Comparatives
Summary: The module is a presentation treating the introduction of comparatives fot ESL students.
Look at the man and boy. Tell me about them.
The man is tall. The boy is short.
• Who is taller? • The man is taller than the boy.
• Who is shorter? • The boy is shorter than the man.
Look at the SUV and car. • The SUV is longer. • The car is shorter.
• The SUV is slower than the car.. • The car is faster than the SUV.
We describe things and people and animals with adjectives.
Adjectives that compare e are comparatives.
What word describes summer? Hot
What word describes winter? Cold
Let’s compare winter and summer. Winter is colder than summer.
What did we add to the adjective ‘cold’ ? Cold + er Makes the comparative
There are 6 ways to make comparatives.
1. adjective + er cheap cheaper
Now let’s compare summer to winter.
Summer is hotter than winter.
What do we have to add to ‘hot’ to make the comparative? hotter
2. We have to double the t before adding er Hot+t+er
Why do we double the consonant? To keep the vowel sound short.
What would hoter Sound like?
The o would be long and sound like “oh”.
Can you think of another one syllable word where you have to double the consonant?
How about ‘big’?
nig +g +er
When do you double the consonant? • When the word is one syllable • And the vowel is short
Let’s do a few more.
clean cleaner
new newer
old older
Why didn’t we double the consonant?
Afterall, “clean” and “old” and “new” are one syllable (likw hot and big).
So what gives?
They have long vowels. You only double the consonant when you want to keep the vowel sound short.
3. How do you form the comparative for “nice” ?
nicer nicer
Why do you only add an r and not er?
How would nice + er sound? niceer
Can you think of Another word like that, ending in e? fine finer
What happens when the adjective ends in y?
4. Change y to i + er dirty dirtier
Can you think of another one like this? early earlier
How about busy? busy busier
good How about this one? better
We can’t say gooder.
bad How about this one? Can we say badder?
No. worse 5. irregular
And this one? expensive Can we say expensiver?
No. more expensive
And how about beautiful more beautiful
When the adjective has more than one syllable we say more + adjective.
When the adjective has more than one syllable we say more + adjective.
Now let’s compare.
Today’s weather is ______ (bad) than yesterday’s weather.
Today’s weather is worse that yesterday’s weather.
The car is ___ than the SUV. • new • old • clean • fast • expensive
Give an example for each type 1. adj + er 2. adj +r 3. adj + ier 4. consonant +r 5. irregular 6. more + adj. Give an example for each column adj + er adj +r adj + ier consonant +r irregular more + adj.
Make a table in excel with a column for each type. See if you can put these words in the correct column.
good beautiful cheap bad nice busy expensive big hot early old clean sad large ripe heavy thin long intelligent tall childish difficult populated fine
Compare objects and our classmaates in the room orally and be prepared to perform in front of the class.
How did you do?
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Last edited by Mary Ziller on Mar 13, 2008 9:46 pm GMT-5.