 In
most academic subjects it is often nedded
to compare and contrast things
 The language of comparison and contrast is
frequently needed when studying tables and
other statistical information
 The
regular comparative and superlative
forms of adjectives and adverbs
1. the endings -er and –est to words with one
syllable
2. by placing the words more and the most in
front of words with more syllables
A
small group of very frequent adjectives:
good-better-best, bad-worse-worst, farfurther-furthest, many-more-most
A small group of adverbs:
badly-worse,worst, little-less-least, muchmore-most
Showing equivalence (i.e. the same):
as…as, the same…as, as many…as, as much…as
2. Showing non-equivalence
not as/so…as, than, more…than, not as
many…as, not as much…as
3. Showing one item compared with a number
(i.e. the superlative)
4. Showing parallel increase
The more, the merrier
1.
 Look
at Table 3 (p. 52)
 Write at least three sentences comparing the
mountains mentioned
 Read
the text on p. 52
 Complete the sentences below the text by
choosing from the list of words and phrases
 More...than
 Greater...than
 As
many...as
 Most
 The same ...as
 Least
 Not as many...as
 As much ... As
 More... Than
 biggest
 Compare
the dictionaries and recommend
one on the basis of Table 4 (p. 53)
 The
comparison of two ideas, theories or
groups is a common feature of many
lectures. When you listen to a lecture that
includes comparison, it can be helpful to
organize your notes related to each item in
diagram form, for example, a Venn diagram.
This can help to clarify the similarities or
differences between the two items.
 Watch
Extract 4 of the lecture and make
notes on the two types of products,
‘revolutionary’ and ‘me-too’ products, under
headings 1-4.
 1. Communicating benefits to consumers
 2. Taking risks
 3. Pricing
 4. Being successful/Gaining market share
 Compare
your notes with another student.
Check whether you identified the same
points.
 Organize your notes on the two types of
product using a Venn diagram.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the adjective in brackets.
 1. Innovation is _____ (risky) creating a me-too
product.
 Prices for me-too products are not _____ (high)
for revolutionary products.
 People are often __________ (confident) about
buying a new product than buying an established
product.
 Revolutionary products are _________
(expensive) for many consumers to buy.
 Early adopters are usually _______ (rich) to take
risks with money.

 Making
general comments or generalising
about the information
 Generalisations can be made more precise by
qualifying them
 When we make a qualification, we may be
giving our own opinion or interpreting the
information
 If we are giving our opinion or are
interpreting the informaton, caution is
needed
 Read
A Survey of Unemployment (p. 64-65);
underline generalisations in the second
paragraph
 All
those registered as unemployed instead
of one million
 The majority of men instead of 60 % of men
 A likelihood of being unemployed instead of
a one in eight chance
 A little unemployment instead of one in
twenty were unemployed
 Identify
the qualifications of quantity,
frequency and probability in the text
 Quantity:
all, minority, majority, a little,
most, a number
 Frequency: usually, seldom, generally
 Probability: likelihood, undoubtedly, likely,
definitely
 Impersonal
verb phrases: it appears that, it
seems that, it tends to be, it is said that,
some writers say that, it has been suggested
that, it is now generally recognised that
 Useful
nouns: assumption, claim, estimate,
possibility, presumption, chance, likelihood