LEARN

8.4 Comparisons with As . . . As

As Adjective As As Adverb As
big well
My car is as as your car. I drive as as you do.
comfortable carefully

1. Use as + adjective/adverb + as to compare two people, Adjective: Your car is as old as mine.
places, or things that are the same or equal in some way. Adverb: I can run a mile as fast as you can.

2. To complete a comparison with as . . . as, you can use

a. a noun (+ verb) a. I dance as well as my brother (dances).
b. a subject pronoun + verb or an auxiliary verb b. I dance as well as he dances.
I dance as well as he does.
c. a possessive noun or possessive pronoun c. My computer is as old as Rita’s.
My computer is as old as hers.

3. In informal speaking, object pronouns are often used to Formal: He’s as tall as I am.
complete comparisons with as. . . . as. Informal: He’s as tall as me.

4 Complete each sentence with as . . . as and the adjective or adverb in parentheses.

1. Magazine ads are as efective as (effective) newspaper ads.

2. Mark plays the guitar (well) Nancy does.

3. Online reviews are (useful) asking friends about products.

4. I read online reviews (carefully) he does.

5. The coat was just (warm) it looked.

6. Your sofa is just (comfortable) Diane’s.

7. My computer is (fast) the newer models.

8. He shops online (frequently) I do.

5 Use the words to make comparisons with as . . . as.

1. Desktop computers / be / popular / laptops

Desktop computers are as popular as laptops (are).

2. Microwave ovens / work / well / regular ovens

3. Motorcycles / go / fast / cars

4. This hotel room / be / big / my apartment

UNIT 8 LESSON 2 215

 5. A smartphone / send messages / quickly / a laptop

6. My mother / speak English / well / my father

7. Gabi / go shopping / often / Linda

8. Trains / be / comfortable / airplanes

8.5 Comparison with Less and Not As . . . As

Less + Adjective or Adverb + Than
Less Adjective/Adverb Than
This phone is less expensive than that one.
This old fan works less efficiently than the new fan.

Not As + Adjective or Adverb + As

Not As Adjective/Adverb As
expensive
This phone is not as as that one.
good
efficiently
This old fan does not work as as the new fan.
well

1. The opposite of more is less. Not as . . . as and My old car was less efficient than my new car.
less have the same meaning. My old car was not as efficient as my new car.

2. Use not as . . . as with one-syllable adjectives or My apartment is not as big as yours.

adverbs. Tom doesn’t run as fast as Steven.

3. Use less . . . than or not as . . . as with adjectives My son visits less frequently than my daughter.
or adverbs that have two or more syllables. The My son doesn’t visit as frequently as my daughter.
meaning is the same.

4. Remember: If the comparison is clear, The food at Joe’s cafe isn’t as good as the food
the second part of the comparison is not at Chez Claude, but it’s less expensive.
necessary.
The food at Joe’s cafe is less expensive than the
food at Chez Clause, but it isn’t as good.

See Chart 8.3 for more information completing comparisons.

6 Complete the conversations with less or not as . . . as and the words in parentheses. Do not
use not unless it is included in the parentheses. Use than and the second as only where
necessary.

1. Anita: The clothes in this store (1) aren’t as nice as (not be / nice) they
used to be. Look at this coat! It’s much (2) (fashionable)
the coat I bought here last year.

216 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

 Jackie: Well, that’s true. It (3) (not be / stylish), but it’s also
(4) (expensive).
2. Chris: Check out this new coffee machine! It looks great! Ours
(5) (not be / fancy) this new one.

Mike: Well, it’s definitely fancier than ours, but it (6)

(not be / efficient). It (7)
(not make coffee / quickly), and the coffee (8)
(not taste / good).

7 Rewrite each sentence with the word(s) in parentheses.

1. My watch is less attractive than yours. (not as . . . as)

My watch isn’t as atractive as yours.

2. Sally’s shoes aren’t as fancy as Jill’s. (less)

3. Adam exercises less frequently than he used to. (not as . . . as)

4. This supermarket isn’t as expensive as the one across the street. (less)

5. The actor’s new movie isn’t as exciting as his last one. (less)

6. This gym is less convenient than the one near my house. (not as . . . as)

7. This review is less positive than that one. (not as . . . as)

8. The new tablet doesn’t start up as quickly as the old one. (less)

PR ACTICE
8 Complete the conversation with less or (not) as . . . as and the words in parentheses.
Make the verbs negative only when not is given. Use than and the second as only where
necessary.

Tina: Your new camera (1) isn’t as big as (not be / big) your old one.

Dawn: I know. It (2) (not be / heavy) my old X-2000, and it was

(3) (expensive), too.
UNIT 8 LESSON 2 217
 LEARN

8.6 Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs

Superlative
Adjective
the nicest
The red car is car in the parking lot.
the most expensive

Superlative
Adverb
the fastest
She runs of all the players on the team.
the most slowly

1. Use a superlative adjective to Ali is the tallest student in our class.

compare three or more people, Prague is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen.
places, or things. What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

2. Use a superlative adverb to compare Of all my friends, Alicia calls the most frequently.
the action of three or more people or My red shoes fit the most comfortably of all my shoes.
things.

3. Add -est to the end of most one- Adjective: I bought the longest couch in the store.
syllable adjectives or adverbs to Adverb: Steve works hardest of all the students.
form the superlative.* Use the before
superlative adjectives. It is not as
common before adverbs.

