G R A MMA R

Making comparisons
Com paratives and superlatives: meaning
Comparatives compare two separate things.
Mary is a better player than Monica.
Superlatives compare one thing in a group with all the others.
Sarah is the best player in the team.

Com paratives and superlatives: form

• One syllable
Comparative adjectives with one syllable are normally formed by adding -er to the
adjective. In one syllable words ending with one consonant, the final consonant is
doubled. Words ending in consonant + -y change -y to -i.
long - longer big - bigger dry - drier
Superlative adjectives are normally formed by adding -est to the adjective.
long - the longest big - the biggest dry - the driest

• Two or more syllables

Comparative adjectives with two or more syllables are normally formed with more.
modern - more modern interesting - more interesting
Superlative adjectives are normally formed with most.
modern - the most modern interesting - the most interesting
Some adjectives with two syllables can be formed in either way.
common commoner the commonest OR
common more common the most common
Other examples include: quiet, tired, clever, polite, simple.

• We normally use the with a superlative + noun. The + superlative can also be used
without a noun.
Sarah is the best swimmer. Sarah is the best.

Irregular forms
Note the following irregular forms:
good better the best
bad worse the worst
far farther/further the farthest/furthest
little less the least
much/many more the most
And there is a special use of old to describe family members that has an irregular form:
old elder the eldest
This is my elder brother. Jane is their eldest daughter.

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 G RA M M A R 35 M AKING CO M PA RISO N S

Adverbs
Comparative and superlative adverbs are formed in the same way as adjectives. Many
common short adverbs can form comparatives in two ways.
Could you drive slower, please?
Could you drive more slowly, please?
Can you work quicker?
Can you work more quickly?
Adverbs that can use both forms like this include: loud, quick, slow.

Making com parisons

• Use than with a comparative to compare two things.

Mary is better than Monica.
Mary is a better player than Monica.

• When we compare actions, we can use an auxiliary at the end of the sentence instead
of the full verb.
Mary plays better than Monica does. (NOT ... than Monica plays)
You’ve done more work than I have. (NOT ... than I have done)
We can also say:
Mary plays better than Monica.
You’ve done more work than me.

• Use just as ... as to compare two equal things.

Mary is just as good as Cathy.
Mary is just as good a player as Cathy.

• Use not as ... as to compare two things that are not equal.
Cathy is not as good as Mary.
Cathy is not as good a player as Mary.

• More ... than and less ... than

This game is more interesting than the last one.
I think this game is less interesting than that one.

Intensifiers
We can use adverbs of degree a bit, much, a lot, fa r etc. with comparatives.
This house is much/a lot/far bigger than that one.
The Italian film was much more interesting than this one.
That film was far lessfrightening than this one.

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INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

1 The fish was so tasty as/as tasty as the meat.
2 This book is the most interesting/the more interesting I’ve ever read.
3 This temple is the eldest/oldest in Europe.
4 That dress is a lot longer than/that the other one.
5 Nothing is worse/worst than being stuck in a traffic jam.
6 That skyscraper is one of the taller/tallest buildings in the world.
7 The test wasn’t as hard as/hard as I thought.
8 Actually, today I feel more bad/worse than I did yesterday.
9 Our journey took longer than/the longest we expected.
10 Could you work more quietly/more quieter please?

2 Complete each sentence with a comparative or superlative form of the adjective

in bold. Include any other necessary words.
1 The Nile i s ....................................................................................... river in the world.
long
2 I was disappointed as the film w as....................................................than I expected.
entertaining
3 Most planes go a lo t........................................................................................... trains.
fast
4 Yesterday was one o f .......................................................................... days of the year.
hot
5 I think this book is m uch...................................................................... the other one.
good
6 The twins are the same height. Tim i s .................................................................. Sue.
tall
7 The first exercise was easy but this one i s ....................................................................
difficult
8 The Mediterranean is n o t.............................................................. the Pacific Ocean.
large
9 This classroom i s ............................................................................the one next door.
big
10 This i s ......................................................... television programme I’ve ever watched.
bad

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 GRAMMAR 35 MAKING COMPARISONS

3 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
1 David is a better runner than Paul.
Paul is n o t .0.90d. .yy^Y^YS'tr, Rs. &ByLd .(Is)...................................................
2 Nobody in the class is taller than Anna.
Anna is th e ....................................................................................................................
3 I haven’t written as much as you.
You’ve w ritten...............................................................................................................
4 Jane’s hair isn’t as long as Sophie’s.
Sophie’s hair i s ...............................................................................................................
5 No student in the school is noisier than I am!
I’m th e ...........................................................................................................................
6 This exhibition is much more interesting than the last one.
The last exhibition was n o t..........................................................................................
7 This is as fast as the car can go.
The car can’t ..................................................................................................................
8 Kate ate much less than Helen did.
Kate didn’t .....................................................................................................................

