective + than — the most exciting

Examples:
•The Nile River is longer and more famous than the Thames.
•Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
•Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
•This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.

Peter (6 years old) Charley (5 months old)

Peter is older than Charley.
Charley is younger than Peter.
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
Adjectives Comparatives Superlatives
bad worse worst
far(distance) farther farthest
far(extent) further furthest
good better best
little less least
many more most
much more most
 How to use comparatives and superlatives
Comparatives Superlatives
Comparatives are used to Superlatives are used to
compare two things or two compare more than two things
people: or two people. Superlative
Alan is taller than John. sentences usually use 'the':
Alan is the most intelligent.

Similarities
To express similarities use the following structure:... as + adjective + as ...

Examples:
•Mike is as intelligent as Nancy.
•Larry is as popular as Oprah.
 VOCABULARY: TALKING

a. Say
Use say when you report someone’s words.
- She said, “This is terrible!”
- He said that he wanted some coffee.

Use say when you ask about language.

A: How do you say “book “ in Spanish? B: “Libro.”

We say hello/good-bye, please/thank you,

Happy birthday/Happy New Year/ congratulations.
a. Tell
Tell can be followed immediately by a person (e.g., tell me, him, her, etc..).
Say is not followed immediately by a person.
- He told me his name. (not He said me his name)

Use tell when you want to know how to get to a place.

- Can you tell me where the bus station is, please? (not Can you say me….?)

Use tell with other wh-words too (when, how, why, where); e.g.. you can tell
someone how to do something, where something is, why something happened.
- He told me how to send a fax. Tell me when you want to go home.

You can tell someone the time / a story/ a joke / your name / address/
telephone number.
c. Ask
Ask is used for questions.

- My sister asked me where I was going . or My sister asked (me),

“Where are you going?”

You can ask someone the time / a question.

Ask someone to do something, and ask someone for something.
- I asked him to turn off his radio. (or I said, “please turn off his radio”)
- She asked the waiter for the bill. ( or She said , “Can I have the bill,
please?”)
d. Speak/talk/answer/reply
Note the different uses of these verbs:

- Do you speak Korean? (not do you talk Korean?)

- I like talking to you.
- I’ll answer the telephone / the door. (pick up the phone when it rings
/ open the door to see who is there)
- I wrote him a letter, but he didn’t reply. or
- He didn’t reply to my letter. [He did not send me a letter back]. (for
letters, faxes, e-mails, etc.
Exercises
a. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of say or tell.

1. “Come here!” the police officer………………..

2. She ………….me her name.
3. I ………….good-bye to him.
4. “Please …………..me a story”, the little boy……………
5. Can you…………me where the Park Hotel is, please?
6. The teacher…………..that the students were very good.
b. What do you say?

1. You want to know where the subway station is.

Can you tell me where the subway station is?
2. You want to know the word for “tea” in Chinese.
How…………………………
3. You want to know the time.
Excuse me, can you………………………………………………….?
4. You want to know when the exam is.
Can you ……………………………………………?
5. The telephone rings. You are in the bathroom.
(To your friend) Can you………………………………………………….?
a. Circle the correct verb to complete the phrases.

1. Ask / Tell / Say someone a joke.

2. Reply / Reply to / Answer the door
3. Answer / Ask for / Ask the check
4. Reply to / Reply / Ask a letter
5. Tell / Say / Speak happy birthday
6. Talk / Reply / Talk to a friend
7. Ask / Say / Talk someone to help you