Exercise 1
Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older / more important etc.).
1 It’s too noisy here. Can we go somewhere …………………….?
2 This coffee is very weak. I like it …………………….
3 The hotel was surprisingly big. I expected it to be …………………….
4 The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be …………………….
5 The weather is too cold here. I’d like to live somewhere …………………….
6 My job is a bit boring sometimes. I’d like to do something …………………….
7 It’s a shame you live so far away. I wish you lived …………………….
8 I was surprised how easy it was to get a job. I thought it would be …………………….
9 Your work isn’t very good. I’m sure you can do …………………….
10 Don’t worry. The situation isn’t so bad. It could be …………………….
11 I was surprised we got here so quickly. I expected the t rip to take …………………….
12 You’re talking very loudly. Can you speak …………………….?
13 You hardly ever call me. Why don’t you call me …………………….?
14 You’re standing too near the camera. Can you move a bit ……………………. away?
15 You were a little depressed yesterday, but you look ……………………. today.
Answers
1
1 quieter
2 stronger
3 smaller
4 more expensive
5 warmer/hotter
6 more interesting / more exciting
7 nearer/closer
8 more difficult / more complicated
9 better
10 worse
11 longer
12 more quietly
13 more often
14 further/farther
15 happier / more cheerful
Exercise 2
Complete the sentences. Use the comparative forms of the words in the box. Use than where necessary.
important crowded early easily high big
interested peaceful reliable serious simple thin
1 I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed ……………………. usual.
2 I’d like to have a ……………………. car. The one I have keeps breaking down.
3 Unfortunately her illness was ……………………. we thought at first.
4 You look ……………………. . Have you lost weight?
5 I want a ……………………. apartment. We don’t have enough space here.
6 He doesn’t study very hard. He’s ……………………. in having a good time.
7 Health and happiness are ……………………. money.
8 The instructions were very complicated. They could have been …………………….
9 There were a lot of people on the bus. It was ……………………. usual.
10 I like living in the country. It’s ……………………. living in a town.
11 You’ll find your way around the town ……………………. if you have a good map.
12 In some parts of the country, prices are ……………………. in others.
Answers
2
1 earlier
2 more reliable
3 more serious than
4 thinner
5 bigger
6 more interested
7 more important than
8 simpler / more simple
9 more crowded than
10 more peaceful than
11 more easily
12 higher than
Exercise 3
Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (-er or more …).
1 Yesterday the temperature was six degrees. Today it’s only three degrees.
It’s ……………………. it was yesterday.
2 The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train.
It takes ……………………. by car.
3 Dan and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dan stopped after eight kilometres.
I ran ……………………. Dan.
4 Chris and Joe both did badly in the test. Chris got 30%, but Joe only got 25%.
Joe did ……………………. Chris in the test.
5 I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o’clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30.
My friends ……………………. I expected.
6 You can go by bus or by train. The buses run every 30 minutes. The trains run every hour.
The buses ……………………. the trains.
7 We were very busy in the office today. We’re not usually so busy.
We ……………………. usual in the office today.
Answers
3
1 It’s colder today than it was yesterday.
2 It takes longer by train than by car.
3 I ran further/farther than Dan.
4 Joe did worse than Chris in the test.
5 My friends arrived earlier than I expected.
6 The buses run more often than the trains. or The buses run more frequently than .. . or The buses are more frequent than …
7 We were busier than usual in the office today.