4 Put one suitable word in each space.

1 Our team is ..jktSfe........ d.$.......... good...... d$.......your team. They’re both the same.
2 This is one o f................................. famous paintings in the world.
3 Everyone d id ................w ork.................Philip...................
4 You’re not a safe driver! You should drive................slowly.
5 Ann is taller................Mike but their son Dave i s ................. tallest in the family.
6 What an awful book. It’s one o f ................................. interesting I’ve ever read.
7 It makes no difference, because this road i s ..................................b a d .................
that one.
8 Today i s ................cold................. yesterday, so I’m wearing my shorts.

5 Correct the spelling of these words where necessary.

1 bigest ..M.gcjgst... 6 fater .................. . 11 fiter ....

2 greattest ................... 7 smalest ............. 12 tighter
3 shorter ................... 8 longest .............. 13 newest
4 likeliest ................... 9 hardder ............. 14 heavier
5 tallest ................... 10 wettest .............. 15 widder

-♦ SEE ALSO
Grammar 34: Adjectives and adverbs

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 G R A MMA R

Phrasal verbs 1
Understanding phrasal verbs

• A ‘phrasal verb’ is a normal verb like get, look, take followed by one or two prepositions
like back, off, up etc.
1 Please take this note to my teacher.
(normal verb meaning: ‘to move something from one place to another’)
2 Take offyour shoes before you come in.
(phrasal verb meaning: ‘to remove something’)
3 We took off in the middle o f a storm.
(phrasal verb meaning: ‘when a plane goes up into the air’)
Adding a preposition changes the meaning of the verb. You can sometimes guess the meaning
(see 2 above), but there often is a new meaning that is completely different (see 3 above).

• There are different types of phrasal verbs. This depends on whether there is one
preposition or two, and whether the verb and preposition can be separated. In this
book Grammar 36 and 37 cover different types.

• When you see a new phrasal verb for the first time you should study the context of
use, and check the meaning in a dictionary. Phrasal verbs are common in both writing
and speech. Some are informal, but others are in general use. There are many phrasal
verbs. Only a few are listed here.

Verbs with three parts

Most of the verbs in the list below need an object, and the object can only come at the
end, after both prepositions:
I ’m lookingforward to my holidays.
With verbs marked with an asterisk *, when no object is used, the final preposition is
left out.
catch up with * (reach someone by going faster)
You can rest now and catch up with us later. (with object)
You’re going too fast! I cant catch up! (without object)
cut down on * (reduce the amount of)
Sheila has decided to cut down on holidays this year.
You’re eating too many sweets. You should cut down,
drop in on * (visit for a short time)
Let’s drop in on David while we’re in Paris.
The next time y o u ’re nearby, please do drop in!
get along/on with * (have a friendly relationship with)
James doesn’t get on well with his maths teacher.
We work in the same office, but we don't get on.

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 GRAMMAR 36 PHRASAL VERBS 1

keep up with * (move at the same speed as)

You’re going too fast! I cant keep up with you.
Patty finds this class difficult, and cant keep up.
live up to (be as good as someone expects)
The film didn’t live up to our expectations,
look forward to (think you will enjoy)
I ’m lookingforward to going on holiday this year.
Note that to is a preposition here and so is followed by the -ing form of the verb.
look out onto/over (have a view of)
Our hotel room looks out onto the lake,
put up with (accept without complaining)
I can’t put up with all this noise!
run out of * (have no more of)
I think the car is about to run out of petrol!
There isn’t any more milk. We’ve run out.

