Monday, 24 December 2012

Modal Verbs: Can, Could, To Be Able To

Can

"Can" is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in English. It can be used to express ability or opportunity, to request or offer permission, and to show possibility or impossibility.

Examples:

I can ride a horse. ability

We can stay with my brother when we are in Paris. opportunity

She cannot stay out after 10 PM. permission

Can you hand me the stapler? request

Any child can grow up to be president. possibility

Using "Can" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "can" behaves in different contexts.

Modal Use	Positive Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future	Negative Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future	You can also use:
can general ability	1. I can speak Chinese. 2. SHIFT TO "COULD" I could speak Chinese when I was a kid. 3. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" I will be able to speak Chinese by the time I finish my course.	1. I can't speak Swahili. 2. SHIFT TO "COULD" I couldn't speak Swahili. 3. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" I won't be able to speak Swahili.	be able to
can ability during a specific event	1. With a burst of adrenaline, people can pick up cars. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" With a sudden burst of adrenaline, he was able to lift the car off the child's leg. 3. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" With a sudden burst of adrenaline, he will be able to lift the car.	1. Even with a burst of adrenaline, people can't pick up something that heavy. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" Even the weight lifter, couldn't lift the car off the child's leg. 3. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" Even three men working together won't be able to lift the car.	be able to
can opportunity	1. I have some free time. I can help her now. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" I had some free time yesterday. I was able to help her at that time. 3. I'll have some free time tomorrow. I can help her then.	1. I don't have any time. I can't help her now. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ABLE TO" I didn't have time yesterday. I wasn't able to help her at that time. 3. I won't have any time later. I can't help her then.	be able to
can permission	1. I can drive Susan's car when she is out of town. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ALLOWED TO " I was allowed to drive Susan's car while she was out of town last week. 3. I can drive Susan's car while she is out of town next week.	1. I can't drive Susan's car when she is out of town. 2. SHIFT TO "BE ALLOWED TO " I wasn't allowed to drive Susan's car while she was out of town last week. 3. I can't drive Susan's car while she is out of town next week.	may
can request	Can I have a glass of water? Can you give me a lift to school? Requests usually refer to the near future.	Can't I have a glass of water? Can't you give me a lift to school? Requests usually refer to the near future.	could, may
can possibility, impossibility	Anyone can become rich and famous if they know the right people. Learning a language can be a real challenge. This use is usually a generalization or a supposition.	It can't cost more than a dollar or two. You can't be 45! I thought you were about 18 years old. This use is usually a generalization or a supposition.	could

Could
"Could" is used to express possibility or past ability as well as to make suggestions and requests. "Could" is also commonly used in conditional sentences as the conditional form of "can."

Examples:

Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city. possibility

Nancy could ski like a pro by the age of 11. past ability

You could see a movie or go out to dinner. suggestion

Could I use your computer to email my boss? request

We could go on the trip if I didn't have to work this weekend. conditional

Using "Could" in Present, Past, and Future
Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "could" behaves in different contexts.

Modal Use Positive Forms
1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future Negative Forms
1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future You can also use:

could
possibility 1. John could be the one who stole the money. 2. John could have been the one who stole the money.
3. John could go to jail for stealing the money. 1. Mary couldn't be the one who stole the money. 2. Mary couldn't have been the one who stole the money.
3. Mary couldn't possibly go to jail for the crime. might,
may

could
conditional
of can 1. If I had more time, I could travel around the world. 2. If I had had more time, I could have traveled around the world.
3. If I had more time this winter, I could travel around the world. 1. Even if I had more time, I couldn't travel around the world. 2. Even if I had had more time, I couldn't have traveled around the world.
3. Even if I had more time this winter, I couldn't travel around the world.

could
suggestion 1. NO PRESENT FORM 2. You could have spent your vacation in Hawaii.
3. You could spend your vacation in Hawaii. NO NEGATIVE FORMS

could
past ability I could run ten miles in my twenties. I could speak Chinese when I was a kid.
"Could" cannot be used in positive sentences in which you describe a momentary or one-time ability.
Yesterday, I could lift the couch by myself. Not Correct I couldn't run more than a mile in my twenties. I couldn't speak Swahili.
"Could" can be used in negative sentences in which you describe a momentary or one-time ability.
Yesterday, I couldn't lift the couch by myself. Correct be able to

could
polite request Could I have something to drink? Could I borrow your stapler?
Requests usually refer to the near future. Couldn't he come with us? Couldn't you help me with this for just a second?
Requests usually refer to the near future. can,
may,
might

Can I …? Can you …? Could I … Could you …? and so on.
The negative form is can’t in spoken English and cannot in written English.
We sometimes say cannot, but it is very emphatic.
The negative form of could is couldn’t in spoken English and could not in written English.
We sometimes say could not.
We use can and can’t :

To talk about ability:

Maria can speak four languages.
I can’t swim, but my sister can.

