English File Pre-intemediate 5B

1. Comparatives and Superlatives
EF Pre-intermediate

2. Comparatives
• Superiority
more + adj./adv.
adj./adv. + -er …. than
Katie is taller than Tom
Katie is better-looking than Tom
Katie is more intelligent than Tom Tom is shorter than Katie

3. Comparatives
Bad > Worse
Irregular comparative adjectives/adverbs:
• good/well> better
• bad/badly > worse
• far > further (farther)

4. Comparatives
Tom is shorter than Katie
Regular comparative
adjectives/adverbs:
• hard > harder – one-syllable adjs. and
advs. add –er
• big > bigger – one-syllable adjs. and
advs. CVC  Cx2 + -er
• easy > easier – two-syllable adjs.
ending in – y = y > i + -er (not true for
adverbs: slowly  more slowly)
• modern > more modern – adjs. and
advs. with more than 2 syllables: more +
adj./adv

5. Comparatives
Bad > Worse
Irregular comparative
adjectives/adverbs:
• good/well> better
• bad/badly > worse
• far > further (farther)

6. Comparatives
• Equality
as + adj./adv. …. as
Pili is as pretty as Mili

7. Comparatives
• Inferiority
less + adj./adv. than
not as adj./adv as
King Juan Carlos is less tall than Romay
King Juan Carlos isn’t as tall as Romay

8. Than … him/he is
After comparative + than or as…as we use:
an object pronoun
Katie is taller than him
Peter runs faster than him
or a subject pronoun + auxiliary
Katie is taller than he is
Peter runs faster than he does

9. Superlatives
• The same spelling rules as the comparatives,
but using –est and most/least
• You normally use the
or a possessive
adjective (my, your,
his…) before
superlatives.
The cheapest shoes in the store cost just $23

10. Superlatives
Irregular superlative adjectives/adverbs:
• good/well> better > the best
• bad/badly > worse > the worst
• far > farther (further) > the farthest
(furthest)

11. Superlatives
• In – for places
The Alps is the best place in the world for skiing
• In – for groups of people or organizations
She is the prettiest girl in the class
• Of – for periods of time
May is the best month of the year to visit Seville
• We often use the Present Perfect with
superlatives
Marrying him was the silliest thing you’ve ever done