UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
LECCION N° 24
IMPERATIVO, ADJETIVO CALIFICATIVO: POSICION
COMPARACION DE ADJETIVOS
The imperative mood
The Imperative Mood is used for giving commands. Like the Simple Present Subjunctive,
the Imperative Mood of a verb is formed from the bare infinitive of the verb. For instance,
the Imperative of the verb to work is work. In the following examples, the verbs in the
Imperative Mood are underlined.
Example:
Work!
Work harder!
Likewise, the Imperative of the verb to be is be.
Example:
Be more alert!
You be ready to come with us.
The Imperative Mood can be used only in the second person. As shown in the first three
examples above, the subject of the sentence is often omitted when the Imperative Mood is
used. In such sentences, the subject you is said to be "understood". In written English,
when the subject of the verb is omitted from a command, the command is often followed
by an exclamation mark: !
The Imperative Mood can also be used in negative statements. Negative statements are
formed using the auxiliary do, followed by the word not. The contraction don't is often
used in spoken English. For example:
Without Contractions
Do not work so hard.
Do not be afraid.
With Contractions
Don't work so hard.
Don't be afraid.
EXERCISES
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the Imperative form
of the verbs shown in brackets. For example:
____ the door. (to open)
Open the door.
Don't ______ to come. (to forget)
Don't forget to come.
78
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
1. Don't __________ out late. (to stay)
2. Please _________ ready on time. (to be)
3. Don't ___________ about that. (to worry)
4. _________ your own business! (to mind)
5. _________ careful not to delete those data. (to be)
6. Do not ____________ everything you hear. (to believe)
7. Always ___________ well before overwriting a file. (to look)
8. You __________ here while I go into the store. (to wait)
9. __________ me! (to excuse)
10. _________ me an e-mail if you have time. (to send)
79
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
FORMING THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE
Number of syllables
Comparative
Superlative
one syllable
+ -er
+ -est
Small
smaller
smallest
one syllable with the spelling consonant + single vowel + consonant: double the
final consonant:
Hot
hotter
hottest
Big
bigger
biggest
Thin
thinner
thinnest
Number of syllables
Comparative
Superlative
two syllables
+ -er OR more + adj
+ -est OR most + adj
ending in: -y, -ly, -ow
ending in: -le, -er or –ure
these common adjectives - handsome, polite, pleasant, common, quiet
Happy
happier/ more happy
happiest/ most happy
Yellow
yellower/ more yellow
yellowest/ most yellow
Simple
simpler/ more simple
simplest/ most simple
Slender
slenderer/ more slender
slenderest/ most slender
If you are not sure, use MORE + OR MOST +
Note: Adjectives ending in '-y' like happy, pretty, busy, sunny, lucky etc:. replace the -y
with -ier or -iest in the comparative and superlative form
Busy
busier
busiest
Number of syllables
Comparative
Superlative
three syllables or more
more + adj
most + adj
Important
more important
most important
Expensive
more expensive
most expensive
Examples:
•
•
•
A cat is fast, a tiger is faster but a cheetah is the fastest
A car is heavy, a truck is heavier, but a train is the heaviest
A park bench is comfortable, a restaurant chair is more comfortable, but a sofa is
the most comfortable
80
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
These adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms:
Adjective
good
bad
little
much
far
Comparative
better
worse
less
more
further / farther
Superlative
best
worst
least
most
furthest / farthest
AS + ADJECTIVE + AS
To compare people, places, events or things, when there is no difference, use as +
adjective + as:
Peter is 24 years old. John is 24 years old. Peter is as old as John.
More examples:
Moscow is as cold as St. Petersburg in the winter.
Ramona is as happy as Raphael.
Einstein is as famous as Darwin.
A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.
COMPARISONS OF QUANTITY
To show difference: more, less, fewer + than
Examples:
With countable nouns: more / fewer
•
•
•
•
•
Eloise has more children than Chantal.
Chantal has fewer children than Eloise.
There are fewer dogs in Cardiff than in Bristol
I have visited fewer countries than my friend has.
He has read fewer books than she has.
With uncountable nouns: more / less
•
•
•
•
•
Eloise has more money than Chantal.
Chantal has less money than Eloise.
I spend less time on homework than you do.
Cats drink less water than dogs.
This new dictionary gives more information than the old one.
So, the rule is:
MORE + nouns that are countable or uncountable
FEWER + countable nouns
LESS + uncountable nouns
81
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
To show no difference: as much as, as many as, as few as, as little as
as many as / as few as + countable nouns
as much as / as little as + uncountable nouns
Examples:
With countable nouns:
•
•
•
•
•
•
They have as many computers as us.
We have as many customers as them.
Tom has as few books as Jane.
There are as few houses in his village as in mine.
You know as many people as I do.
I have visited the States as many times as he has.
With uncountable nouns:
•
•
•
•
•
John eats as much food as Peter.
Jim has as little food as Sam.
You've heard as much news as I have.
He's had as much success as his brother has.
They've got as little water as we have.
EXERCISES
1. Write in the comparative, following the model:
The avenue / long / the street
The avenue is longer than the street.
a) Mackintosh units / expensive / PCs
b) English / simple / German
c) My printer / noisy / yours.
