domingo, 19 de abril de 2015

005 - Comparatives and Superlatives

005 - Comparatives and Superlatives

Comparatives
Comparative Structures: one thing or person is more than another thing or person

We can say that something is more than another thing by using a comparative adjective with 'than'.
  • France is bigger than Scotland.
  • Luke is taller than Lucy.
  • Your book is more interesting than my book.
We can make the comparison stronger by using 'far' or 'much' or 'a lot' before the adjective. We can make it less strong by using 'a little' or 'a bit'.
  • Canada is far bigger than Scotland.
  • Your book is much more interesting than my book.
  • Amanda is a lot younger than Julie.
  • This exercise is a little more difficult than that exercise.
We can say that one thing or person is less than another thing by using 'less ... than':
  • Scotland is less big than France.
  • Lucy is less tall than Luke.
  • My book is less interesting than your book.
To show something is changing, we can use 'comparative and comparative' or 'more and more adjective'.
  • That child is getting taller and taller.
  • The climate is getting hotter and hotter.
  • This city is becoming more and more crowded.
Comparative structures: things or people that are the same

First, we can use 'as ... as' with a normal adjective (not a comparative) to say two things are the same:
  • John is as tall as Luke (= they are the same height).
  • The red shirt is as expensive as the blue shirt (= they are the same price).
We can use 'not as ... as' to say that two things are not the same.
  • Lucy is not as tall as Helena (= Helena is taller than Lucy).
  • Paris is not as big as London (= London is bigger than Paris).
Superlatives

We use a superlative to say that a thing or person is the most of a group. When we use a superlative adjective ('the tallest student') before the noun, we generally use it with 'the'. This is because there's only one (or one group) of the thing we are talking about. There is one student who is the tallest in the class, and because it's clear to the listener which one we mean, we usually use 'the':
  • She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.
  • It's the best café in London.
  • John and Lisa are the most intelligent students here.
  • This bowl is the biggest one.
Remember, we don't use 'the' when there is a possessive:
  • He's my best student.
  • That's our most important goal.
It's possible to drop 'the' when the adjective is used later in the sentence, rather than directly before the noun. We can choose either 'the' or 'no article', with no change in meaning:
  • She is (the) most beautiful.
  • This café is (the) best.
  • John and Lisa are (the) most intelligent.
  • This bowl is (the) biggest.
This is not possible when the adjective comes directly before the noun:
  • He is fastest swimmer.

Video Material for Comparatives and Superlatives.

English with Sound and Light, Comparatives Usage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrxTrvrCohE   (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8lX5I5sTPQ   (Part 2)

Explanation of Comparatives and Superlatives with a song background.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UESYzGogazQ

Examples with countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pwwrF0UBQQ

Examples and spelling rules of comparatives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fQb7_KUs3A

Visual Examples of Comparatives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCLrYbmPvis

Comparatives and Superlative in Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T7EDVC-Byk

Comparatives in Interviews
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLE5yPZa_Ow

Reading Material (Spanish)
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar.php

Silent video that works as a presentation for Superlatives.

Reading Material for Comparatives

Simple Explanation of Comparatives
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/adjectivecomp.html

Formation of Comparative Adjectives
https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/adjectives-comparative-form.htm

Explanation in Spanish
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar.php

A very complete list of Comparatives
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/compar-lista.php

Exercises for Comparatives and Superlatives

Very simple matching exercises
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-multiple-1
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-match

Complete Sentences
http://www.hshc.de/unterricht/comparison/comparison2.htm (Comparative)
http://suz.digitaleschulebayern.de/english/grammar/comp1.htm
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-write-2
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/comparison-write-3
http://www.english-4u.de/comparison_ex3.htm
http://www.adelescorner.org/grammar/comparatives/superlatives.html (Superlative)
http://jerome.boulinguez.free.fr/english/file/hotpotatoes/superlatives3.htm
http://www.adelescorner.org/grammar/comparatives/superlatives2.html
http://www.funkyenglish.com/page/quiz-superlatives

True or False Exercises on Comparatives
http://s.mound.free.fr/skyblues67/comparing/trig&family1.htm (Comparative)
http://www.hshc.de/unterricht/comparison/comparison.htm
http://www.agendaweb.org/exercises/grammar/comparison/superlatives-1 (Superlative)

Use the right comparative or superlative.
http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=2070 (Comparatives)
http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/supadj.php (Superlative)

Using more and most.
http://first-english.org/english_learning/english_year_2/comparison_adjectives/30_comparison_of_adjectives_more_most.htm

Games for Comparatives and Superlatives

Boardgame that uses animals as a topic for comparative and superlative adjectives.
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/comparatives-and-superlatives-zoo-animals-vocabulary-grammar-esl-interactive-board-game/

A game where the students must choose between comparatives and superlatives correctly.
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/comparatives-superlatives-wild-zoo-animals-vocabulary-grammar-interactive-monkey-fun-activity/

Compare different animals using the right adjective form.
http://gamestolearnenglish.com/compare/

Hangman and choosing the words in the right order.
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-games/comparatives-and-superlatives

Advanced games where students must read a text and use the right form of the adjective.
http://www.marks-english-school.com/games/basketball.html



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