COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 1

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS
Al igual que en espaol, en ingls cuando queremos comparar dos cosas utilizamos los adjetivos y sus distintos grados: positivo, comparativo y superlativo. - El grado positivo refiere la forma ms simple: A sunny day / Un da soleado - El grado comparativo refiere una cualidad mayor de una cosa respecto de otra. A better day / Un da mejor - El grado superlativo refiere la cualidad en su mayor expresin: Today is the best day of the year / Hoy es el mejor da del ao

CLASES DE COMPARACIN

-COMPARATIVO DE IGUALDAD

Se forma con el adjetivo intercalado entre la construccin "as...as" (tan...como) para frases afirmativas e interrogativas y "not as...as" o "not so...as" para las frases negativas. I'm as young as you / soy tan joven como t Am I as young as you? / soy tan joven como t? I'm not so young as you / no soy tan joven como t Podemos emplear tras el segundo 'as' el pronombre en caso nominativo o acusativo (He, his; She, her...) He is as young as she; He is as young as her / l es tan joven como ella Si se trata de una comparacin entre dos verbos, podemos usar la expresin "as much as" (tanto como) tambin en forma negativa She does not work as much as she should / Ella no trabaja tanto como debera
Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 2

Cuando la comparacin se hace entre dos sustantivos se utiliza "as much as" para el singular y "as many as" para el plural. I have as much work as my boss / Tengo tanto trabajo como mi jefe I have as many pencils as you / Tengo tantos lpices como t Si estamos comparando dos sustantivos contables (libros, coches, casas...) utilizaremos "as many... as", pero si estamos comparando dos sustantivos incontables (madera, tiempo, msica...) usaremos la construccin "as much...as". We have as many books as them / Tenemos tantos libros como ellos We have as much space as them / Tenemos tanto espacio como ellos

- COMPARATIVO DE INFERIORIDAD

Se forma con el adjetivo intercalado entre la construccin "less...than" (menos...que), aunque es ms usual encontrar la comparacin de igualdad en forma negativa (que tiene el mismo significado). He's less young than you / l es menos joven que t He's not as young as you / l no es tan joven como t (ms usual) Normalmente se emplea less para incontables y fewer para contables

- COMPARATIVO DE SUPERIORIDAD

Se forma de dos modos: Aadiendo al adjetivo el sufijo -er para el comparativo de superioridad y -est para el superlativo cuando los adjetivos son de una sola slaba. = + er + est

Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 3

big (grande) bigger (ms grande) old, older, the oldest / viejo new, newer, the newest / nuevo dark, darker, the darkest / oscuro

biggest (el ms grande)

Los de dos slabas que terminan en er, y, le y own y los que tienen el acento en la ltima slaba forman tambin el comparativo y el superlativo con -er y -es clever, cleverer, the cleverest / listo idle, idler, the idlest / perezoso happy, happier, the happiest / feliz narrow, narrower, the narrowest / estrecho

Anteponiendo la palabra more (ms) para el comparativo de superioridad y "the most" para el superlativo para el resto de adjetivos de dos slabas y todos los de tres o ms . intelligent / inteligente more intelligent / ms inteligente the most intelligent / el ms inteligente interesting, more interesting, the most interesting / interesante

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS IRREGULARES

Algunos adjetivos forman el comparativo de manera irregular good, better, the best / bueno, mejor, el mejor bad, worse, the worst / malo, peor, el peor far, further, the furdest / lejano, ms lejano, el ms lejano CONSIDERACIONES - Cuando un adjetivo termina en e solamente aade -r y -st para el comparativo y superlativo. large, larger, the largest / grande, ms grande, el ms grande
Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 4

- Cuando terminan en consonante + y cambian la y por i easy, easier, the easiest / fcil - Si termina en una sola consonante + vocal + consonante, duplica la consonante big, bigger, the biggest / grande - El segundo trmino de la comparacin utiliza la forma than que corresponde al que espaol. A car is more expensive than a bicycle./ Un coche es ms caro que una bicicleta Albert is more intelligent than Arthur./Allberto es ms inteligente que Arturo He is taller than his brother / l es ms alto que su hermano - Cuando la comparacin se realiza entre dos adjetivos se usa more. She is more funny than happy / Ella es ms alegre que feliz - La expresin espaola "cada vez ms" equivale en ingls a los dos comparativos del adjetivo. The film is becoming more and more interesting / La pelcula se vuelve cada vez ms interesante

COMPARATIVO Y SUPERLATIVO DE ADVERBIOS

La mayoridad de los adverbios comparativos y superlativos se forma con more y most. Can you drive more carefully, please? / Puedes conducir con ms cuidado por favor? Los adverbios que tienen la misma forma que los adjetivos, se forman con er y est. Los ms usados son : Fast, early, hard, long, near, high, low, soon, easy, slow, loud, quick. They all play badly, but he plays worst of all / Todos juegan mal, pero l es el que peor juega. She speaks slower (Informal) than Andy. / Ella habla ms despacio que Andy. (Tambin se puede decir more slowly). Nobody gets up earlier than Willy. Nadie se levanta ms temprano que Willy

Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 5

LOS COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS DE SUPERIORIDAD IRREGULARES

well, bien badly, mal late, tarde little, poco much, mucho far, lejos

better, mejor worse, peor later, ms tarde less, menos more, ms farther, ms lejos

best, lo mejor worst, lo peor last, lo ms tarde least, lo menos most, lo ms farthest, lo ms lejos

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
FORMING THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE Number of syllables Comparative Superlative one syllable + -er + -est tall taller tallest one syllable with the spelling consonant + single vowel + consonant: double the final consonant: fat fatter fattest big bigger biggest sad sadder saddest

Number of syllables Comparative

Superlative
Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 6

two syllables + -er OR more + adj + -est OR most + adj ending in: -y, -ly, -ow ending in: -le, -er or -ure these common adjectives - handsome, polite, pleasant, common, quiet happy happier/ more happy happiest/ most happy yellow yellower/ more yellow yellowest/ most yellow simple simpler/ more simple simplest/ most simple tender tenderer/ more tender tenderest/ most tender If you are not sure, use MORE + OR MOST + Note: Adjectives ending in '-y' like happy, pretty, busy, sunny, lucky etc:. replace the -y with -ier or -iest in the comparative and superlative form busy busier busiest Number of syllables Comparative three syllables or more important expensive more + adj more important more expensive Superlative most + adj most important most expensive

EJERCICIOS DE COMPARATIVO
1. Completa las oraciones usando la forma comparativa de las siguientes palabras. Usa than donde sea necesario.
crowded Interested big peaceful early reliable easy serious high simple important thin

1. I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed .earlier than usual. 2. Id like too have a . more reliable car. The one Ive got keeps breaking down. 3. Unfortunately hr illness was . ..we thought at first. 4. You look . .Have you lost weight? 5. I want a ...flat. We dont have enough space here.
Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 7

6. He doesnt study very hard. Hes...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 countryside. Its....living in town. 11. Youll find your way around the town ...if you have a good map. 12. In some parts of the country, prices are..in others.

2. Lee la situacin y completa las frases. Usa la forma comparativa (-er o more)
1. Yesterday the temperature was nine degrees. Today is only six. Its colder today than it was yesterday. 2. The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train. It takes.. 3. Dave and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dave stopped after eight kilometres I ran....... 4. Chris and Joe both did badly the exam. Chris got 20% but Joe only got 15%. Joe did ..... 5. I expected my friends to arrived ay about 4 oclock. In fact they arrived at 2:30.. My friends.. 6. You can go by bus or by train. The buses run every 30 minutes. The trains run every hour. The buses 7. We were very busy at work today. Were not usually as busy as that. We ...

Completa las oraciones usando: as ... as.

1. I quite tall but you are taller. I'm not as tall as you 2. My salary is high but yours is higher. My salary isn't 3. You know a bit about cars but I know more. You dont 4. Its still cold but it was colder Yesterday. It isn't ..

Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 8

5. I still feel a bit tired but I felt a lot more tired yesterday. I don't. ... 6. They've lived here for quite a long time but we lived here longer. They haven't . . ............................... ..... .. ... .. .. .. .......... 7. I was a bit nervous before the interview but usually I'm a lot more nervous. I wasn't ..

Cambia estas oraciones para que tengan sentido.

1. Jack is younger than he looks. Jack isnt as old as he looks. 2. I didn't spend as much money as you. You spend more money than me. 3. The station was nearer than I thought. The station wasnt.. 4. The meal didn't cost as much as I expected. The meal. 5. I go out less than I used to. I dont.. 6. Her hair isn't as long as t used to be. She used to .................................................. 7. I know them better than you do. You don't.................................................................... 8. There were fewer people at this meeting than at the last one. There weren't ................ ................................................................................................................. ...... ... ...

Completa las oraciones usando as ..as. Elige una de las siguientes palabras.
comfortable fast long often quietly soon well-qualified

Bad

1. I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I got here as fast as.. I could 2. It was a difficult question. I answered t ...... I could 3. 'How long can I stay with you?' 'You can stay ... you like. 4. I need the information quickly, so please let me know........................................ possible. 5. I like to keep fit, so I go swimming........................... ........................................I can. 6. I didn't want to wake anybody, so I came in ............................... .I could.

En las siguientes oraciones usa as... as. 7. I'm going to sleep on the floor. Its............................................sleeping in that hard bed. 8. Why did he get the job rather than me? I'm ..him. 9. At first I thought you were nice bur really you're ..everybody else.
Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS 9

En las siguientes oraciones usa as... as. 1. Sally and Kate are both 22 years old. Sally is the same age than Kate 2. You and I both have dark brown hair. Your hair. 3. I arrived at 10.25 and so did you. I.. 4. My birthday is 5 April. Toms birthday is 5 April too. My .

Completa las oraciones con than. o as.... 1. I can't reach as high as you. You are taller than me 2. He doesn't know much. I know more............. 3. I don't work particularly hard. Most people work as hard .................. 4. We were very surprised. Nobody was more surprised ..................................................... 5. She's not a very good player. Im a better player ................ 6. They've been very lucky. I Wish we were as lucky................................ .......................

Vernica Guerrero
Alumna de la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Melilla

www.eoimelilla.com