Hi everybody, this is Mr Duncan in England.
How are you today?
Are you okay?
I hope so.
Are you happy?
I hope so.
In today's lesson I will be showing you some examples of words and sentences that can be used to show a similarity and dissimilarity between things.
We will be taking a look at how we compare things using certain words and sentences.
Things that we see, things that we experience and the things we do.
In this lesson we will take a look at comparatives.
A comparative is a form of word usage that allows us to look at more than one thing and express both the similarities and the differences or dissimilarities.
You compare one thing to another or with another.
You compare something with another thing.
In this sense, you are making a comparison.
You are comparing one thing to another or with another.
Comparatives can be a single word or a whole sentence.
You can compare one thing to another or many things with each other.
The structure of a comparative can vary depending on what is being compared.
You can compare the size or colour of similar things, or compare the differences between things that have little or nothing in common.
We compare the things so as to work out what the positive and negative things are.
The action of making a comparison can allow us to make a decision about something.
If you have to make a choice from a selection of things, then you will more than likely make a comparison.
You will decide which thing suits you best.
You will select the thing that is best for you.
We can use compare to or compare with when making a comparison.
However, there are differences between these forms of sentence.
Compare to means that you highlight the things in common, while compare with means that you examine the similarities and the differences or dissimilarities.
You look at what is similar and what is different.
The Shakespeare line, shall I compare thee to a summer's day, is expressing the desire to compare the similar things and, some might say, the positive things in common between a summer's day and a beautiful girl.
You can compare almost anything.
If you want to take a holiday, then you will need to decide where to go, where to stay, what type of accommodation you want, and more importantly, what you can afford.
You will compare destinations and locations.
You will compare hotel costs.
Can you afford a five-star hotel or just a two-star one?
You will compare the prices of the hotels.
Before spending money, we normally make a comparison of some sort.
Which television should I buy?
The expensive one or the slightly cheaper one?
Which car insurance should I purchase?
What are the differences between the low-priced ones and the much pricier ones?
If you cannot afford the expensive thing, then there is a good chance that you will have to make a compromise.
This means that you settle for something slightly less than you originally intended.
A good example of comparing and compromising is buying a house.
Most people cannot afford the house they want, so they compare the ones they can afford and decide which gives them the most.
You really want a large house with a big garden but all you can afford is a large house with a small garden or a small house with a large garden.
So you have to compare the two and make a compromise.
Comparisons will include the benefits of a large garden over a smaller one and the advantages of having a large house compared to a smaller one.
It is not unusual for people to make compromises, and quite often, the bigger the decision, the more compromises there are to make.
Unless you win millions on the lottery, there will always be compromises to be made.
Let's look at some examples of comparatives.
Here are two of them.
He is taller.
He is shorter.
He is happy.
He is happier.
He is sad.
He is sadder.
Here we are comparing size and mood
Comparatives when looking at something or when making an observation.
We use than when making a direct comparison between two things or groups.
Height, taller, shorter.
Weight, heavier, lighter.
Length, longer, shorter.
Width Wider Narrower Heat Hotter Colder Warmer Cooler Fit Looser Tighter Light Brighter Darker Lighter Duller Emotion
Happier Sadder Price Costlier Cheaper Moisture Wetter Drier Density Harder Softer Size Bigger Smaller
sound louder quieter depth deeper shallower activity busier quieter
If you notice a change in something, then it is possible to use a comparative to show that this has been observed.
You look taller.
You seem happier.
You look healthier.
You look thinner.
We can compare how something is now to how it was.
You don't seem as happy as you did last week.
You seemed happier last week.
We can use more or less to show a comparison and in some cases much.
You seem more happy today.
You seemed less happy last week.
This coat is much cheaper than that one.
We use more or less to show that something has become better or worse.
Of course, this depends on whether it is used with a negative word or not.
For example, more happy is the same as less sad and less happy is the same as more sad.
It is always easier and more acceptable to use the simpler forms happier and sadder or more happy or more sad or simply better and worse.
When making comparisons we can say that one thing is not as followed by the adjective.
It is not as cold as yesterday.
You don't seem as happy as you did last week.
It is not as hot as it was yesterday.
I'm not as old as you.
In these sentences we are comparing something as it is now with how it was in the past.
Oh Mr Duncan, where did all those years go?
Whenever I look at an old photograph of myself, I cannot help but make comparisons.
I looked so much younger then.
I had so much more hair then.
I seemed more relaxed back then.
These are all comparative observations.
I'm comparing the Duncan of long ago with the one of today.
These comparisons are relevant in some ways and irrelevant in others.
It is much easier to compare the appearance of a person, then and now, than it is to compare their character or manner, as these things can change back and forth over time.
There are some comparatives that do not exist but are sometimes wrongly used.
For example, gooder, betterer, worser, dangerouser.
These are not real words.
We can use more than and less than to show a comparison of cost, height, weight, length, width and general appearance.
Comparing things allows us to highlight the exact differences between two or more things.
If you were judging a singing contest, then you would be comparing the ability of each contestant with the others who were performing.
It is hard to judge something without making some sort of comparison.
She is a better singer than the previous contestant, but she looks more nervous than last week's winner.
We can compare one thing with many other things.
As I said earlier, making a comparison normally means that at some point a choice has to be made, be it the winner of a talent show or which brand of washing powder to use.
I hope you have enjoyed today's lesson.
How does it compare to the others I have made?
Is it better?
Is it worse?
Is it about the same?
I'm sure you will let me know.
It is time for me to go now.
I have to decide what to have for dinner.
What will it be?
A fast quick ready meal or a slow cooked healthy one?
I will compare the two and make a decision.
This is Mr Duncan in England saying thanks for choosing to watch me teach you.
And of course, ta-ta for now.