UNIT 105. Comparison 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.) ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

UNIT 105. Comparison 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)

A	Study these examples: How shall we travel? Shall we drive or go by train? Let's drive. It's cheaper. Don't go by train. It's more expensive. Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms. After comparatives you can use than (see Unit 107): √ It's cheaper to drive than go by train. Going by train is more expensive than driving. √
B	The comparative form is -er or more .... We use -er for short words (one syllable): cheap → cheaper large → larger fast → faster thin → thinner We also use -er for two-syllable words that  end in -y (-y →ier): lucky  →luckier easy  → easier early → earlier pretty  → prettier For spelling, see Appendix 6. We use more ... for longer words (two syllables or more): more serious more expensive more often more comfortable We also use more … for adverbs that end in –ly. more slowly more easily more seriously more queitly Compare these examples: √ You're older than me. √ The exam was quite easy - easier than I expected. √ Can you walk a bit faster? I'd like to have a bigger car. Last night I went to bed earlier than usual. √ √ √ You 're more patient than me. √ The exam was quite difficult- more difficult than I expected. √ Can you walk a bit more slowly? I'd like to have a more reliable car. I don't play tennis much these days. I used to play more often. √ √ You can use -er or more ... with some two-syllable adjectives, especially: clever narrow quiet shallow simple It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter /more quiet?
C	A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms: good/well → better √ The garden looks better since you tidied it up. I know him well - probably better than anybody else knows him. √ bad/badly → worse √ 'How's your headache? Better?' 'No, it's worse.' He did very badly in the exam - worse than expected . √ far → further (or farther) √ It's a long walk from here to the park - further than I thought. (or farther than) Further (but not farther) can also mean 'more' or 'additional': √ Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)

EXERCISES

105.1	Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older /more important etc.). 1 It's too noisy here. Can we go somewhere _____ quieter______? 2 This coffee is very weak. I like it _____________________. The hotel was surprisingly big. I expected it to be _____________________. The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be _____________________. The weather is too cold here. I'd like to live somewhere _____________________. My job is a bit boring sometimes. I'd like to do something _____________________. 3 4 5 6 7 It's a shame you live so far away. I wish you lived _____________________. I was surprised how easy it was to get a job. I thought it would be _____________________. Your work isn't very good. I'm sure you can do _____________________. Don't worry. The situation isn't so bad. It could be _____________________. I was surprised we got here so quickly. I expected the t rip to take _____________________. 8 9 10 11 12 You're talking very loudly. Can you speak _____________________? You hardly ever call me. Why don't you call me _____________________? You're standing too near the camera. Can you move a bit _____________________ away? You were a little depressed yesterday, but you look _____________________today. 13 14 15
105.2	Complete the sentences. Use the comparative forms of the words in the box. Use than where necessary. big crowded early easily high important interested peaceful reliable serious simple thin 1 I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed ____ earlier than ______  usual. 2 I'd like to have _____ more reliable _______ car. The one I have keeps breaking down. 3 Unfortunately her illness was _____________ we thought at first. You look _____________. Have you lost weight? I want a _____________ apartment. We don't have enough space here. He doesn't study very hard. He's _____________ in having a good time. 4 5 6 7 Health and happiness are _____________ money. The instructions were very complicated. They could have been _____________. There were a lot of people on the bus. It was _____________ usual. I like living in the country. It's _____________ living in a town. You'll find your way around the town _____________ if you have a good map. In some parts of the country, prices are _____________ in others. 8 9 10 11 12
105.3	Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (-er or more ...). 1 Yesterday the temperature was six degrees. Today it's only three degrees. It's __________colder today than ­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________ it was yesterday. 2 The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train. It takes _____________________________________________by car. 3 Dan and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dan stopped after eight kilometres. I ran _____________________________________________Dan. 4 Chris and Joe both did badly in the test. Chris got 30%, but Joe only got 25%. Joe did _____________________________________________Chris in the test. 5 I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o'clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30. My friends _____________________________________________I expected. 6 You can go by bus or by train. The buses run every 30 minutes. The trains run every hour. The buses _____________________________________________the trains. 7 We were very busy in the office today. We're not usually so busy. We _____________________________________________usual in the office today.

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