Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
76 Comparatives and superlatives (2): as tall as, bigger and bigger, the most money
Quick reference
• We use (not) as + adjective + as to say that two things are or aren’t the same.
You 're as tall as me. This car isn’t as powerful as that Mercedes.
We can use twice (= two times), three times, etc. to state the difference more precisely.
The living room is three times as big as (or three times bigger than) the kitchen.
• We use (not) the same ... as ... to say that two things are or aren’t the same.
She's got the same hairstyle as her mother. His job isn’t the same as mine.
• To say that something is increasing, we can use a ’double’ comparative.
More and more people are giving up smoking. The town is getting bigger and bigger
• the + comparative + the + a different comparative, or the more... the more ...
The harder she works, the happier she is. The more he earns, the more he spends.
• Note these constructions:
the + comparative + the better. I want a cheap holiday - the cheaper the better!
• After superlatives we often use phrases with in or of. We use in with the names of places and with words like class, school, team, family, world, etc.
The highest building in Paris. The best player in the world. The biggest mistake of all.
1 Look at the details of these four cars.
Car A: 2,000 cc
Equipment: Standard
Top speed: 175 k.p.h.
Average fuel consumption: 8 1./100k.
Car В: 1,500 cc
Equipment: Luxury
Top speed: 175 k.p.h.
Average fuel consumption: 6 1./100k
Car C: 3,000 cc
Equipment: Luxury
Top speed: 225 k.p.h.
Average fuel consumption: 10.4 1./100k
Car D: 1,000 cc
Equipment: Standard
Top speed: 145 k.p.h.
Average fuel consumption: 5.2 1./100k
Which of these statements about the cars are true and which are false? Write True or False.
1 Car A isn’t as powerful as Car Вю
2 Car C is twice as powerful as Car В.
3 Car D is the least powerful car..........
4 Car D is three times as powerful as Car C.
5 Car В has the same top speed as Car A.
6 Car A isn’t as fast as Car В.
7 The equipment in Car D is the same as the equipment in Car A.
8 Car D is as well-equipped as Car C.
9 Car A isn’t as well-equipped as Car Cю
10 Car D is less well-equipped than Car В.
11 Car D is the most economical......
12 Car C is twice as economical as Car D.
2 Complete the text, using ’double’ comparatives (e.g. better and better, more and more) or two comparatives (e.g. The bigger they are, the more expensive they’ll be.)
Global warming is increasing. We’re putting (I more/more) ... carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (2 More/more) ... ice is melting in the Arctic and the Antarctic. Fortunately (3 more/more) ... people are becoming aware of the problem. But scientists are getting (4 worried) ... They want governments to do more. The (5 more/bad) ... time we waste now, the ... it will be for us later. Also, the holes in the Earth’s ozone layer are getting (6 big) ... Cases of skin cancer are getting (7 common) ... The (8 long/probable) ... people lie on the beach in the sun, the ... it is that they’ll get skin cancer. The (9 soon/good) ... we all realise the danger, the ... .
3 A group of British people were asked what their principal form of entertainment was.
Read the sentences and decide which answer, A, В or C best fits each space.
1 Television was (...) form of entertainment.
A most common
В least common
C the most common
2 Going to the theatre was (...).
A the most popular
В the least popular
C popular
3 The theatre attracted (...) people.
A the least
В the most
C the fewest
4 (...) number of people chose going to pubs and visiting clubs and discos.
A The same
В The fewest
C The most
5 (...) people did sport than read books.
A Fewer
В More
C Less
6 Doing a sport was (...) than going to pubs.
A less popular
В more popular
C the least popular
7 (...) people went to the theatre than to the cinema.
A Less
В More
C Fewer
4 Match the two parts of these general knowledge facts.
1 Mount Everest is the highest mountain
2 Mont Blanc is the highest mountain
3 The trip to the Moon was the longest flight
4 The cheetah is the fastest
5 China has the biggest population
6 Germany has the largest population
7 The Krakatoa volcanic eruption was the biggest
a) we’ve known in the last 3,000 years.
b) in the world.
c) of all the European countries.
d) of all the nations in the world.
e) in France.
f) ever made in a man-made vehicle.
g) of all the world’s land animals.
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8...