2. Write the superlative, following the model:
That building / tall / in the city
That building is the tallest in the city.
a) They say this is / good / computer shop in town.
b) That was /difficult / problem we had to solve.
82
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
3. Fill in the blanks with the correct comparative or superlative of the adjectives in
parentheses.
a) This equipment is _______________________ (advanced) of all.
b) The invention of computers is _______________(great) advance in modern
technology.
c) Main memory ___________________________ (expensive) auxiliary memory.
d) This computer is ________________________
computer.
(powerful) any other personal
e) This tax is ______________________(low) income tax.
4. Translate into English.
a) Este lenguaje de computación es el menos usado en nuestra empresa.
b) Estos programas son los más adecuados.
c) Esta computadora realiza trabajos más complicados que la unidad vieja.
5. Choose the correct alternative.
a) The CD-ROM drive is one of __________________devices.
the newer
the most new
newer than
the newest
b) Magnetic drums are __________________________discs or tapes.
earlyer
earlier
earliest
most early
more early
earlier than
6. Complete these sentences by supplying the comparative form of the adjectives
in parentheses. Also include the word than.
a) He is ___________(young)______I am.
b) Chicago is ___________(big)_______Paris.
c) This book is ___________(good)________the last one we used.
83
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
d) This exercise is _________(easy)________the last one.
7. Supply the superlative form of the adjectives in parentheses.
a) Grace is _____________________(intelligent) girl in our class.
b) George is ______________________(bad) student in the class.
c) Tokyo is _______________________(large) city in the world.
d) Mt. Everest is ____________________(high) mountain in the world.
e) This chair is ______________________(comfortable) chair in the whole house.
f) The story which you told was ______________________(funny) of all.
OPPOSITES
Find the words in list B which are opposite in meaning to the ones in list A. Use
them to complete the sentences. For example: The opposite of turn on is turn off.
A
1) The opposite of add is subtract.
B
2) The opposite of authorize is _______________
3) The opposite of automated is _______________
4) The opposite of backward is _______________
5) The opposite of boot up is _______________
6) The opposite of character based is _______________
7) The opposite of column is _______________
8) The opposite of confirm is _______________
9) The opposite of contiguous is _______________
10) The opposite of continue is _______________
11) The opposite of delete is _______________
12) The opposite of flexible is _______________
13) The opposite of hardware is _______________
14) The opposite of infinite is _______________
15) The opposite of landscape is _______________
16) The opposite of monospaced is _______________
17) The opposite of multiply is _______________
18) The opposite of open is _______________
19) The opposite of parallel is _______________
20) The opposite of physical is _______________
21) The opposite of problem is _______________
22) The opposite of simplex is _______________
23) The opposite of simple is _______________
24) The opposite of single is _______________
25) The opposite of transmit is _______________
84
cancel
close
closed
complicated
divide
duplex
forbid
forward
fragmented
graphical
interrupt
manual
multiple
portrait
proportional
receive
restore
rigid
row
serial
shut down
software
solution
subtract
virtual
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
ADVERBS – Comparative degree
We form the comparative degree of one-syllable adverbs by adding er.
Soon
Fast
sooner
faster
We usually express the comparative degree of adverbs with two or more syllables by
using more (superiority) or less(inferiority).
Quickly
Carefully
more quickly than
more carefully than
Comparative of equality: as........as
I'll be there as early as possible.
Mário speaks English as well as José.
Some adverbs have special comparative forms.
badly
little
much
well
far
worse
less
more
better
farther
The comparative form of all adverbs is followed by than.
She works faster than I do.
He drives more carefully than she does.
John feels better than he did yesterday.
EXERCISE
1. Complete these sentences by supplying the comparative form of the adverbs in
parentheses. Also includes the word than.
She speaks _______________________(rapid)_______ I.
She speaks more rapidly than I.
He can help you ___________________(easy)________I can.
She works ________________________(hard)_________her sister.
He prepares his homework __________________(careful)__________most students.
They arrived ____________________(soon)____________we.
85
UNIVERSIDAD JOSE CARLOS MARIATEGUI
ADVERBS – Superlative degree
We form the superlative degree of one-syllable adverbs by adding est.
Fast
Hard
High
the fastest
the hardest
the highest
We form the superlative degree of two or more syllables adverbs by using the most
(superiority) or the least( inferiority).
Wisely
Politely
Cruelly
Generously
the most wisely
the most politely
the most cruelly
the most generously
Early
Often
the earliest
the oftenest
Exceptions:
Some adverbs have irregular form.
Badly
Little
Much
Well
Far
the worst
the least
the most
the best
the farthest
EXERCISE:
1. Translate the adverbs (comparative and superlative) in brackets:
a) Richard drives (más cuidadosamente) than his brother.
b) If you speak (más alto), I'll be able to hear you.
c) You can go now, but I'll go (más tarde).
2. Dé una versión en inglés de estas oraciones:
a) John no es tan alto como Daniel.
b) Ésta es la lección más difícil del libro.
c) María habla francés más fluidamente que inglés.
86