Unit 11: Comparatives and superlatives
Ngữ pháp Comparatives and superlatives / so, such, enough, too
📘 Giải thích tiếng Việt
So sánh hơn và so sánh nhất (Comparatives & superlatives)
Tính từ 1 âm tiết thêm -er/-est (black → blacker → blackest); tận cùng nguyên âm + phụ âm thì gấp đôi phụ âm (thin → thinner); 2 âm tiết tận cùng -y đổi thành -ier/-iest (funny → funnier); từ 2 âm tiết trở lên dùng more/most (more intelligent). Bất quy tắc: good→better→best, bad→worse→worst, far→further. So sánh hơn thường đi với than, so sánh nhất thường có the đứng trước.
so + tính từ/trạng từ + that
Hình thức: so + adj/adv (+ that) hoặc so many/much + danh từ. Diễn tả kết quả của một tình huống. Ví dụ: The burglar was so clever that no one could catch him. Từ that thường có thể lược bỏ.
such + (a/an) + danh từ + that
Hình thức: such + a/an + tính từ + danh từ số ít (+ that), hoặc such + tính từ + danh từ số nhiều. Cũng chỉ kết quả, nhưng khác so ở chỗ such đi với cụm danh từ, còn so đi với tính từ/trạng từ đơn lẻ.
enough
Hình thức: enough + danh từ / tính từ + enough / trạng từ + enough (+ for / + to-infinitive). Chỉ mức đủ hoặc không đủ. Ví dụ: It wasn't dark enough for the burglar to start.
too
Hình thức: too + tính từ/trạng từ, hoặc too many/much + danh từ. Mang nghĩa 'quá mức cần thiết' với sắc thái tiêu cực. Lưu ý: không dùng too cho ý tích cực — hãy dùng very, really, extremely.
Theory
Comparative and superlative adjectives
| Type | Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| one syllable | black | + -er → blacker | + -est → blackest |
| one syllable (vowel + consonant) | thin | double final letter + -er → thinner | double final letter + -est → thinnest |
| two syllables (ending in -y) | funny | replace -y with -ier → funnier | replace -y with -iest → funniest |
| two or more syllables | intelligent | more/less + adj → more intelligent | most/least + adj → most intelligent |
| irregular | good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst | |
| far | farther / further | farthest / furthest | |
| little | less | least | |
| much | more | most | |
| many | more | most |
Watch out!
- Regular adjectives with two syllables can often also form the comparative and superlative like adjectives with one syllable: clever, cleverer, cleverest.
- Adjectives with one syllable that end in -e add -r and -st: white, whiter, whitest.
- Comparative forms are often followed by than.
- Superlative forms are often preceded by the.
Comparative and superlative adverbs
| Type | Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| regular adverbs | easily | more/less + adv → more easily | most/least + adv → most easily |
| irregular adverbs | badly | worse | worst |
| early | earlier | earliest | |
| far | farther / further | farthest / furthest | |
| fast | faster | fastest | |
| hard | harder | hardest | |
| late | later | latest | |
| often | more often | most often | |
| near | nearer | nearest | |
| soon | sooner | soonest | |
| well | better | best |
So
Form: so + adjective + that / so + adverb + that / so + many/much + noun + that
Use: To show the results of a situation or action.
The burglar was so clever that no one could catch him.
Watch out! The word that is not usually necessary. Also, so has other uses — try not to get confused: The crime rate is so high that people are very frightened. vs I saw that burglar leaving the house, so I called the police.
Such
Form: such + a/an + adjective + singular noun + that / such + adjective + plural noun + that / such + a lot of + noun + that
Use: To show the results of a situation or action.
It was such a terrible crime that the man was sent to prison for life.
Enough
Form: enough + noun / adjective + enough / adverb + enough (+ for and/or + full infinitive)
Use: To show the results of a situation or action where there is/isn't the right amount/number of something.
There aren't enough police officers on the streets to keep us safe.
It wasn't dark enough for the burglar to start working.
Watch out! A common mistake is to put enough before an adjective when the correct word is quite or fairly.
Too
Form: too + adjective / too + adverb / too + many/much + noun (+ for and/or + full infinitive)
Use: To describe something that is more than necessary and has a negative effect.
The young man was too young to go to prison.
We arrived too late for the start of the trial.
Watch out! We do not use too when we want to describe something positive. Instead, use very, really or extremely.
Exercise A
Complete using the comparative forms of the words in capitals.
Exercise B
Complete using the superlative forms of the words in capitals.
Exercise C
Circle the correct word.
Film Review
Crime Does Pay, the (1) later / latest comedy from director Sam Martin, has to be one of the (2) little / least interesting films I have ever seen. The acting is terrible and the story is much (3) worse / worst than Martin's other flop, Escape. Crime Does Pay was apparently (4) more / most expensive than any other film this year, but it's hard to see where the money went. The plot concerns a gang of burglars who decide to steal the (5) more / most valuable painting in the world. Fine, except these criminals are far (6) less / least amusing than they should be. There isn't a single real laugh in the whole movie. When I saw it, even the (7) younger / youngest members of the audience thought it was stupidly childish. Dean Richards, playing Scarnose, does a slightly (8) better / best job than the others, but there isn't much in it. When will Hollywood realise that as ticket prices get (9) higher / highest, more people are finding that the (10) well / best form of entertainment is to spend an evening at home with a DVD?
Exercise D
Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.
This is the __________ read.
This is __________ has ever been into the jungle.
It was the __________ in my whole life.
Every other boy in the class __________ Liam.
This __________ the others along this part of the coast.
I read that __________ Mount Everest.
Is __________ has ever been?
You can't imagine __________ the one Ed did.
The other stamps in my collection __________ this one.
Pedro __________ in the class.
Exercise E
Rewrite each sentence using so … that.
Exercise F
Match to make sentences. Choose the correct ending (A–F) for each beginning.
B cold that the water in the pipes froze.
C a cold winter that I had to sleep with a hat on!
D suddenly that many people were taken by surprise.
E much snow that I skied nearly every day.
F snow that many wild animals died.
Exercise G
Circle the correct word or phrase.
Exercise H
Tick (✓) the correct sentences. If a sentence is incorrect, write another word to replace the word in bold.
Exercise I
Choose the correct answer.
Exercise J
Write one word in each gap.
Crimestoppers
'Hello, and welcome to Crimestoppers, the show that lets you, the viewer, help the police. We've had (1) __________ a lot of letters this week that it's difficult to know where to begin. We'll start with the story of Mrs Pat Williams, of Cambridge. Last Friday, Pat decided to go into town with her baby daughter. It's (2) __________ far to walk so they went to the bus stop. They waited (3) __________ a long time that baby Caroline started to cry. Pat picked the baby up out of the pram and she was (4) __________ busy she didn't notice the man beside her until it was (5) __________ late. He grabbed her handbag and ran off (6) __________ quickly for her to catch him. It all happened (7) __________ fast that there was nothing anyone could do. Police are appealing for witnesses. Maybe you were in the area. Maybe you think that what you saw is (8) __________ unimportant that the police won't be interested. Remember that no detail is (9) __________ small to be useful to the police. Call us here at Crimestoppers now.'