To say that something is possible or impossible:

Learning English can be difficult [= Learning English is sometimes difficult.]
Children can be very naughty [= Children are sometimes very naughty.]
It’s still light. It can’t be bedtime.

For requests and refusals of requests

Can I go home now?
You can go whenever you like.
You can borrow the car today, but you can’t have it tomorrow.

To offer to help someone:

Can I help you?
Can I carry that bag for you?
We use could and couldn’t as the past tense of can/can’t:

To talk about ability:

I could run very fast when I was younger.
She couldn’t get a job anywhere.

To say that something was possible or impossible:

Our teacher could be very strict when we were at school. [= Some teachers were very strict.]
People could starve in those days. [= People sometimes starved.]
You couldn’t use computers in the nineteenth century.

To make a polite request:

Could I go now please?
Could you lend me a dictionary please?

To make a polite offer:

Could I give you a lift?
I could carry that for you.
We use could have:

to show that something is possible now or was possible at some time in the past:

It’s ten o’clock. They could have arrived now.
They could have arrived hours ago.

Exercises:

Elementary

Exercise1

Look at the pictures and choose the best answer.

Exercise2

Complete the sentences with can or can't.

Exercise3

Make negative sentences. Use the verbs in brackets.

Exercise4

Rewrite the sentences.

Exercise5

Make statements or questions.

Exercise6

Use the verbs can, may, must in positive or negative forms.

Exercise7

Rewrite the sentences.

Exercise8

Read the sentences and choose the correct response.

Exercise9

Choose the correct verb forms and complete the sentences.

Intermediate

Exercise1

Mix and match.

Exercise2

Requests, offers or possibility?

Exercise3

Put in order.

Exercise4

Rules and regulations.

Exercise5

The logical possibility.

Exercise6

Multiple choice.

Exercise7

Modal Auxiliary Verbs Game - Can, Must, Would - Basketball

Exercise8
When i was two.

Exercise9
Paraphrase

Exercise10
Complete the following sentences using the most appropriate forms of the verbs

Advanced

Exercise1

Fill in the blanks with can or can't and then check your answers below.

Exercise2
Mix and match.

Exercise3
Fill in the spaces with the right modal verbs.

Can - To Be Able To

'Can' is also used to express ability. Another form that can be used to express ability is 'to be able to'. Usually, either of these two forms can be used.

Examples:
I can play the piano. => I'm able to play the piano.
She can speak Spanish. => She's able to speak Spanish.

There is no future or perfect form of 'can'. Use 'to be able to' in both future and perfect tenses.

Examples:
Jack's been able to golf for three years.
I'll be able to speak Spanish when I finish the course.

Special Case of the Past Positive Form

When speaking about a specific (non-general) event in the past only 'to be able to' is used in the positive form. However, both 'can' and 'to be able to' are used in the past negative.

Examples:
I was able to get tickets for the concert. NOT I could get tickets for the concert.
I couldn't come last night. OR I wasn't able to come last night.

Exercises:
Elementary:
Exercise1
Mini-test. Create the sentences.

Exercise2
Choose the most appropriate answer for expressing ability.

Exercise3
Choose the most appropriate answer for expressing the idea specified in parentheses.

Intermediate:
Exercise1
"Have to - Be able to". Complete the sentences.

Exercise2
Fill in the blanks with can, can’t, could, couldn’t or was / wasn’t able to

Exercise3
Choose the correct form.

Exercise4
Write the phrases in brackets in their correct forms into the gaps.

Exercise5
Complete the sentences.

Exercise6
Test

Advanced:
Exercise1
Multiple choice.

Exercise2
Multiple choice.

Exercise3
Multiple choice.

Exercise4
Put the modal verbs into the right tense.

My Test

Key

Monday, 17 December 2012

The Pronoun. Meaning. The main groups of pronouns, their forms, meaning and use.

In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun is a word or form that substitutes for a nounor noun phrase. It is a particular case of a pro-form.

