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  • Hello.

  • Welcome to today's episode of Living English.

  • Later we're going to look at how we compare things.

  • ... and add words for the places where we live.

  • First though here's our drama 'Sisters and Brothers'.

  • So Anne, have you been to Australian [...]?

  • No, never.

  • It's a beautiful home Sarah.

  • So big.

  • The rooms are much bigger than at home.

  • There's more space here.

  • Do you live in a house?

  • No Steve - she lives in an igloo.

  • Actually no, we live in an appartment.

  • [...].

  • Singapore is much busier than Adelaide, and more crowded.

  • Yes, and more exciting.

  • It's so boring here.

  • It's quieter.

  • Some people like that.

  • Well, I think it's boring.

  • Adelaide is very beautiful city.

  • It's a better place to live than...

  • ... anywhere else I've been.

  • Have you ever been anywhere?

  • Mark hates travelling.

  • I love it.

  • I just don't see the point of it.

  • And what about you Steve?

  • Do you like to travel?

  • Yes.

  • I've been to Guadeloupe and to Bali.

  • Bali [...].

  • I've been to the zoo.

  • You're lucky.

  • I haven't been to the zoo.

  • I'd love to go to the zoo.

  • I'll take you.

  • Steve does seem very keen to take Anne to the zoo.

  • Perhaps he likes Anne.

  • You have to keep watching to find out.

  • But to start with today let's go back and listen to Anne...

  • ... comparing Sarah's home to hers.

  • It's a beautiful home Sarah.

  • So big.

  • The rooms are much bigger than at home.

  • There's more space here.

  • When we want to describe things like houses...

  • ... we use words called adjectives.

  • Listen for the words Anne uses to describe Sarah's home.

  • It's a beautiful home Sarah.

  • So big.

  • She says that Sarah's home is beautiful and big.

  • These are adjectives.

  • They describe Sarah's house...

  • ... which is also her home.

  • Sarah has a big home.

  • Now listen to what Anne says when she compares it to her home in Singapore.

  • The rooms are much bigger than at home.

  • The rooms are bigger.

  • Rooms can be big.

  • And other rooms can be bigger.

  • A word can be small.

  • And another word can be smaller.

  • To compare two things we change some adjectives by adding an 'er' sound.

  • Big.

  • Bigger.

  • Small.

  • Smaller.

  • These sorts of adjectives are called comparatives.

  • We lead the things we are comparing with the word 'than'.

  • Listen for an example of this use of 'than' and the comparative in this clip.

  • Singapore is much busier than Adelaide, and more crowded.

  • Busier.

  • Singapore is much busier than Adelaide.

  • The city of Adelaide is busy.

  • It has lots of people doing lots of things.

  • But Singapore is busier than Adelaide.

  • It has more people doing more things.

  • Try saying 'busier than' with Anne.

  • Singapore is much ... Adelaide, and more crowded.

  • Singapore is much busier than Adelaide, and more crowded.

  • Singapore is more crowded than Adelaide.

  • Instead of adding the 'er' sound to 'crowded' we say 'more crowded'.

  • This is crowded.

  • This is more crowded.

  • And this is much more crowded.

  • We mostly use 'more' with long adjectives...

  • ... and 'er' with short adjectives.

  • Crowded - more crowded.

  • Big - bigger.

  • Now listen to what Steve says about Singapore compared to Adelaide.

  • Singapore is much busier than Adelaide, and more crowded.

  • Yes, and more exciting.

  • He said that Singapore is more exciting.

  • Exciting is a long adjective.

  • So we say 'more' before it.

  • More exciting.

  • Now listen to what Mark says about Adelaide.

  • It's a better place to live than...

  • ... anywhere else I've been.

  • Better.

  • There are too important adjectives that don't have 'more' said before them...

  • ... or 'er' added to them.

  • These adjectives are good and bad.

  • Things can be bad.

  • And they can be worse.

  • One thing can be good.

  • But another thing can be better.

  • Have a look at saying 'better' with the clip.

  • ... anywhere else I've been.

  • It's a better place to live than...

  • ... anywhere else I've been.

  • And here's who makes Living English better. Here's Michelle Crowden.

  • Hello Michelle.

  • Hello Brenton.

  • Hello everyone.

  • Let's compare a few things.

  • Which one of us is taller?

  • Stand up please.

  • I'm taller than you.

  • Yes.

  • Brenton is taller than me.

  • That makes me shorter than you.

  • Oh, that's true.

  • But you have longer hair.

  • Yes.

  • My hair is much longer than yours.

  • Now let's compare places to live.

  • First listen to what Anne calles her home.

  • Do you live in a house?

  • No Steve - she lives in an igloo.

  • Actually no, we live in an appartment.

  • Her family lives in an appartment.

  • Michelle what's an igloo?

  • An igloo is a home made of ice.

