UNIT 3         COMPARISON OF ADVERBS

Adverbs can be used to compare actions: I arrived soonerthan you did.

1. The comparison forms for adverbs are the same as those for adjectives:

One-syllable adverbs that compare two actions and the adverb early end in –er: Ted ran faster today. She got up earlier.

To compare more than two actions, they use the suffix –est: Ted ran the fastestof all. John got up theearliest.

With a longer adverb and all adverbs in –ly (except early) more and most are usually used for comparing actions: I see more clearly. I see most clearly. I drove more carefully than John. Tim drove most carefully of all.

2. The adverb often and some adverbs that can be used in informal English as adjectives without –ly (e.g. quick/quickly, slow/slowly, cheap/cheaply see Unit 4) have both the forms of comparison: oftener – oftenest and more often – most often; cheaper – cheapest and more cheaply – most cheaply: You can buy themcheapesthere,and You can buy themmore cheaplyhere.

3. Some adverbs, as their correspondent adjectives, have irregular forms of comparison, for example, badly – worse – worst (see Chapter 2. Adjectives. Unit 4. Comparison, Irregular forms).

4. The adverbs in the superlative degree may be used with or without the definite article the if the prepositional phrase of all is used or meant: He ran (the) fastest of all. If this phrase is not meant, the definite article is not used: I work best in the morning ‘Я работаю лучше всего утром’.

E x e r c i s e s

Complete each sentence by writing the correct form of the adverb in brackets.

1) Jean worked (fast) than Debbie.

2) Debbie finished (late) than Jean

3) Of all the girls, Lily worked the (late).

4) She worked (carefully) of all.

5) No one tried (hard) than Den.

6) Of all the birds, they flew the (quietly).

7) The swan swam (peacefully) than the duck.

8) The beautiful black swan swam the (near) to me of all the birds.

9) He swam (slowly) than the white swan.

10) I will be back here (soon) than you.

11) Of the three shopping centers, this one has (few) stores.

Translate the sentences.

1) Лучше всего я знаю английский.

2)  Я знаю английский лучше всех.

3) Сейчас я вижу яснее.

4) Я вел машину аккуратнее, чем Джон.

5) Я прибыл быстрее, чем ты.

6) Джон знал предмет хуже всех.

7) Джефф поднялся раньше всех.

8) В этом случае артикль используется чаще.

9) Чаще всего артикль используется в следующих случаях.

10) Это слово употребляется чаще.

11) Здесь вы можете купить фрукты дешевле.

12) Мы продаем свой товар дешевле всех.

UNIT 4           ADJECTIVES OR ADVERBS?

Sometimes a word is recognized as an adjective or an adverb by its function: an adjective modifies mostly a noun or pronoun and an adverb modifies mostly a verb: Are you a quiet(adj) person? Do you speak quietly (adv)?

Some adjectives and adverbs are recognized by their form: quiet (adj) and quietly (adv). Yet the difference between these two parts of speech is not clear-cut.