9.1 Comparison of adjectives

P resentation

C orner shops are friendlier than supermarkets. Supermarkets aren’t as friendly as corner shops.

Corner shops are more expensive than supermarkets. Supermarkets aren’t as expensive as corner shops

1. Compare corner shops and supermarkets using these adjectives: cheap convenient hygienic

2. Which type of shop has a wider range of goods? gives better service? is pleasanter to shop at ? 3. Which would you rather shop at?

Practice

Now compare these cars and fires in the same way. Which would you rather have ?

			fast comfortable expensive to run attractive to look at …......? clean safe economical to run cosy convenient …......?
vintage car	family saloon	sports car
coal fire	electric fire	paraffin stove

9.2 Significant differences Practice

Britain Japan India Saudi Arabia Turkey

Which of the five countries above is being described in each of these sentences ?

1. It’s richer than Britain, and it’s not as industrialised as Japan.

2. It’s hotter than Britain and it isn’t as rich as Turkey.

3. It’s much bigger than Turkey, but it’s got a much smaller population.

Work in groups.

Student A: Describe one item in a set by making two comparisons.

The others: Guess which item student A is describing. The student who guesses correctly goes next.

1. Hong Kong Paris Beirut Helsinki Athens

2. iron wood plastic glass gold

3. carrier bag suitcase trunk

briefcase handbag

4. car bus plane bicycle train

5. poodle greyhound wolf

alsatian fox

6. Margaret Thatcher Jackie Onassis Ella Fitzgerald Mrs Gandhi Jane Fonda

Mick Jagger Elton John Paul McCartney Frank Sinatra Tom Jones

Look at the five countries again.

1. Which has the largest population ?

2. Which is the richest country ?

3. Which is the most mountainous ?

4. Which is the furthest east ?

Now ask similar questions about the other seven sets.

9.3 Which would you rather?

Free practice

Would you rather ...

... stay at a hotel or a bed and breakfast place?

... have a dog or a cat ?

... live in a city or a village ?

Work in groups. Discuss the questions above by making comparisons.

Writing

Choose one of the topics you discussed. Write a paragraph based on your discussion.