110 Comparative and superlative forms 1 The comparison of adjectives gong to buy the cheapest c and superlative of short adjectives (cg, cheap) and long adjectives fferent ways. For less and least, see Unit 112.1 ‘There are some less expensive ones here, ook.2. Short and long adjectives (c.g. small, nice) CECT SNE Your hi-fiissmaller. Fmma needs « bigger computer. ‘This is the nicest colour. This room is the warmest. Everyone was pleased at the results, but Vicky was the most pleased. _ We also use more, most with three-syllable adjectives (e.g. ex-cit-ing) and with longer ones. ‘The film was more exciting than the book. This dress is more elegant We did the most interesting project. This machine is the most reliable.adverbs have the same form as an adjective, eg, early, fast, hard, high, late, long, near. form the comparative and superlative with -er,-est. can't you run faster than that? Andrew works the hardest. te also the spelling of earlier and earliest. -g. carefully, easily, nicely, slowly. form the comparative and superlative with more, most. could do this more easily with a computer. Of all the players it was Matthew who planned his tactics the most carefully. ormal English we use cheaper, cheapest, louder, loudest, quicker, quickest and slower, slowest rather more cheaply, the most loudly, etc. Melanie reacted the quickest. You should drive slower in fog. fe the forms sooner, soonest and more often, most often.@regular forms” ‘Good, well, bad, badly and far have irregular forms, DIECTIVE/ADVERB COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE better best ‘worse worst farther/further __farthestfurthest You've got the best handwriting. How much further are we going? We can use elder, eldest + noun instead of older, oldest, but only for people in the same family. My elderiolder sister got married last year. Comparing quantities We use more, most and their opposites less and least to compare quantities. Thaven't got many books. You've got more than Ihave. The Hotel Bristol has the most rooms. Trevor spends less on clothes than Laura does. Emma made the least mistakes.‘Older and elder ‘The comparative of old is older: 1 David looks older than he really is. Oe ee ty edie Cie ‘We say ‘my elder sister’, but we do not say that ‘somebody is elder’: O My sister is older than me. (sot elder than me)abit aide Let's go by car. Is i@Pcheaper. (or a lot cheaper) © ‘How do you feel?” lib better, thanks.” 1D Don't go by train. Ir’s@ilGb more expensive. (ord more expensive) © Could you speak @Bi@more slowly? (or iliile more slowly) © This bag is@H@Blly heavier than the other one. © Her illness was{flimore serious than we thought at first. (or eit more serious / a lor more serious)Different ways to use comparatives and say the same thing Eduardo” Denise is shorter than Eduardo because He is much taller than Denise. or expressing the idea in a more polite way Denise Denise is not as tall as Eduardohappy| dirty easy healthy pretty heavy big fat hot sad bad Imegular adjectives ‘on good comfortable expensive beautiful interesting dangerous modern boring polite cer lets err Deg Pes g ied eer ene ecg Perr Prey Seu lais Perc Ded Cnr ete Dect) ee eared tue a) more boring more polite‘Study these examples: ‘What is @HB longest river in the world? ‘What was@@i most enjoyable holiday you've ever had? Longest and most enjoyable are sieperlative forms. ss ‘The superlative form is -est or most ... . In general, we use -est for short words and most ... for longer words. The rules are the same as those for the comparative — see Unit 105. long — longest hot — hottest. easy — easiest hard —> hardest but most famous most boring most difficult. —_-most expensive A few adjectives are irregular: good — best bad —= worst. far — furthest/farthest For spelling, see Appendix 6. We normally use the before a superlative (the longest / the most famous etc,): 6 Yesterday wastilib hottest day of the year. © The film was really boring. It was @Hi@ most boring film I've ever seen. 5 She is a really nice person ~ one of @li@ nicest people I know. 2 Why does he always come to see me at@iB worst possible moment? Compare superlative and comparative: © This hotel is HB cheapest in town. (superlative) This hotel is cheaper than all the others in town. (comparative) () He's @8iB most patient person I've ever met. Hic’s much more patient than Lam,Oldest and eldest The superlative of old is oldest: © Thar church is the oldest building in the town. (not the eldest) ‘We use eldest (or oldest) when we are talking about people in a family: G My eldest son is 13 years old. (or My oldest son) © Are you the eldest in your family? (or the oldest) After superlatives we normally use iB with places: D What's the longest river in the world? (not of the world) © We had a nice room. Tt was one of the best in the hotel. (nor of the hotel) We also use in for organisations and groups of people (a class / a company ete.): 5 Who is the youngest student in the class? (not of the class) For a period of time, we normally use > T) What was the happiest day of your life? 5 Yesterday was the hottest day of the year. We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A): 1 What's the most important decision you've ever had to make? © That was the est holiday Pve had for a long time.‘Superlatives FaT |e files THE BIGGEST leg THE HOTTEST SAD GLE DISg Mnsiadliess Eaeyg THE EASIEST DIRTY Gabo Srey THE TALLEST fee THE CHEAPEST femm THE RICHEST [CXR THE MOST EXPENSIVE DANGEROUS |PGaVeSby Wels Coty The + most + long adjective CIN) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL — | POLLUTED RGGI eS eco eRt i) ieleta THE MOST NUTRICIOUS coop /iRGEEIy BAD THE WORST FAR [RGUR184 Read the text and write the names ofthe four people inthe correct boxes Then description of them withthe comparative or the superlative ofthe adjectives in bi Meet my bes fiends. ve known Jason forages. Hes the (tall) of the group and ® .. (thin) too. Bruce is much. .(stong) than him and I esnsemen (K) 8S though he's? Look at his shoulders, Theyre much ® than Jason, ‘The girl are Terry and Claire, Tey is... usall, but shes ® (pretty). Cie is (al) than her, but she isnt unpre). Terry’ also got”. (long) hair than Chie, Claire is very fienly, though she's probably (fiendly) and. helpfil) person T know.7 Complete the sentences with the comparative of the adverbs formed from the adjectives. 1 He'sa quick walker. He walks... mere quickly than everyone else. 2 She's slow learner, She learns ..0.snmow than most of her classmates. 3 They're good cooks, ‘They cook ....... te than the chef at the Grand Hotel! 4 He's a hard worker. He works ........ than most of the other employees. 5 This is really loud music. ‘They're playing it... ... than usual. 6 Peter's a careful biker. He rides his motorbike ... than his friends. 18.8 Complete the email with the comparative or superlative of the adjectives in brackets. I'm writing from the Internet point in the hotel where I'm spending ‘the best... (good) holiday of my life! I hang out every night with George, who is --~susensnnannne (Sweet) guy I've ever met. Yes! I've finally got over Mike. George is much » (nice) then Mike and he plays the guitar brilliantly. He has som (StrANge) guitar I've ever seen ~ star shaped and covered in flowers! He always has it with him! ‘There's a lovely beach here. it's (wide) and (clean) than the one we usually go to. The hotel is great. It's not (big) as the one we went to last year - the rooms are (small) and .~ (cosy), but I want to