Pronouns have traditionally been regarded as one of the parts of speech, although many modern theorists would not regard them as a single distinct word class, because of the variety of functions performed by words which are classed as pronouns. Common types include the personal pronouns, relative pronouns,interrogative pronouns, demonstrative pronouns and indefinite pronouns.

The use of pronouns often involves anaphora, where the meaning of the pronoun is dependent on another referential element. This applies particularly to the (third-person) personal pronouns. The referent of the pronoun is often the same as that of a preceding (or sometimes following) noun phrase, called the antecedent of the pronoun. For example, in the sentence That poor man looks as if he needs a new coat, the antecedent of the pronoun he is the noun phrase that poor man. (Pronouns used without antecedents are sometimes called unprecursed pronouns.) Another type of antecedent is that found with relative pronouns, as in the woman who looked at you, where the woman is the antecedent of the relative pronoun who.

Common types of pronouns found in the world's languages are as follows:

Personal pronouns denote an entity of a specific grammatical person: first person (as in the case of I, me, we, etc.), second person (as in the case of you), or third person (he, she, they, etc.)
- Subject pronouns are used when the person or thing is the subject of the sentence or clause. English example: I like to eat chips, but she does not.
  - Second person formal and informal pronouns (T-V distinction). For example,vous and tu in French. There is no distinction in modern English though Elizabethan English marked the distinction with "thou" (singular informal) and "you" (plural or singular formal).
  - Inclusive and exclusive "we" pronouns indicate whether the audience is included. There is no distinction in English.
  - Intensive pronouns, also known as emphatic pronouns, re-emphasize a noun or pronoun that has already been mentioned. English uses the same forms as the reflexive pronouns; for example: I did it myself (contrast reflexive use, I did it to myself).
- Object pronouns are used when the person or thing is the object of the sentence or clause. English example: John likes mebut not her.
  - Direct and indirect object pronouns. English uses the same oblique form for both; for example: Mary loves him (direct object); Mary sent him a letter (indirect object).
  - Reflexive pronouns are used when a person or thing acts on itself. English example: John cut himself.
  - Reciprocal pronouns refer to a reciprocal relationship. English example: They do not like each other.
- Prepositional pronouns come after a preposition. No distinct forms exist in English; for example: Anna and Maria looked athim.
- Disjunctive pronouns are used in isolation or in certain other special grammatical contexts. No distinct forms exist in English; for example: Who does this belong to? Me.
- Dummy pronouns are used when grammatical rules require a noun (or pronoun), but none is semantically required. English example: It is raining.
- Weak pronouns.
Possessive pronouns are used to indicate possession or ownership.
- In a strict sense, the possessive pronouns are only those that act syntactically as nouns. English example: Those clothes aremine.
- Often, though, the term "possessive pronoun" is also applied to the so-called possessive determiners (or possessive adjectives). For example, in English: I lost my wallet. They are not strictly speaking pronouns because they do not substitute for a noun or noun phrase, and as such, some grammarians classify these terms in a separate lexical category called determiners (they have a syntactic role close to that of adjectives, always qualifying a noun).
Demonstrative pronouns distinguish the particular objects or people that are referred to from other possible candidates. English example: I'll take these.
Indefinite pronouns refer to general categories of people or things. English example: Anyone can do that.
- Distributive pronouns are used to refer to members of a group separately rather than collectively. English example: To each his own.
- Negative pronouns indicate the non-existence of people or things. English example: Nobody thinks that.
Relative pronouns refer back to people or things previously mentioned. English example: People who smoke should quit now.
- Indefinite relative pronouns have some of the properties of both relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns. They have a sense of "referring back", but the person or thing to which they refer has not previously been explicitly named. English example: I knowwhat I like.
Interrogative pronouns ask which person or thing is meant. English example: Who did that?

In many languages (e.g., Czech, English, French, Interlingua, and Russian), the sets of relative and interrogative pronouns are nearly identical. Compare English: Who is that? (interrogative) to I know who that is. (relative).

Exersises:
Elementary level

Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exersise 4
Exersise 5

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exersise 3
Exersise 4
Exersise 5

Advanced level
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3

Exersise 4
Exersise 5

Test

Key

Monday, 10 December 2012

The Adverb. Meaning. Classification according to the meaning. Degrees of comparison.

What is an Adverb?