Verbs with two parts: transitive and inseparable

These phrasal verbs take an object. We call this type of verb ‘transitive’. The object
must come after the preposition, not between the verb and the preposition. We call
this type of phrasal verb ‘inseparable’.
call for (come to your house and collect)
Well call for you about 8.00 so please be ready. (NOT call you for)
call on (visit for a short time)
I called on Professor Jones and wished her a Happy Birthday,
deal with (take action to solve a problem)
Could you deal with this customer’s problem, please?
get at (try to say, suggest)
Helen couldn’t understand what her boss was getting at.
get over (recover from)
Peter was ill with flu, but he’s getting over it now.
head for (go in the direction of)
The escaped prisoner is thought to be headingfor London,
join in (take part in, contribute to)
When Alex started singing, everyone joined in.
see to (pay attention to, often meaning ‘repair’)
The brakes on your car need seeing to.
standfor (tolerate)
I will not stand for so much talking!
take after (be similar in appearance or character)
Karen takes after her mother. They’re very similar.

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INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1 C o m p l e t e e a c h s e n t e n c e ( 1 - 8 ) w it h a n e n d in g ( a - h ) .

1 If you have any kind of problem, just call me and I’ll deal ...ft.....
2 I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve decided to cut ..........
3 Ann and Sue are really looking ..........
4 Our teacher told us that she would not stand ..........
5 Nearly everybody says that Mark takes ..........
6 Monica is very friendly and generally gets ..........
7 Halfway through the race, Martin found that he couldn’t keep ..........
8 We were told that the concert was going to be good but it didn’t live ..........
a for cheating in our end-of-term test.
b on well with the people she works with,
c with it as soon as I can.
d after his father’s side of the family.
e down on the amount of time I spend watching television,
f up with the others any more,
g up to our expectations at all.
h forward to seeing you both again in July.

2 Underline the correct preposition in each sentence.

1 Can you explain that again? I don’t know what you’re getting by/with/at.
2 He’s a very strict teacher. He doesn’t stand for/up/with any bad behaviour in class.
3 I enjoyed London, but it didn’t really live up to/with/for my expectations.
4 I smoke 20 cigarettes a day, but I’m trying to cut off/through/down.
5 I think she has got over/by/down the break-up with her boyfriend.
6 I’ll call by/in/for you at eight o’clock, and then we’ll go to the party together.
7 I’m going crazy! I can’t put off/up/down with so much confusion!
8 I’m lucky, I get on/off/over really well with my colleagues.
9 If you miss too many lessons, it’s difficult to catch over/up/with.
10 It’s difficult to keep along/by/up with changes in biotechnology.
11 My car needs a service - the engine needs seeing in/to/at.
12 The printer is working, but it’s run away!out!down of ink.

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 GRAMMAR 36 PHRASAL VERBS 1

3 Complete each sentence with a suitable form of one of the phrasal verbs in the
box. Use each one once only.

catch up with cut down on drop in on get on with

keep up with (not) live up to look forward to run out of

1 The book you lent m e ........didn't.U.V&.t£p.fcQ........... my expectations.

2 Any time you’re in the area, feel free t o ................................................... us.
3 Sorry, we have................................................... orange juice. Would you like some
water?
4 Unfortunately Susie doesn’t ................................................... her new neighbours.
5 Bill left before I did, but I ran a n d ................................................... him.
6 I’m really................................................... my holiday in Italy next week.
7 It was a difficult class, and I couldn’t ................................................... the other
students.
8 You should................................................... smoking if you can’t stop completely.

4 Rewrite each sentence so that it does not contain the words in italics, but does
contain a phrasal verb.
1 Brian and his mother are very similar.
... kv.takes,after, .tots,rather,............................................................
2 There isn’t any food leftl

