EnglishPeople Around Us
Describe someone in your family.
- What do they look like?
- What are they like?
Say:
They are ___.
They have ___.
Look at each word. Give an example person or use a gesture.
- tall
- A person with a lot of height
- friendly
- A person who is nice to other people
- shy
- A person who is quiet with new people
Now we can compare people: taller, friendlier, the shyest.
Words for describing people
Read the words aloud. Notice the comparative and superlative forms in the examples.
- tall [/tɔːl/]
- having a lot of height
My sister is taller than me. - short [/ʃɔːt/]
- not tall; having little height
My brother is shorter than me. - young [/jʌŋ/]
- not old
Ali is younger than his cousin. - old [/əʊld/]
- having lived for many years
My grandfather is the oldest. - beautiful [/ˈbjuːtɪfəl/]
- very attractive or lovely
This actor is more beautiful in this photo. - handsome [/ˈhænsəm/]
- attractive, usually used for a man
He is the most handsome man here. - friendly [/ˈfrendli/]
- kind and pleasant to other people
Sara is friendlier than Tom. - kind [/kaɪnd/]
- caring and helpful
My aunt is the kindest person I know. - funny [/ˈfʌni/]
- making people laugh
Leo is funnier than me. - quiet [/ˈkwaɪət/]
- making little noise; not talking much
Nina is the quietest student. - happy [/ˈhæpi/]
- feeling pleased
I am happier at home. - hard-working [/ˌhɑːdˈwɜːkɪŋ/]
- doing a lot of work carefully
Maya is more hard-working than me. - generous [/ˈdʒenərəs/]
- happy to give time, help, or money
Omar is the most generous person in our family. - shy [/ʃaɪ/]
- nervous or quiet with new people
Ben is shyer than his sister. - confident [/ˈkɒnfɪdənt/]
- sure of yourself and your abilities
Ava is the most confident speaker.
Say:
My ___ is ___ than me.
___ is the ___ person in my family.
Comparing people and things
Compare two people or things
Use a comparative when you compare two people or things.
Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
Comparative | A + be + comparative + than + B | Mia is taller than Anna. |
Equality | A + be + as + adjective + as + B | Mia is as kind as Anna. |
Inequality | A + be + not as + adjective + as + B | Mia is not as tall as Anna. |
Elena is friendlier than Mia.
Mia is as hard-working as Elena.
Elena is not as quiet as Mia.
Choose the comparison system
English has two systems. Use only one.
Adjective type | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
One syllable | tall → taller | tall → the tallest |
Two syllables ending in -y | happy → happier | happy → the happiest |
Two or more syllables | beautiful → more beautiful | beautiful → the most beautiful |
Use a superlative for one person or thing in a group of three or more.
Leo is the funniest student in the class.
Ava is the most confident speaker in our group.
My grandfather is the oldest person in my family.
Always use the before a superlative.
Spelling changes
Rule | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
Short vowel + consonant: double the final consonant | big → bigger | big → biggest |
Final -e: add -r or -st | nice → nicer | nice → nicest |
Final -y: change y to i | funny → funnier | funny → funniest |
Some adjectives simply add -er/-est | quiet → quieter | quiet → quietest |
Irregular forms
Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
good | better | the best |
bad | worse | the worst |
far | further | the furthest |
Maths is worse than history for Elena.
History is my worst subject.
This café is further from my home.
Common mistakes
Incorrect | Correct | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Mia is more taller than Anna. | Mia is taller than Anna. | Do not use more with -er. |
Ben is the shyest than Tom. | Ben is shyer than Tom. | Use than with a comparative. |
Ava is most confident student. | Ava is the most confident student. | Use the before a superlative. |
I am as taller as my brother. | I am as tall as my brother. | Use the base adjective after as. |
My phone is not as better as yours. | My phone is not as good as yours. | Use the base adjective after not as...as. |
Build accurate comparisons
Connect each adjective with its comparative form
Connect each adjective with its correct comparative form.
- tall
- taller
- happy
- happier
- beautiful
- more beautiful
- big
- bigger
Connect each adjective with its superlative form
Connect each adjective with its correct superlative form.
- kind
- the kindest
- good
- the best
- bad
- the worst
- funny
- the funniest
Choose the correct form in each sentence
London is [___] than Paris.
Mount Everest is [___] mountain in the world.
My brother is [___] me.
Type the missing form
My new phone is [___] than my old phone.
Monday is [___] day of the week for me.
My cousin is [___] I am. (Their height is equal.)
A train is [___] a bicycle.
My Best Friend
My Best Friend
My best friend is Elena. We are both sixteen, but Elena is two months older than me. She is taller than I am, and her hair is longer and darker than mine. I am not as confident as Elena when I meet new people, but I am as hard-working as she is at school. Elena is friendlier than me and talks to everyone in class. However, I am quieter and sometimes more careful than her. Elena thinks maths is worse than history, but history is my worst subject. We often study together because Elena is good at explaining difficult things. In our group of friends, she is the funniest person, and I think she is also the kindest. She is not the most beautiful girl in the school, but for me, she is the best friend.
Difficult words
- confident — sure of yourself
- hard-working — working carefully and a lot
- careful — thinking before you act
- explaining — helping someone understand something
- difficult — not easy
- subject — an area of study at school
- group of friends — friends who spend time together
- Who is older: Elena or the writer?
- What two appearance differences does the writer describe?
- In what way are Elena and the writer equal at school?
- Which two superlatives describe Elena?
Quick review
Remember the key patterns
- Short adjective: tall → taller → the tallest
- Adjective ending in -y: happy → happier → the happiest
- Long adjective: beautiful → more beautiful → the most beautiful
- Equality: as + adjective + as
- Inequality: not as + adjective + as
- Irregular forms: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst
- Use than after a comparative.
- Use the before a superlative.
Review the vocabulary
Appearance: tall, short, young, old, beautiful, handsome
Personality: friendly, kind, funny, quiet, happy, hard-working, generous, shy, confident
Sort the adjectives by their form pattern
Connect each adjective with the form pattern it follows.
- handsome
- 2+ syllables
- shy
- ending in -y
- generous
- 2+ syllables
- tall
- 1 syllable
Say:
___ is ___ than ___.
___ is the ___ in my family.
