COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES Los comparativos sirven justamente para comparar una misma cualidad o caracterstica en dos sustantivos.

Por ejemplo, en la frase "a small shirt" (una camisa chica), small es un adjetivo. Para comparar este objeto con otro, se usa el adjetivo comparativo, "a smaller shirt" (una camisa ms chica). Para formar el comparativo, se deben seguir las siguientes reglas:

Se agrega al adjetivo "er" o "r", si ya termina en "e". small - smaller Si la palabra termina en vocal + consonante, se duplica la consonante. big - bigger Si termina en "y" se cambia por "ier". happy - happier

Cuando el adjetivo tiene ms de tres slabas, el comparativo se forma usando la palabra " more" adelante. Expensive - more expensive careful - more careful Para comparar dos objetos en una oracin, se agrega "than". This shirt is smaller than that shirt. Esta camisa es ms chica que aquella camisa Los superlativos sirven para referirse a sustantivos que son los nicos que presentan una cualidad que los diferencia del resto. Como vimos, en la frase "a small shirt" (una camisa chica), small es un adjetivo. Si todas las dems camisas son grandes, se puede comparar usando el superlativo "the smallest shirt" (la camisa ms chica). Siempre se agrega "the" adelante.

Para formar el superlativo, se deben seguir las siguientes reglas:

Se agrega al adjetivo "est" o "st", si ya termina en "e". small - the smallest Si la palabra termina en vocal + consonante, se duplica la consonante. big - the biggest Si termina en "y" se cambia por "iest". happy - the happiest

Cuando el adjetivo tiene ms de tres slabas, el superlativo se forma usando las palabras " the most" adelante. expensive - the most expensive careful - the most careful Existen ciertos adjetivos con comparativos y superlativos irregulares. La nica forma de aprenderlos es memorizarlos. Adjective good bueno bad malo Comparative better mejor worse peor Superlative the best el mejor the worst el peor

EXERCISES
a. Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets

(comparative or superlative). 1. 2. 3. 4. My house is (big)

bigger

than yours. than that one. book I have ever read. than smokers.

This flower is (beautiful) This is the (interesting)

Non-smokers usually live (long)

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Which is the (dangerous) A holiday by the sea is (good) the mountains.

animal in the world? than a holiday in than

It is strange but often a coke is (expensive) a beer. Who is the (rich) woman on earth? The weather this summer is even (bad) summer. He was the (clever) thief of all.

than last

10.

Bob is _________________(YOUNG) than Homer. Homer is ____________________ (OLD) than Alice. Alice is ______________________(SLIM) than Bob. Bob is ________________________ (SHORT) than Homer. Homer is _________________________________ (FAT) than Bob. Alice is __________________________________ (SHORT) than Homer. Homer is ____________________________________ (UGLY) than Alice. Homer is ______________________________________ (SLOW) than Bob. Bob is ________________________________________ (TIDY) than Homer. Alice is ________________________________________ (BEAUTIFUL) than Bob. Alice has got _________________________________ (LONG) hair than Bob.

Homer can play the guitar _______________________ (GOOD) than Alice. Alice can run ______________________________ (FAST) than Homer. Alice draws ___________________________________ (BAD) than Bob. Bob is __________________________________ (INTELLIGENT) than Homer. Homer is a ______________________________ (INTERESTING) person than Bob. II. Choose the correct answer using the Superlatives: 1. Mount Everest measures 8,848 meters, Mount Kangchenjunga measures 8,596 meters and K2 measures 8,611 meters. a. Mount Everest is the highest mountain. b. Mount Kangchenjunga is the highest mountain. c. K2 is the lowest mountain. 2. Anne is 43 years old, Lynne is 40 years old. a. Anne is younger than Lynne. b. Lynne is older than Anne. c. Anne is older than Lynne. 3. The red dress costs 25.00, the blue dress costs 15.00. a. The red dress costs less than the blue dress. b. The blue dress costs less than the red dress. c. The blue dress costs more than the red dress. 4. Russia is 17,075,000 sqm, France is 544,000 sqm. a. France is larger than Russia. b. Russia is larger than France. c. Russia is smaller than France. 5. Box A is bigger than box B, box C is bigger than box A.

a. Box B is the smallest box. b. Box A is the biggest box. c. Box C is the smallest box. 6. I live 2 km from my mother. My sister lives 1 km from her. a. I live nearer my mother than my sister. b. My sister lives nearer my mother than me. c. My sister lives further from my mother than me. 7. Jane has 1,633.20, Bill has 1,635.30, John has 1,632.10. a. Bill has the most money. b. Jane has the least money. c. John has the most money. 8. Carrots are good for you, cakes are bad for you. a. Carrots are worse for you than cakes. b. Cakes are better for you than carrots. c. Carrots are better for you than cakes. 9. Johnny was bad, Wendy was very bad, Billy was very, very bad. a. Johnny was the worst. b. Wendy was the best. c. Billy was the worst. 10. I saw two plays, one on Monday 1st April and the other on Tuesday 2nd April. I enjoyed the Monday play; I didn't enjoy the one on Tuesday. a. I enjoyed the second play more than the first play. b. I enjoyed the first play more than the second play. c. I enjoyed the first play less than the second play.