3 Mike and Tom aren’t very good friends.

4 Jean is very good at handling people’s problems.

5 The handlebars on my bike need fixing.

6 Julia was very ill, but she’s recovered now.

7 What exactly are you suggesting?

8 Paul’s new school wasn’t as good as he expected it to be.

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Phrasal verbs 2
Verbs with two parts: transitive and separable
These phrasal verbs take an object. We call this type of verb ‘transitive’. This object
can come after the preposition or between the verb and the preposition. We call this
type of phrasal verb ‘separable’.
We brought up this child. We brought her up.
In general, as in the examples above, object phrases usually go after the preposition.
Pronouns (such as you, it, him, her, us, them) always go between the verb and the
preposition.
bring up (look after a child until adult)
Tom’s aunt brought him up after his parents died,
call off (cancel)
The school called off the match because of bad weather,
clear up (make clean and tidy)
Could you help me clear up the room after the party?
cut off (be disconnected during a phone call)
I ’d just got through to Delhi when I was cut off.
This is usually used in the passive.
fill in (complete by writing)
Could you fill this form in with all your details, please?
give up (stop doing something)
Paul had to give up gymnastics because o f injury,
knock out (make unconscious)
Bryson knocked his opponent out in the second round.
let down (disappoint, fail to keep a promise)
Ann said she would help, but she let me down,
look up (find information in a reference book)
I looked this word up in a dictionary and in an encyclopedia,
pick up (collect in a car)
The taxi will pick you up at 6.30.
put off (postpone)
The weather was bad, so they put off the match fo r a week,
put up (provide accommodation in someone’s house)
A friend in Prague put me up for a couple of nights.

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 GRAMMAR 37 PHRASAL VERBS 2

take up (start a hobby or activity)

Sam has just taken up parachuting.
try on (put on clothes to see if they are suitable)
I tried the coat on, but it was too big and the wrong colour.
turn on/off (begin or stop operating electrical equipment)
Don’t forget to turn off the light before you go to bed.
wash up (clean plates, knives and forks etc.)
After the party, Martin washed up all the glasses.

Verbs with two parts: intransitive

These phrasal verbs do not have an object.
break down (stop working, especially cars)
The car broke down when we were on the motorway.
drop out (stop before you finish)
Two of the runners dropped out halfway through the race,
get on (make progress)
Nina likes her new college, and is getting on well,
get away (escape)
One o f the burglars was caught, but the other got away.
grow up (change from a child to an adult)
I grew up in a small town in Peru.
set off/out (begin a journey)
We set off early to avoid the traffic.
take off (when a plane leaves the ground)
Our plane took off more than three hours late,
turn up (arrive, often unexpectedly)
We invited 20 people, but only five turned up.

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INTERMEDIATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

1 Complete each sentence with one suitable word.

1 Tina asked if she could help m e ......YVflS.b.........up the dirty dishes.
2 I need a dictionary, so I c a n ......................... up this word.
3 If I were you, I’d ......................... off early because Edinburgh is a long way.
4 Our meeting tomorrow has b een ......................... off, I’m afraid.
5 I’m not sure about the size of this coat, so can I ......................... it on?
6 Robert had t o ......................... in a form, giving all his personal details.
7 You’ll never guess w h o ......................... up at our school party last week!
8 Six people applied for the job, but one of th em ......................... out.

2 Rewrite each sentence so that it has a similar meaning and contains the word in
bold.
1 Don’t leave the lights on when you leave the school,
turn
....... thjs.SAhcof.........................................................................................................
2 Jack arrived halfway through the lesson,
turned

3 You can stay with us for a week,

put

4 Marta is doing well in her English class,

getting

5 Anna spent her childhood in Uruguay,

grew

6 How do you start the computer?

turn

7 Carol checked the dates in an encyclopedia,

looked

8 Surfing is a great sport. When did you start doing it?

take

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 GRAMMAR 37 PHRASAL VERBS 2

3 Complete each sentence (1-8) with an ending (a-h).

1 It’s very cold and wet at the moment so we’ve put ....
2 Mary’s parents were quite strict and brought her ..........
3 Your room is very untidy! Could you clear ..........
4 I was talking to Helen when suddenly we were cut ..........
5 Zoe tried to persuade her mother to give ..........
6 George started painting his room this morning and he’s getting ..........
7 If you like, we could come and pick ..........
8 A branch of a tree fell and knocked ..........
a it up please, and put everything away.
b Peter out for a few moments,
c off our garden party until next week,
d up smoking, but she didn’t have much success,
e on very well so far.
f off and I couldn’t get her number after that,
g you up in our car at about 7.00.
h up to be very polite and obedient.

4 Rewrite each sentence so it has a similar meaning and contains the word in bold.
1 As soon as we had packed our bags, we started on our journey,
set
.......AS.sopiA; ns wg.h a d .f?ncfeftd. o u r bnejs,. wg s g t.o ff.p u p u rjp u rry g y .........
2 You should use a dictionary to check the meaning of new words,
look

3 The opening of the new stadium was postponed for a week,

put

4 The doctor told Mr Davidson to stop smoking,

give

5 Can I see whether this coat is the right size?

try

6 What a mess your room is in! Can you tidy it, please?
clear•*

•* SEE ALSO
Grammar 36: Phrasal verbs 1

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