Easy Word | Luyện ngữ pháp


Luyện ngữ pháp - English Grammar in Use (Unit 106: Comparison 2)


A Before comparatives you can use:
much a lot   far (= a lot)    a bit    a little    slightly (=a little)

  • Let's go by car. It's much cheaper. (or a lot cheaper)
  • 'How do you feel now?'  'Much better, thanks.'
  • Don't go by train. It's a lot more expensive. (or much more expensive)
  • Could you speak a bit more slowly? (or a little more slowly)
  • This bag is slightly heavier than the other one.
  • Her illness was far more serious than we thought at first. (or much more serious / a lot more serious)
B You can use any and no comparative (any longer / no bigger etc.):
  • I've waited long enough. I'm not waiting any longer. (= not even a little longer)
  • We expected their apartment to be very big, but it's no bigger than ours. or ... it isn't any bigger than ours. (= not even a little bigger)
  • How do you feel now? Do you feel any better?
  • This hotel is better than the other one, and it's no more expensive.
C

Better and better / more and more etc.

We repeat comparatives (better and better etc.) to say that something changes continuously:
  • Your English is improving. It's getting better and better.
  • The city has grown fast in recent years. It's got bigger and bigger.
  • As I listened to his story, I became more and more convinced that he was lying.
  • These days more and more people are learning English.
D

The ... the ...

You can say the (sooner/bigger/more etc.) the better:
  • 'what time shall we leave?'  'The sooner the better.' (= as soon as possible)
  • A: What sort of box do you want? A big one?
    B: Yes, the bigger the better. (= as big as possible)
  • When you're travelling, the less luggage you have the better.

 

We also use the ... the ... to say that one thing depends on another thing:
  • The warmer the weather, the better I feel. (= if the weather is warmer, I feel better)
  • The sooner we leave, the earlier we will arrive.
  • The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.
  • The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.
  • The more electricity you use, the higher your bill will be.
  • The more I thought about the plan, the less I liked it.
E

Older and elder

The comparative of old is older:
  • David looks older than he really is.

 

You can use elder (or older) when you talk about people in a family. You can say (my/your etc.) elder sister/brother/daughter/son:
  • My elder sister is a TV producer. (or My older sister ... )

 

We say 'my elder sister', but we do not say that 'somebody is elder':
  • My sister is older than me. (not elder than me)


Các task khác trong bài học