4. Use the most before most adjectives Maria is the most careful climber of the group.
that have two or more syllables and The Grand Canyon is the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen.
adverbs ending in -ly. Of all the girls, Brenda sings the most beautifully.

5. For some two-syllable adjectives and stupid the stupidest/the most stupid
adverbs, either -est or the most can cruel the cruelest/the most cruel
be used to form the superlative.

6. Some superlatives are irregular. good/well the best bad/badly the worst

*See page A3 for more information on spelling superlative adjectives and adverbs.

4 Complete the sentences with the superlative form of the adjective or adverb in parentheses.

1. The biggest (big) piles of trash on Mount Everest are on the lower areas.

2. Trash is one of (bad) problems on Mount Everest now.

3. Many climbers consider K2, a mountain between Pakistan and China, to be

(difficult) mountain to climb, not Mount Everest.

4. Ted was (experienced) climber on the expedition.

5. Which climber is (far) from the top?

222 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

 6. That was (easy) mountain I’ve ever climbed.

7. Danny climbs (quickly) of all of us.

8. Mount Everest is (high) mountain on Earth.

9. That company has (good) guides.

10. Climbing Mount Everest in a snowstorm is one of (stupid)

thing you can do. It’s extremely dangerous!

5 LISTEN & SPEAK.

CD2-32
A Listen and complete each question with the superlative form of the adjective or adverb you
hear.

1. At what time of day do you work most efciently ?

2. Who is person in the world?

3. What is movie you’ve ever seen?

4. What kind of books do you read ?

5. What is thing to do in a storm?

6. What is to watch?

7. What is place to have lunch in this area?

8. Who is person in your family?

B Work with a partner. Take turns asking and answering the questions from exercise A.

A: At what time of day do you work most efficiently?

REAL ENGLISH
B: In the afternoon.
A possessive adjective can replace
the in a superlative comparison.

Zara is the best friend I have.

Zara is my best friend.

8.7 More on Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs

1. The opposite of the most is the least. This is the least expensive phone in the store. All
the other phones cost a lot more.
She drives the least carefully of all my friends. All
my other friends drive much more carefully.

2. A prepositional phrase with in or of is often The Nile is the longest river in the world.
used to complete a superlative. This hat is the prettiest of the three.

3. Remember: If the comparison is clear, it is not This sentence is the longest.

necessary to complete it. She won because she ran the fastest.

4. One of the often comes before a superlative China is one of the biggest countries in the
adjective. The superlative adjective is followed world.
by a plural noun.

UNIT 8 LESSON 3 223

 6 Use the words in parentheses to write superlative sentences. Use least when not is included in
the parentheses. Make the nouns plural if necessary.

1. This is a state park. (not popular / in California)

This is the least popular state park in California.

2. Canada is a country. (large / in North America)

3. Tokyo has a population. (big / in Japan)

4. This is an apartment. (not expensive / in the building)

5. Alan drives. (fast / of my three brothers)

6. Jane is a student. (one of the / intelligent / in her class)

7. That was a class. (one of the / not interesting / I’ve ever taken)

8. Mel works. (not efficiently / all the people in this office)

9. This is a computer. (cheap / in the store)

10. That’s a street. (one of the / pretty / in this city)

7 SPEAK. Work with a partner. Talk about people, places, and things you know about.
Use the superlative form of the adjectives and adverbs from the box or your own ideas.

carefully fast hard large popular

crowded good interesting old well

My grandmother is the oldest person in my family. She’s 91.

224 COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

PR ACTICE
8 Complete the sentences with the superlative form of the adjectives and adverbs in
parentheses. Use least if not is included in the parentheses.

1. Kelly: I think people are too concerned about having (1) the most modern
(modern) cell phones. Cell phones contain some of (2)
(rare) minerals on Earth, but many people just throw their old cell phones away
when they buy a new one. This is (3)
(one of the / bad / thing) you can do! But if you recycle your old cell phones,
it’s (4) (one of the / good / thing) you can do.

2. Amir: My cell phone is (5) (important / thing) I own. It’s

(6) (convenient / place) I have to keep information.

3. Brad: My new cell phone is a piece of junk! It was (7)

(not expensive) phone in the store. What a mistake! Also, the salesperson in that
store was one of (8) (not helpful /
salesperson) I’ve ever spoken to.

9 EDIT. Read the article about trash in the desert. Find and correct eight more errors with
superlatives.

Cameron’s Camels
hotest
The Arabian Desert in the Middle East is one of the most hot environments on Earth, and it has

the less amount of rainfall. But to the camel, it is home. The camel is one of the most strong animals

in the world. Camels can go for many days with only a little food and water. When they do find water,

they probably drink the most quick of any land animal. Adult camels can drink about 25 to 30 gallons

(95–114 liters) in ten minutes. Unfortunately, finding water is not the seriousest problem camels face.
Most dangerous threat to camels comes from humans. Tourists in the desert leave trash behind. Camels

think the trash is food and eat it. This is very dangerous for the camels, because it can kill them.

One of the most polluted part of the desert is outside the city of Abu Dhabi. Each year, many

camels die there from eating trash. Cameron Oliver has been trying to change this. Since he was

eight years old, Cameron has been telling people that trash is very dangerous for camels. Of all

the young people in Abu Dhabi, Cameron has worked most hard to help the camels. When he was

12, Cameron became the

most young person to win

an Abu Dhabi award for

community service.

UNIT 8 LESSON 3 225