An adverb is a word that tells us more about a verb. It "qualifies" or "modifies" a verb (The man ranquickly). In the following examples, the adverb is in bold and the verb that it modifies is in italics.

John speaks loudly. (How does John speak?)
Afterwards she smoked a cigarette. (When did she smoke?)
Mary lives locally. (Where does Mary live?)

But adverbs can also modify adjectives (Tara is really beautiful), or even other adverbs (It works verywell). Look at these examples:

Modify an adjective:
- He is really handsome. (How handsome is he?)
- That was extremely kind of you.
Modify another adverb:
- She drives incredibly slowly. (How slowly does she drive?)
- He drives extremely fast.

Adverb Form

We make many adverbs by adding -ly to an adjective, for example:

quick (adjective) > quickly (adverb)
careful (adjective) > carefully (adverb)
beautiful (adjective) > beautifully (adverb)

There are some basic rules about spelling for -ly adverbs. See the table below:

Adjective ending	do this	adjective	adverb
most adjectives	add -ly	quick nice sole careful	quickly nicely solely carefully
-able or -ible	change -e to -y	regrettable horrible	regrettably horribly
-y	change -y to -ily	happy	happily
-ic	change -ic to -ically	economic	economically

But not all words that end in -ly are adverbs. The words friendly, lovely, lonely and neighbourly, for example, are all adjectives.

And some adverbs have no particular form. Look at these examples:

well, fast, very, never, always, often, still

Kinds of Adverbs

Here you can see the basic kinds of adverbs.

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of Manner tell us the manner or way in which something happens. They answer the question "how?". Adverbs of Manner mainly modify verbs.

He speaks slowly. (How does he speak?)
They helped us cheerfully. (How did they help us?)
James Bond drives his cars fast. (How does James Bond drive his cars?)

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Place tell us the place where something happens. They answer the question "where?". Adverbs of Place mainly modify verbs.

Please sit here. (Where should I sit?)
They looked everywhere. (Where did they look?)
Two cars were parked outside. (Where were two cars parked?)

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Time tell us something about the time that something happens. Adverbs of Time mainly modify verbs.

They can answer the question "when?":

He came yesterday. (When did he come?)
I want it now. (When do I want it?)

Or they can answer the question "how often?":

They deliver the newspaper daily. (How often do they deliver the newspaper?)
We sometimes watch a movie. (How often do we watch a movie?)

Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of Degree tell us the degree or extent to which something happens. They answer the question "how much?" or "to what degree?". Adverbs of Degree can modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

She entirely agrees with him. (How much does she agree with him?)
Mary is very beautiful. (To what degree is Mary beautiful? How beautiful is Mary?)
He drove quite dangerously. (To what degree did he drive dangerously? How dangerously did he drive?)

Adverb Position

When an adverb modifies a verb, there are usually 3 possible positions within the sentence or clause:

1. FRONT - before subject		Now	I will read a book.
2. MID - between subject + verb	I	often	read books.
3. END - after verb/object	I read books	carefully.

When an adverb modifies an adjective or another adverb, it usually goes in front of the word that it modifies, for example:

	adverb	adjective
She gave him a	really	dirty	look.
	adverb	adverb
We	quite	often	study English.

The position of an adverb often depends on the kind of adverb (manner, place, time, degree). The following table gives you some guidelines for placement based on the kind of adverb.

Warning: these are guidelines only, and not complete. There are many exceptions.
kind of adverb		mainly modifies	sentence			usual position
kind of adverb		mainly modifies		adverb		usual position
manner		verbs	She stroked his hair	gently.		END
place		verbs	He was working	here.		END
time	definite	verbs	He finished the job	yesterday.		END
time	frequency	verbs	We	often	go to Paris.	MID
degree		verbs, adjectives and adverbs	I	nearly	died.	MID
			It was	terribly	funny.	before adjective
			He works	really	fast.	before adverb

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs of Frequency are Adverbs of Time that answer the question "How frequently?" or "How often?". They tell us how often something happens. Here are some examples:

daily, weekly, yearly

often, sometimes, rarely

You probably see a difference between a) and b) above. With words like daily we know exactly how often. The words in a) describe definite frequency. On the other hand, words like often give us an idea about frequency but they don't tell us exactly. The words in b) describe indefinite frequency.

Comparison of Adverbs

Adverbs, like adjectives, have three degrees of comparison – the positive, the comparative and the superlative. The different degrees of comparison are formed in different ways:

Short adverbs having just one syllable form the comparative and the superlative by the addition of –er and –est to the positive.

