by R. S. Karunaratne

Comparative forms of adjectives

To make the comparative of most one-syllable adjectives, we add 'er.'

Amanda is slimmer than Margaret.

Positive
Comparative

old older
cool cooler
cold colder
green greener
rich richer
small smaller
high higher
neat neater
light lighter
tall taller
short shorter
young younger
clever cleverer
broad broader
narrow narrower
near nearer
kind kinder
bright brighter

For short adjectives ending in 'e' we add 'r' to make the comparative.

Positive Comparative

nice nicer
late later
safe safer
strange stranger
fine finer
wide wider
white whiter
pale paler

For short adjectives ending in one vowel and a consonant we double the consonant before adding 'er.'

Positive Comparative

red redder
big bigger
fat fatter
hot hotter
wet wetter
slim slimmer
thin thinner

Exceptions ( 'w' is not doubled)

Positive Comparative

You are taller than me.

slow slower
new newer
low lower

For two-syllable adjectives ending in 'y,' we add 'ier' after deleting 'y.'

Positive Comparative

friendly friendlier
lazy lazier
hungry hungrier
sleepy sleepier
angry angrier
dirty dirtier
heavy heavier
lucky luckier
lively livelier
lonely lonelier
stormy stormier
dry drier

For longer adjectives we add 'more' to make the comparative.

Positive Comparative

famous more famous
beautiful more beautiful
intelligent more intelligent
dangerous more dangerous
important more important
boring more boring
interested more interested
interesting more interesting
attractive more attractive
notorious more notorious
extravagant more extravagant
prosperous more prosperous
knowledgeable more knowledgeable

Irregular comparisons

Positive Comparative
good better
bad worse
far farther / further

Examples

You are taller than me.
Or you are taller than I am.
My father drives a bigger can than this.
Amanda is slimmer than Margaret.

Match words and meanings

Here's an exciting way to enrich your vocabulary. Match the words in column 'A' with their meanings in column 'B' and check your answers with the key. The first has been done for you.

[Column A]

Y 1. disinter
... 2. disinterest
... 3. disinterested
... 4. disjointed
... 5. dislocate
... 6. dislodge
... 7. disloyal
... 8. dismal
... 9. dismantle
.. 10. dismay
.. 11. dismember
.. 12. dismiss
.. 13. dismount
.. 14. disorder
.. 15. disorderly
.. 16. disorganised
.. 17. disoriented
.. 18. disparage
.. 19. disparate
.. 20. dispassionate
.. 21. dispel
.. 22. dispensable
.. 23. dispense
.. 24. disperse
.. 25. dispirited

[Column B]
A. sad and without hope
B. different in every way
C. to cut the arms and legs off a human body
D. a state of untidiness
E. able to think clearly
F. lack of interest
G. more than you need and therefore not necessary
H. to remove fears, doubts and false ideas
I. not well connected
J. to criticise someone
K. untidy
L. to remove someone from their job
M. to give out things to people
N. to take a machine apart
O. having no personal involvement
P. to force a bone out of its correct position
Q. not supporting someone you should support
R. to get off a horse
S. badly planned
T. to move away
U. not feeling hopeful about a particular situation
V. confused
W. a feeling of unhappiness
X. to remove something or someone by force
Y. to dig up a dead body from the ground

Key:

2. F 3. O 4. I 5. P 6. X 7. Q 8. A 9. N 10. W 11. C 12. L 13. R 14. D 15. K 16. S 17. V 18. J 19. B 20. E 21. H 22. G 23. M 24. T 25. U

Starters:

'Yet, still' and 'already'

"Yet" means "still, until the present time." We use "yet" when we expect something.

I haven't spoken to the new principal yet.
The carpenter hasn't finished his job yet.

Radha is very fat yet somehow she's attractive.

A: Are you ready?
B: Not yet.
Of all the novels I've read, Anna Karenina is the best yet.
The vacancy has not been filled yet.
No ambulance has arrived yet to take away the injured.
They won't come back to power for a long time yet.
Our holidays aren't over yet.
The board of directors has yet to make a decision.
He could yet be a formidable opponent, you never know.
Harris bought yet another car to add to his fleet.
The teacher has given us yet more homework to do.
Radha is very fat yet somehow she's attractive.
I've got a present but I haven't opened it yet.
A: Come soon.
B: Wait a minute. I'm not ready yet.
A: Have they paid your salary yet?
B: No, not yet.

Still

"Still" means "continuing to happen" or "going on longer than expected."

The child is still hungry.
I still haven't received my salary.
There is still no news of the missing journalist.
Do you still work for him?
Is he still alive?
There's still time for us to catch the train.
I don't like the way you treat me, but you're still my friend.
Although he had very little time to coach me in English, he still offered to help.

"Still" can mean "to an even greater degree."

The number of missing vehicles after the election is likely to rise still higher.
The company is trying to expand its products range still further.
Still more news about corruption is coming to light.
Why do you want to tell me still more lies?

As an adjective, "still" means "staying in the same position."
Are you still a clerk?
Most children find it difficult to stay still for very long.
Sit perfectly still. I'm going to take your photograph.
The air remains still and even the leaves do not move.
He dived into the still water of the lake.
Do you like still or sparkling (with bubbles) water?
In the still of the night the robbers entered the abandoned house.

Already

"Already" means "before the present time" or "sooner than expected."

I can't come to see the film. I've already seen it.
The show had already started by the time we arrived at the theatre.
I've already promised that I will help him.
As I have already mentioned, the country will prosper gradually.
There's no need to explain. I already know what happened.
I can't do the night shift as I am already exhausted.

Quiz on idioms

An idiom is a special kind of phrase. It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning of each word were taken individually. Tick the meaning of the idioms and check your answers with the key.

1. If you make a dent in something ...
(a) you reduce its amount or level
(b) you damage it
(c) you repair it

2. If you say that a particular task is not your department ...
(a) you say that you belong to another department
(b) you accept responsibility
(c) you are not responsible for it

3. If you are out of your depth ...
(a) you feel exhausted
(b) you feel inadequate to deal with a situation
(c) you feel humiliated

4. If someone's behaviour plumbs the depths ...
(a) it is extremely bad
(b) it is extremely good
(c) it is average

5. If someone has got their just deserts ...
(a) they received something sweet
(b) they deserve the pleasant things
(c) they deserve the unpleasant things

6. If you have designs on something ...
(a) you have no plans to get it
(b) you plan to get it in an honest way
(c) you plan to get it in a dishonest way

7. If someone is left to their own devices ...
(a) they are left to do what they want to do
(b) they are not allowed to do what they want to do
(c) they are planning to do something memorable

8. If you say better the devil you know ...
(a) you would deal with the devil
(b) you would rather deal with someone you know even if you do not like them
(c) you would have no dealings with dishonest people

9. If you are between the devil and the deep blue sea ...
(a) you are in a difficult situation
(b) you are in a pleasant situation
(c) you are in a profitable situation

10. If you do a devil of a job ...
(a) it was a difficult job
(b) it was an easy job
(c) it was a job only a devil can do

Key:

1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (c) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (a)