Comparisons1: Differences 1

 When we compare things, we often talk about their differences. What is the most common way to do this?

 I am sure you were right. The most common way is to use comparative adjectives. That is what we shall look at in this unit.

Here are the basic grammar rules covering comparative adjectives.

1. When using comparative adjectives (e.g. bigger or more beautiful), remember that almost always the sentence will include than.
2. If the adjective is one syllable, e.g. tall we simply add -er to get taller.
3. If the adjective has two syllables and ends in –y e.g. happy, we drop the -y and add -ier to get happier.
4. All other adjectives take more, e.g. more intelligent.
5. If your not sure, remember that if it’s a big word it will use more____ and if it’s a little word it will use er.
6. A very important rule is that you can NEVER put more___ with -er e.g. you can never say, He is more taller than his brother.

 Look at the table below
Activities Places Animals
 Things
play tennis/golf Japan/USA  lion/tiger  train/plane
watch TV/movie at cinema  Hachioji/Shinjuku shark/dolphin J-pop/enka
eat spaghetti/steak Mt. Fuji/Mt. Everest cat/dog  university/j.h.s.

Now look at some sample sentences comparing the pairs in the first row.

Golf is a slower game than tennis.
Playing tennis is more popular in Japan than playing golf.
Japan has a longer history than the USA.
The USA is more powerful than Japan.
A tiger is more colorful than a lion.
A male lion has longer hair on its head than a tiger.
Planes travel faster than trains.
Trains are usually more comfortable than planes.

Task1
Now you try to make up some sentences comparing the pairs in the second and third rows of the table above.

Below are some examples of sentences students made up when comparing Japan and the USA.
The area of the USA is bigger than that of Japan.
The USA has a bigger population than Japan.
Japan has a more traditional culture than the USA.
Americans are franker than Japanese.
The USA is much freer than Japan.
Food portions are bigger in the USA than in Japan.
Japanese food is healthier than American food.
American people are taller than Japanese.
Japanese are less friendly than Americans.
Japanese are more polite than Americans.
The USA has many more guns than Japan.
The USA has more variety of races than Japan.
Japanese are more industrious than Americans.
Americans eat much more meat than Japanese.
Baseball in America is more popular than in Japan.
Japan is safer than the USA.
There are more famous people in the USA than in Japan.
The USA is more populous than Japan.
The USA is more multiracial than Japan.
Japan is more beautiful than the USA.
Japan is more comfortable than the USA.
The USA is vaster than Japan.
The USA has more forests than Japan.
There are more famous places in the USA than in Japan.
The USA has more capital than Japan.
Japan has more hot springs than the USA.
US technology is more developed than Japan’s.

Task 2
Most of these sentences are facts, but some are opinions. Which ones are opinions? Remember, a fact is a statement that can be proven, an opinion is just what somebody thinks.

Task 3
Look at the table below. Can you make up one sentence comparing each pair? Can you make up two comparing each pair? How about three or four each? Give it a try.
Activities
 Places
 Animals
 Things
Eat fish/eat meat  City/country Giraffe/zebra Eraser/pencil
Feeding baby/dog Hokkaido/Okinawa Sheep/goat Skirt/trousers
Going to sea/ mountains Tokyo/Manhattan Rabbit/mouse Chocolate/candy
Basketball/soccer Disneyland/Universal studios Cow/horse Paper/electronic dictionary
Running/ walking
 Arctic/Antarctic   Snake/worm Spoon/fork
Studying/working
 Paris/London Bat/eagle Letter/email
Bowling/karaoke
 Osaka/Tokyo Panda/koala Tea/coffee
novel/newspaper
 Library/home study Fox/wolf Sports car/family car
Piano/guitar
  Korea/USA  Tuna/sardine War/peace
Singing/dancing
 Zoo/amusement park Hamster/cat Kabuki/Noh
Have bath/shower
 Himeji jo/Osaka jo Pigeon/hawk Sokadai/Todai
Reading/listening
 Apartment/house Monkey/man English/Latin

Task 4
Find a partner. Pick one of the pairs above. Your partner must compare them. Change and compare the pair your partner chooses.
Do this 10 times each.

Task 5
Change partners and do this again. This time make two comparisons for the pair your partner selects.

Task 6
Record yourself using Soft Recorder. Speak for 45 seconds on the topic
Which do you prefer, cats or dogs? Why?
Send the file to me

Task 7
Record yourself using Soft Recorder. Speak for 45 seconds on the topic
Do you prefer to play sports or watch sports? Why?
Send the file to me

 Now you can move on to the next unit.