Hard (positive), harder (comparative), hardest (superlative)

Soon, sooner, soonest

Fast, faster, fastest

Late, later, latest

Loud, louder, loudest

Clean, cleaner, cleanest

Clear, clearer, clearest

Low, lower, lowest

High, higher, highest

Note that almost all adverbs which are also used as adjectives belong to this class.

Adverbs ending in –ly

Adverbs which end in –ly take more for the comparative and most for the superlative.Softly (positive), more softly (comparative), most softly (superlative)

ExceptionThe adverb early is an exception to this rule.Early (positive), earlier (comparative), earliest (superlative)Some adverbs form their comparative and superlative degrees in an irregular manner:Far (positive), farther, further (comparative), farthest, furthest (superlative)

Notes

It should be noted that only adverbs of time, degree and manner have three degrees of comparison.Adverbs such as now, then, once, there, where, why, how, not, never, ever etc., cannot be compared and hence they do not have the three degrees of comparison.

Exercises:

Elementary

Exercise 1 Find the adjective in the first sentence and fill in the blanks with the corresponding adverb

Exercise 2 Multiple-choice exercise

Exercise 3 Order the words on the right from least (0) to most (+++) frequent

Exercise 4 Multiple-choice exercise

Exercise 5 Choose the adverb in each sentence by clicking on the red button next to your choice

Exercise6 Decide which adjective or adverb needs to be used in order to make the sentence correct

Exercise7 Form adverbs to the given adjectives

Exercise8 Click on words to build sentences

Exercise9 Think about whether you should use the adverb or the adjective in each of these sentences

Exercise10 Change the following adjectives into adverbs of manner and complete the sentences below

Intemediate

Exercise 1 Match the items on the right to the items on the left

Exercise 2 Write the following sentences with the given frequency adverb or adverbial phrase

Exercise 3 Multiple-choice exercise

Exercise 4 Fill in the blank with the correct comparative form of the adverb

Exercise 5 In each of the following pairs, indicate whether the highlighted word is an adverb or an adjective

Exercise 6 Choose the best answer

Exercise 7 Find the adjective in the first sentence and fill the gap with the adverb

Exercise 8 Compare the following adverbs

Exercise 9 Fill in the words in brackets as adjective or adverb as in the example

Exercise 10 Choose the correct answer below to fill the gap

Advanced

Exercise 1 Multiple-choice exercise

Exercise 2 Multiple-choice exercise

Exercise 3 Complete sentences by filling in a suitable adverb

Exercise 4 Fill in the correct adverb form (comparative or superlative) of the adjectives in brackets.

Exercise 5 Put the words in the correct order

Exercise 6 Rewrite the complete sentence using the adverb in brackets in its usual position.

Exercise 7 choose from the list of adjectives and adverbs in the box below

Exercise 8 Fill in all the gaps, then press "Check" to check your answers

Exercise 9 Choose the correct answer for each gap below, then click the "Check" button to check your answers

Exercise 10 For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below

TEST
KEY

Monday, 3 December 2012

The Adjective. Meaning. Degrees of comparison. Order of adjectives

Theory:

Word Order

The use of adjectives is essential when trying to describe a noun or pronoun. Good writers and speakers are able to use adjectives to create clear, mental images for the reader or listener. In English, it is common to use more than one adjective before a noun — for example, “He's a silly young fool,” or “She's a smart, energetic woman.” When you use more than one adjective, you have to put them in the right order, according to type.

Adjectives cannot be written in any order. There are rules, so you should use the following order:

1) Determiner or article
Determiners e.g. this, that, these, those, my, mine, your, yours, him, his, her, hers, they, their, Sam's ; or
Articles - a, an, the

2) Opinion adjective
e.g. polite, fun, cute, difficult, hard-working

3) Size, including adjectives, comparatives and superlatives
height; e.g. tall, short, high, low; taller, tallest
width; e.g. wide, narrow, thin, slim; wider, widest
length; e.g. long, short; longer, longest
volume; e.g. fat, huge; fatter, fattest

4) Shape
e.g. circular, oval, triangular, square, 5-sided, hexagonal, irregular

5) Age
e.g. new, young, adolescent, teenage, middle-aged, old, ancient

6) Colour
e.g. red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white, grey, black, black and white, light blue, dark red, pale blue, reddish brown, off-white, bright green, warm yellow

7) Nationality
e.g. Hong Kong, Chinese, English, American, Canadian, Japanese

8) Religion
e.g. Buddhist, Taoist, Christian, Moslem, pagan, atheist

9) Material
e.g. wood, plastic, metal, ceramic, paper, silk

10) Noun used as an adjective
e.g. campus (as in 'campus activities')

11) The noun that the adjectives are describing.