  • People who live in very cold places such as Alaska or Greenland might build an igloo.

  • But Anne lives in an appartment.

  • What are the words we use for an appartment Brenton?

  • A flat.

  • In Australia an appartment is often called a flat.

  • And what is that?

  • A group of rooms on one floor of a building.

  • So they are not very big.

  • No. Houses are bigger than flats.

  • What's bigger than a house?

  • A mansion.

  • A mansion is bigger than a house.

  • And what's bigger than a mansion?

  • A palace.

  • A palace is bigger than a mansion.

  • That is the biggest a home you can get.

  • A palace would be harder to clean than an apartment.

  • And we know that Singapore is busier than Adelaide.

  • Listen to Sarah compare Adelaide to Singapore.

  • It's quieter.

  • Some people like that.

  • Quieter.

  • If Adelaide is quieter than Singapore Brenton...

  • ... than what is Singapore compared to Adelaide?

  • Singapore must be noisier than Adelaide.

  • Now it's your turn to use some comparative adjectives.

  • Here I have a pencil and a needle.

  • Both of them are sharp.

  • But which one is sharper?

  • What do you think Brenton?

  • Ouch!

  • The needle is sharper than the pencil.

  • True.

  • Now here is another pencil.

  • They are very long.

  • But which pencil is longer?

  • The red one?

  • Or the blue one?

  • You tell me.

  • The red pencil is longer than the blue one.

  • And you can also use the word 'short'.

  • The opposite of long.

  • Which pencil is shorter?

  • The blue pencil is shorter than the red one.

  • Now let's try some longer adjectives.

  • Remember for longer words we use the word 'more' in front of them.

  • What about the word beautiful?

  • Who is more beautiful?

  • Brenton?

  • Or me?

  • That's right.

  • I'm more beautiful than Brenton.

  • I'm not so sure about that.

  • Well, tell me this.

  • Here are two animals.

  • Which animal is more dangerous?

  • The lion?

  • Or the mouse?

  • The lion is more dangerous than the mouse.

  • Which animal is more frightening?

  • The mouse is more frightening than the lion.

  • I don't think so. I think that the lion is more frightening than the mouse.

  • Not to me.

  • What about this one?

  • The snake is much more frightening than the mouse.

  • I agree.

  • Something that is frightening is something that makes you afraid.

  • Michelle and I have a different opinion about what is frightening.

  • Michelle thinks a mouse is frightening.

  • But I don't.

  • Listen to Sarah giving her opinion about travelling.

  • Mark hates travelling.

  • I love it.

  • She says that Mark hates travelling.

  • 'Hates' is more intense than 'doesn't like'.

  • Mark doesn't like travelling.

  • He really doesn't like it.

  • Mark hates travelling.

  • Sarah also said 'I love it'.

  • 'Love' is an exaggerating way of saying 'like'.

  • I like it.

  • I really like it.

  • I love it.

  • You can say that you hate going to work...

  • ... or that you love watching football.

  • Yes.

  • It's a way of saying that you more than just don't like going to work...

  • ... and that you really like football.

  • Actually I hate football.

  • I love it.

  • Now you try saying whether you love something or hate it.

  • Icecream.

  • I hate icecream.

  • I love icecream.

  • Travelling.

  • I hate travelling.

  • I love travelling.

  • Rain.

  • I hate rain.

  • I love rain.

  • Dogs.

  • I hate dogs.

  • I love dogs.

  • So you can say 'I hate' or 'I love something'.

  • And you can also say whether you would love to do something.

  • Listen to Anne expressed her opinion about going to the zoo.

  • And then say it with her.

  • I'd love to go to the zoo.

  • Anne is talking about something she would like to do in the future.

  • You can use this if someone invites you to do something.

  • Brenton.

  • Would you like to have a lunch with me?

  • I'd love to have lunch with you.

  • But you don't usually say "I'd hate to have lunch with you".

  • You say 'I wouldn't like to have lunch with you'.

  • Michelle.

  • Would you like to go to a football match?

  • No.

  • I wouldn't like to go to a football match.

  • Now you try at home.

  • Say whether you'd love to do something...

  • ... or whether you wouldn't like to.

  • Have a holiday.

  • I'd love to have a holiday.

  • I wouldn't like to have a holiday.

  • Visit the dentist.

  • I'd love to visit the dentist.

  • Would you?

  • I wouldn't like to visit the dentist.

  • Ride a horse.

  • I wouldn't like to ride a horse.

  • I'd love to ride a horse.

  • Jump out of an aeroplane.

  • I wouldn't like to jump out of an aeroplane.

  • I'd love to jump out of an aeroplane.

  • With a parachute of course.

  • But I'd love to get home.

  • But we're having so much fun!

  • Our next program has more about expressing wishes...

  • ... and saying what you think might happen in the future.

Hello.

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