TOPIC 3A & 3B

Outline:
1. Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives
2. Grammar: Articles: a/ an, the, no article
3. Vocabulary
4. Pronunciation
 1. THE COMPARISON OF
ADJECTIVES
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare one person or thing with another and enable us to say
whether a person or thing has more or less of a particular quality:

Josh is taller than his sister.

I’m more interested in music than sport.

Big cars that use a lot of petrol are less popular now than twenty years ago.
 2.COMPARATIVE
ADJECTIVES
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects they modify
(larger, smaller, faster, higher). They are used in sentences where two nouns are compared, in
this pattern:

Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

The second item of comparison can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example
below).

Examples
My house is larger than hers.
This box is smaller than the one I lost.
Your dog runs faster than Jim's dog.
The rock flew higher than the roof.
Jim and Jack are both my friends, but I like Jack better. ("than Jim" is understood)
 3. COMPARATIVE
ADJECTIVES
Comparative adjectives: form

One-syllable adjectives (big, cold, hot, long, nice, old, tall)

To form the comparative, we use the -er suffix with adjectives of one syllable:

It’s colder today than yesterday.

It was a longer holiday than the one we had last year.

Sasha is older than Mark.

 1. SUPERLATIVE
ADJECTIVES
Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the tallest, the
smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects.

Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

The group that is being compared with can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example below).
Examples
My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.
This is the smallest box I've ever seen.
Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.
We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. ("of all the rocks" is understood)
• Forming regular comparatives and superlatives The form depends on the number of syllables in the original
adjective.
• One syllable adjectives
• Add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative. If the adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant
spelling, the final consonant must be doubled before adding the ending.

• AdjectiveComparative Superlative
• tall taller tallest
• fat fatter fattest
• big bigger biggest
• sadsadder saddest

• Some one-syllable adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms:

• bad, worse, worst

• far, farther/further, farthest/furthest
• good, better, best
• old, older/elder, oldest/eldest
 COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMATION

Two syllables
• Adjectives with two syllables can form the comparative either by adding -er or by preceding the adjective with
more.
• These adjectives form the superlative either by adding -est or by preceding the adjective with most.
• If you are not sure whether a two-syllable adjective can take a comparative or superlative ending, play it safe and
use more and most instead. For adjectives ending in (y), change the (y) to an (i) before adding the ending.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

happy happier happiest
simple simpler simplest
busy busier busiest
tilted more tilted most tilted
tangled more tangled most tangled
 ADJECTIVES WITH THREE OR MORE
SYLLABLES

Three or more syllables

Adjectives with three or more syllables form the comparative by putting more in front of the adjective, and the
superlative by putting most in front.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

important more important most important
expensive more expensive most expensive
 IRREGULAR COMPARTIVES AND
SUPERLATIVES
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
These very common adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

good better best
bad worse worst
little less least
much more most
far further / fartherfurthest / farthest
• Practice the exercises on pp. 44, 54 and 208 of English File Student’s Book.
 3. VOCABULARY RELATED TO
“TRANSPORT”
Lorry /ˈlɒri/ Fine /faɪn/
Scooter /ˈskuːtə(r)/ Hard shoulder /hɑː(r)d/ʃəʊldə(r)/
Van /væn/ Roadworks /rəʊdˌwɜː(r)ks/
Traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ Lollipop lady /lɒliˌpɒp/leɪdi/
Zebra crossing /zebrə//ˈkrɒsɪŋ/ Towaway zone /təʊəweɪ ˌzəʊn/
Save /ˈseɪv/ Lay-by /leɪ/baɪ/
Traffic jam /ˈtræfɪk/dʒæm/ Level-crossing /ˈlev(ə)l/ˈkrɒsɪŋ/
Taxi rank /tæksi/ræŋk/ Roudabout/raʊndəˌbaʊt/
• Work on exercises about vocabulary p.52, p.68, p227 of English File Students’ Book
• Practice the sounds:
• ʃ voiceless postalveolar fricative; same as [š] ship, push, delicious
• dʒ judge, age, soldier
• tʃ church, match, nature
 ARTICLES: A/AN, THE, NO ARTICLE

Definite article
the (before a singular or plural noun)
Indefinite article
a (before a singular noun beginning with a consonant sound)
an (before a singular noun beginning with a vowel sound)
Countable nouns - refer to items that can be counted and are either singular or plural: man, friend, child, dog, flower, house,
horse, ide, shop, etc.
Non-countable nouns - refer to items that are not counted and are always singular: tea, sugar, water, air, rice, knowledge,
beaty, anger, fear, love, money, safety, evidence, flour .
ATENTION!
Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. They must follow the rules for uncountable nouns.
The most common ones are: accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress,
traffic, trouble, weather, bread.
Examples:
•I would like to give you some advice.
•How much bread should I bring?
•I didn't make much progress today.
•This looks like a lot of trouble to me.
 ARTICLES: A/AN, THE, NO ARTICLE

COUNT NOUNS NON-COUNT NOUNS

Rule #1
Specific identity not known a, an (no article)
A dog got into the room.
Rule #2
Specific identity known the the
This is the dog of my sister.
Rule #3
All things or things in general (no article) (no article)
I go to school every day.
 A/AN ARTICLES

• We use a/an when we say what something is or what somebody does:

• It’s a nice house (what something is)
• She is a lawyer (what somebody does).
• The first time we mention a thing/person.
• I saw an old man with a dog.
• In exclamations with what!
• What an awful day!
• In expressions of frequency(once a week, month, year, every morning, every day, etc.)
• I have classes 3 times a week.
 THE ARTICLE

• We use the when we talk about something we already mentioned:

• I saw an old man with a dog. The dog was barking.
• When it’s clear what we are referring to:
• The bell rang, and my father opened the door.
• When there is one of something:
• The moon goes round the earth.
• With places in a town: cinema, theatre:
• I’m going to the cinema tonight.
• With superlatives:
• This is the best restaurant.
 NO ARTICLE

• We don’t use article when we speak in general with plural and uncountable nouns:
• Compare: I like flowers.
I like the flowers in my garden. (specific flowers)
• With some nouns like school, home, work, church after at, to, from:
• She is not at home today.
• I get back from work at 5.
• Before meals, days and months:
• I never have breakfast.
• I am going to the theatre on Tuesday.
• Before next, last + day, week:
• See you next week.