Exercises

106.1 Complete the sentences using as... as.

1. I'm quite tall but you are taller. I'm not _as tell as you._

2. My salary is high but yours is higher. My salary isn't ---.

3. You know a bit about cars but I know more. You don't ---.

4. It's still cold but it was colder yesterday. It isn't ---.

5. I still feel a bit tired but I felt a lot more tired yesterday.

I don't ---.

6. They've lived here for quite a long time but we've lived here longer.

They haven't ---.

7. I was a bit nervous before the interview but usually I'm a lot more nervous.

I wasn't ---.

106.2 Rewrite these sentences so that they have the same meaning.

1. Jack is younger than he looks. Jack isn't _as old as he looks._

2. 1 didn't spend as much money as you. You _spent more money than me._

3. The station was nearer than I thought. The station wasn't ---.

4. The meal didn't cost as much as I expected. The meal ---.

5. I go out less than I used to. I don't ---.

6. Her hair isn't as long as it used to be. She used to ---.

7. 1 know them better than you do. You don't ---.

8. There were fewer people at this meeting than at the last one.

There weren't ---.

106.3 Complete the sentences using as... as. Choose one of the following:

bad, comfortable, fast, long, often, quietly, soon, well, well-qualified,

1. I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I got here _as fast as_ I could.

2. It was a difficult question. I answered it --- I could.

3. 'How long can I stay with you? ' 'You can stay --- you like.'

4. I need the information quickly, so please let me know --- possible.

5. I like to keep fit, so I go swimming --- I can.

6. I didn't want to wake anybody, so I came in --- I could.

In the following sentences use just as... as.

7. I'm going to sleep on the floor. It's --- sleeping in that hard bed.

8. Why did he get the job rather than me? I'm --- him.

9. At first I thought you were nice but really you're --- everybody else.

106.4 Write sentences using the same as.

1. Sally and Kate are both 22 years old. _Sally is the same age as Kate._

2. You and I both have dark brown hair. Your hair ---.

3. I arrived at 10.25 and so did you. I ---.

4. My birthday is 5 April. Tom's birthday is 5 April too. My ---.

106.5 Complete the sentences with than... or as...

1. I can't reach as high as you. You are taller _than me._

2. He doesn't know much. I know more ---.

3. I don't work particularly hard. Most people work as hard ---.

4. We were very surprised. Nobody was more surprised ---.

5. She's not a very good player. I'm a better player ---.

6. They've been very lucky. I wish we were as lucky ---.

UNIT 107 Superlatives--the longest/the most enjoyable etc.

A. Study these examples:

What is the longest river in the world?

What was the most enjoyable holiday you've ever had?

Longest and most enjoyable are superlative forms.

B. The superlative form is ~est or most... In general, we use ~est for short words and most... for longer words. (The rules are the same as those for the comparative - see Unit 104.)

long -> longest, hot -> hottest, easy -> easiest, hard -> hardest

but most famous, most boring most difficult, most expensive

These adjectives are irregular:

good -> best, bad -> worst, far -> furthest

For spelling, see Appendix 6.

C. We normally use the before a superlative (the longest/the most famous etc.):

* Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.

* That film was really boring. It was the most boring film I've ever seen.

* She is a really nice person - one of the nicest people I know.

* Why does he always come to see me at the worst possible moment? Compare:

* This hotel is the cheapest in town. (superlative)

* This hotel is cheaper than all the others in town. (comparative)

D. Oldest and eldest

The superlative of old is oldest:

* That church is the oldest building in the town. (not 'the eldest')

We use eldest (or oldest) when we are talking about people in a family:

* My eldest son is 13 years old. (or My oldest son.)

* Are you the eldest in your family? (or. the oldest.

E. After superlatives we use in with places (towns, buildings etc.):

* What is the longest river in the world? (not 'of the world')

* We had a lovely room. It was one of the nicest in the hotel. (not 'of the hotel')

We also use in for organisations and groups of people (a class/team/company etc.):

* Who is the best student in the class? (not 'of the class')

We normally use of for a period of time:

* What was the happiest day of your life?

* Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.

F. We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A):

* What's the best film you've ever seen?

* That was the most delicious meal I've had for a long time.

G. Sometimes we use most + adjective to mean 'very':

* The book you lent me was most interesting. (= very interesting)

* Thank you for the money. It was most generous of you. (= very generous)