UNIT 107 Superlatives--the longest/the most enjoyable etc.

A. Study these examples:

What is the longest river in the world?

What was the most enjoyable holiday you've ever had?

Longest and most enjoyable are superlative forms.

B. The superlative form is ~est or most ... In general, we use ~est for short words and most ... for longer words. (The rules are the same as those for the comparative - see Unit 104.)

long -> longest, hot -> hottest, easy -> easiest, hard -> hardest

but most famous, most boring most difficult, most expensive

These adjectives are irregular:

good -> best, bad -> worst, far -> furthest

For spelling, see Appendix 6.

C. We normally use the before a superlative (the longest/the most famous etc.):

* Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.

* That film was really boring. It was the most boring film I've ever seen.

* She is a really nice person - one of the nicest people I know.

* Why does he always come to see me at the worst possible moment? Compare:

* This hotel is the cheapest in town. (superlative)

* This hotel is cheaper than all the others in town. (comparative)

D. Oldest and eldest

The superlative of old is oldest:

* That church is the oldest building in the town. (not 'the eldest')

We use eldest (or oldest) when we are talking about people in a family:

* My eldest son is 13 years old. (or My oldest son . )

* Are you the eldest in your family? (or . the oldest.

E. After superlatives we use in with places (towns, buildings etc.):

* What is the longest river in the world? (not 'of the world')

* We had a lovely room. It was one of the nicest in the hotel. (not 'of the hotel')

We also use in for organisations and groups of people (a class/team/company etc.):

* Who is the best student in the class? (not 'of the class')

We normally use of for a period of time:

* What was the happiest day of your life?

* Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.

F. We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A):

* What's the best film you've ever seen?

* That was the most delicious meal I've had for a long time.

G. Sometimes we use most + adjective to mean 'very':

* The book you lent me was most interesting. (= very interesting)

* Thank you for the money. It was most generous of you. (= very generous)

EXERCISES

107.1 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (~est or most ... ) + a preposition.

1 It's a very nice room. It _is the nicest room in_ the hotel.

2. It's a very cheap restaurant. It's --- the town.

3. It was a very happy day. It was --- my life.

4. She's a very intelligent student. She --- the class.

5. It's a very valuable painting. It --- the gallery.

6. Spring is a very busy time for me. It --- the year.

In the following sentences use one of + a superlative + a preposition.

7 It's a very nice room. It _is one of the nicest rooms in_ the hotel.

8. He's a very rich man. He's one --- the world.

9. It's a very old castle. It --- Britain.

10. She's a very good player. She --- the team.

11. It was a very bad experience. It --- my life.

12. He's a very dangerous criminal. He --- the country.

107.2 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (~est or most ...) or a comparative (~er or more ...).

1. We stayed at _the cheapest_ hotel in the town. (cheap)

2. Our hotel was _cheaper_ than all the others in the town. (cheap)

3. The United States is very large but Canada is ---. (large)

4. What's --- river in the world? (long)

5. He was a bit depressed yesterday but he looks --- today. (happy)

6. It was an awful day. It was --- day of my life. (bad)

7. What is --- sport in your country? (popular)

8. Everest is --- mountain in the world. It is than any other mountain. (high)

9. We had a great holiday. It was one of the --- holidays we've ever had. (enjoyable)

10. I prefer this chair to the other one. It's ---. (comfortable)

11. What's --- way of getting from here to the station? (quick)

12. Mr and Mrs Brown have got three daughters --- is 14 years old. (old)

107.3 What do you say in these situations? Use a superlative + ... ever ... Use the words given in brackets (in the correct form).

1. You've just been to the cinema. The film was extremely boring. You tell your friend: (boring/film/see) _That's the most boring film I've ever seen._

2. Your friend has just told you a joke, which you think is very funny. You say: (funny/joke/hear) That's ---.

3. You're drinking coffee with a friend. It's really good coffee. You say: (good/coffee/taste) This ---.

4. You are talking to a friend about Mary. Mary is very patient. You tell your friend about her: (patient/person/meet) She ---.