Sentence structure:
Together the article or determiner, adjective(s) and noun(s) make a 'noun phrase'. Noun phrases can also have adverbs describing the adjectives; e.g. nearly circular; and can also have relative clauses, although these are not discussed on this page.

Style:
Although it is possible to write a sentence that uses all the categories; e.g. 'my beautiful, long, curving, new, pink, western, Christian, silk wedding dress', it is bad style as it is too long. Try to use less than five adjectives in a single list. Therefore you could say "Have you seen my beautiful new cream silk wedding dress? It's long and curving, and is in western Christian style."

How to remember the order
You can use the 'Roman room' memorization technique. This involves remembering a place that you know well, such as your home, and imagining walking through it, looking at things.

1) Imagine that you arrive at the door of your home. On the door is the letter 'A', and you are greeted by someone who lives there. This helps you to remember the article 'A' or the determiner(s); e.g. my Mother's.
2) Imagine that you are happy to see each other. This helps you to remember the opinion adjective.
3) Imagine the size of your home: is it big, small, or long? This helps you to remember the size adjectives.

4) Imagine that you go into your home and you see an object. Remember the shape of the object.
5) Now imagine that you walk around your home; e.g. towards your room. Think of another object further from the door. Think of the age of that object; e.g. new or old.
6) Move on to another object, this time a colourful one. Remember what colour it is.
7) Move on to another object. This object should remind you of a foreign place; e.g. a picture of somewhere in China, or a souvenir from a holiday abroad. This is to help you remember nationality.
8) Next imagine moving to another object, this time a religious one. Maybe you have a place for worshipping your ancestors, or a statue of Buddha.
9) Next move to another object. This should be special because it is made of one material; e.g. a crystal ornament or a wooden statue.
10) Finally move to a place where there is an object that is described with 2 words, and the first is a noun;

e.g. a book shelf. Imagine that this is the end of your journey around your flat.

Degrees of Comparison

The formation of the comparative and superlative depends on the number of syllables in the adjective:

One-syllable Adjectives

To form the comparative, we add -er to the end of the adjective.
To form the superlative, we add -est to the end of the adjective.

Adjective Comparative Superlative
small smaller the smallest
cold colder the coldest
light lighter the lightest
short shorter the shortest

Remember that comparatives are often followed by than.
· - London is bigger than Santiago.
· - Mike is taller than John but James is the tallest.

Two-syllable Adjectives ending in -Y

To form the comparative, we remove the -y and add -ier to the end of the adjective.
To form the superlative, we remove the -y and add -iest to the end of the adjective.

Adjective Comparative Superlative
crazy crazier the craziest
happy happier the happiest
early earlier the earliest

· - It was the happiest day of my life.
· - My joke was funnier than your one.

Adjectives with Two or more Syllables

For Adjectives with 2 syllables (that don't end in -y) and higher (3, 4 syllables etc), we use more for comparatives and the most for superlatives.

Adjective Comparative Superlative
handsome more handsome the most handsome
nervous more nervous the most nervous
enthusiastic more enthusiastic the most enthusiastic

· - My girlfriend is more beautiful than yours.
· - Alex is more intelligent than you but I am the most intelligent.

Irregular Forms

Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better the best
bad worse the worst
far further / farther the furthest / farthest

· I am a better tennis player than you but Marcelo is the best.
· Steve is a worse liar than me but Adrian is the worst.

Note:

· Further / farther, furthest / farthest are all used for distance.
· Only Further / furthest are used to mean 'additional' or 'more advanced'.
· Puerto Montt is further / farther than Valdivia is from here (in Santiago).
· If you require further information, please contact reception.

Remember that the opposites of 'more' and 'most' are 'less' and 'least', respectively.

Exercises:

Elementary

Exercise 1

Read the questions, and choose the answer you think is correct.

Exercise 2

Type the correct noun phrase, putting the adjectives in order

Exercise 3

Choose the correct adjective to fill in the blank

Exercise 4

Complete the chart

Exercise 5

Fill in the comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives