GRAMMAR REVIEW: COMPARISONS BUILDING SUPPORTING SKILLS CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST

 

CAMBRIDGE PREPARATION FOR THE TOEFL® IBT TEST BUILDING SUPPORTING SKILLS GRAMMAR REVIEW: COMPARISONS

 

Forming comparatives and superlatives ► One syllable adjectives and adverbs form their comparative forms by adding –er and –est to the base. ► Two-syllable adjectives and adverbs ending in –er, -y or –ly add –er and –est to the base form. ► Some two-syllable adjectives and adverbs and all those with three or more syllables use more and most with the base form: ► Irregular comparatives and superlatives are as follows: ► The comparative form less and the superlative form least are used with adjectives and adverbs to indicate that something does not have as much of a particular quality as what it is being compared to:   Using comparatives ad superlatives ► Comparatives and superlatives can be used to modify a noun. ► Comparatives and superlatives can be used after a verb. ► Some structures using comparatives take the word than. (Note: the words the and than are not used together in a comparative structure): ► The superlative is used in the following structures:   Using expressions of equality or inequality Expressions of equality or inequality can be made using the base form of the adjective or adverb with as…..as, not as…….as, or not so ……..as:   Using parallel comparison When a two-clause sentence begins with a comparative, the second clause also begins with a comparative:   EXERCISE G24 Use Exercise G24 to practice your skills in using comparatives. EXERCISE G24 Checking comparatives In the blank, write the correct form for any phrase that is used incorrectly. 1 More often than not, a banking goose frightens off strangers best than a barking dog. _____________________________________________________________ 2 As adaptable as wolves were, they were not able to survive human encroachment into the Rocky Mountains as well as coyotes. _____________________________________________________________ 3 Australia is the flatter and drier of all the continents. _____________________________________________________________

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