5. You have just run ten kilometres. You've never run further than this. You say to your friend: (far/run) That ---.

6. You decided to give up your job. Now you think this was a bad mistake. You say to your friend: (bad/mistake/make) It ---.

7. Your friend meets a lot of people, some of them famous. You ask your friend: (famous/person/meet?) Who ---?

UNIT 108 Word order (1)--verb + object; place and time

A. Verb + object

The verb and the object of the verb normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:

I like children very much. (not 'l like very much children')

Did you see your friends yesterday?

Ann often plays tennis

Study these -examples. Notice how the verb and the object go together each time:

* Do you clean the house every weekend? (not 'Do you clean every weekend the house?')

* Everybody enjoyed the party very much. (not 'Everybody enjoyed very much the party')

* Our guide spoke English fluently. (not '...spoke fluently English')

* I not only lost all my money - I also lost my passport. (not 'I lost also my passport')

* At the end of the street you'll see a supermarket on your left. (not '...see on your left a supermarket')

B. Place and time

Usually the verb and the place (where?) go together:

go home, live in a city, walk to work etc.

If the verb has an object, the place comes after the verb + object:

take somebody home, meet a friend in the street

Time (when?/how often?/how long?) normally goes after place:

Tom walks to work every morning. (not 'Tom walks every morning to work')

She has been in Canada since April.

We arrived at the airport early.

Study these examples. Notice how time goes after place:

* I'm going to Paris on Monday. (not 'I'm going on Monday to Paris')

* They have lived in the same house for a long time.

* Don't be late. Make sure you're here by 8 o'clock.

* Sarah gave me a lift home after the party.

* You really shouldn't go to bed so ate.

It is often possible to put time at the beginning of the sentence:

* On Monday I'm going to Paris.

* Every morning Tom walks to work.

Some time words (for example, always/never/often) usually go with the verb in the middle of the sentence. See Unit 109.

EXERCISES

108.1 Is the word order right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.

1. Everybody enjoyed the party very much. _RIGHT_

2. Tom walks every morning to work. _WRONG: to work every morning_

3. Jim doesn't like very much football. ---

4. I drink three or four cups of coffee every morning. ---

5. I ate quickly my dinner and went out. ---

6. Are you going to invite to the party a lot of people? ---

7. I phoned Tom immediately after hearing the news ---

8. Did you go late to bed last night? ---

9. Sue was here five minutes ago. Where is she now? ---

10. Did you learn a lot of things at school today? ---

11. I met on my way home a friend of mine ---

12. I fell yesterday off my bicycle ---

108.2 Put the parts of the sentence in the right order.

1. (the party/very much/everybody enjoyed) _Everybody enjoyed the party very much._

2. (we won/easily/the game) ---.

3. (quietly/the door /I closed) ---.

4. (Diane/quite well /speaks/German) ---.

5. (Tim/all the time television/watches) ---.

6. (again/please don't ask/that question) ---.

7. (football/every weekend/does Ken play?) ---.

8. (some money/I borrowed/from a friend of mine) ---.

108.3 Complete the sentences. Put the parts in the right order.

1. (for a long time/have lived /in the same house)

They _have lived in the same house for a long time._.

2. (to the bank every Friday /go) I ---.

3. (home/did you come/so late) Why ---?

4. (her car/ drives /everyday /to work) Ann ---.

5. (been/recently/to the cinema) I haven't ---.

6. (at the top of the page/your name/write) Please ---.

7. (her name/after a few minutes/remembered) I ---.

8. (around the town/all morning/walked) We ---.

9. (on Saturday night/didn't see you/at the party) I ---.

10. (some interesting books/found/in the library) We ---.

11. (the children/yesterday/to the zoo/took) Sally ---.

12. (opposite the park/a new hotel/are building) They ---.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 3637