Bigger,Better, Faster
Comparatives & superlatives in real conversations
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Warm-up · Section 1
5 minGet talking
Look around the room. Find two objects and compare them in one sentence ('My phone is older than yours').
Tell your partner the BEST and WORST city you've ever visited. Why?
Coffee or tea? Beach or mountains? Android or iPhone? Give one comparative reason for each choice.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minComparatives & superlatives: the full picture
Short adjectives (1 syllable): add -er / -est → cheap → cheaper → the cheapest.
→ Berlin is cheaper than Paris, but Paris is more beautiful.
→ This is the best coffee I've ever had.
→ My new phone is much faster than the old one.
→ Madrid isn't as expensive as London.
More detail
Long adjectives (2+ syllables): use more / the most → expensive → more expensive → the most expensive. Irregulars: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst; far → further → the furthest. Always use 'than' with comparatives, and 'the' with superlatives. To compare equal things: 'as + adjective + as' (Tokyo is as exciting as New York).
Question 1.Tokyo is ____ than Osaka.
Question 2.This is ____ restaurant in the city.
Question 3.My laptop is ____ expensive ____ yours.
Question 4.Today is ____ than yesterday.
Question 5.Lisbon isn't ____ crowded ____ Barcelona.
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
Don't just read these — say one out loud, then use it about your life.
by far
used to strongly emphasise a comparison (by far the best)
"It's by far the best café in town."
Finish: 'X is by far the best…'
way better
informal: much better
"The new version is way better."
Name something that's way better than its old version.
nowhere near as
much less than (nowhere near as good as)
"It's nowhere near as good as the original."
Finish: 'X is nowhere near as good as…'
overrated
less good than people say
"Honestly, that film is overrated."
Name something everyone loves but you find overrated.
underrated
better than people say
"His early albums are really underrated."
Name something underrated you want to recommend.
value for money
good quality for the price
"The set menu is great value for money."
Name the best value-for-money thing you bought this year.
a game-changer
something dramatically better than before
"Noise-cancelling headphones were a game-changer for me."
Name a recent game-changer in your life.
second to none
the absolute best
"Their customer service is second to none."
Name something in your life that's second to none.
Discuss with a partner
- →Pick 3 overrated and 3 underrated things — defend each.
- →What's been a real game-changer for you this year?
Finish the sentence about you
- X is by far …
- Y is nowhere near as …
- Honestly, X is overrated because …
Rank & justify
Rank from best → worst value for money.
- streaming subscriptions
- gym membership
- smartphone upgrades
- eating out
60-second write
Write 3 strong opinions using by far, overrated and game-changer.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minThe weak 'than' /ðən/ in comparatives
- • It's CHEAPER than I THOUGHT. (than → /ðən/)
- • She's TALLER than her BROTHER.
- • This café is BETTER than the OTHER one.
- • It's WAY more FUN than I exPECted.
How to say it
In natural speech, 'than' is almost never stressed. It reduces to /ðən/ — quick and quiet — while the adjective and the thing compared get the stress. 'It's BIGGER than YOURS' — not 'bigger THAN yours'. Stressing 'than' sounds robotic.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minTech review: the new vs the old
I've used the new XPhone for a week, and honestly? It's by far the best phone I've ever owned. The camera is way better than last year's model — photos are sharper, colours are more natural, and low-light shots are a game-changer. The battery is also longer-lasting; I get nearly two days from one charge. But it's not perfect. It's nowhere near as light as the competition, and at £1,200 it's the most expensive phone on the market. Is it worth it? If you take photos every day, absolutely. If not, last year's model is still excellent and offers much better value for money.
Question 1.How does the reviewer describe the camera?
Question 2.What's the main weakness of the new phone?
Question 3.Who should buy the older model?
Q1.The new phone has a worse camera than last year's.
Q2.The battery lasts about two days.
Q3.The new phone is lighter than competitors.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTwo friends compare two cities
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Mia:So which did you prefer — Lisbon or Barcelona?
Sam:Honestly? Lisbon, by far. It's much smaller and way more relaxed. Barcelona is more exciting, but it's nowhere near as easy to walk around.
Mia:Was it cheaper?
Sam:Way cheaper. Food, hotels, taxis — everything. Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities I've been to lately.
Mia:And the food?
Sam:The seafood in Lisbon is second to none. Barcelona's tapas are great, but a bit overrated, to be honest.
Question 1.Which city did Sam prefer?
Question 2.How did he describe Barcelona's price?
Question 3.What did he say about tapas?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minCambridge PET — Speaking Part 2 (compare two photos)
Task
You'll see two pictures (e.g. city vs countryside). Compare them in 1 minute using at least 4 comparative tools.
Strategy
Don't just list features — COMPARE them. Use a modifier in every sentence: much, way, far, a bit, slightly, nowhere near as. End with a personal preference + reason. Tools to fire: 1) comparative + than, 2) superlative, 3) as…as, 4) modifier, 5) opinion phrase ('I'd much rather…').
Example
'The first picture shows a busy city; the second shows the countryside. The city looks far more exciting, but it's nowhere near as peaceful. Personally, I'd much rather live somewhere quieter — the countryside is by far the better choice for me.'
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.This restaurant is ____ ____ the one on the corner.
Question 2.It's ____ far the best film of the year.
Question 3.Berlin is nowhere ____ ____ expensive ____ London.
Question 4.My new headphones are a real ____-changer.
Question 5.Honestly, the film was a bit ____ — I expected more.
Q1.Compare (much): 'My phone is fast. Your phone is faster.' →
Q2.Superlative: 'This / good / coffee / I / ever / have' →
Q3.Equal comparison: 'Madrid is exciting. Barcelona is exciting too.' →
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 120-word review comparing TWO things you know well (two cities, two phones, two cafés, two films). Use at least 3 comparatives, 1 superlative, 1 'as…as' structure and 2 idioms from the vocab list.
Show model answer
I've tried both Spotify and Apple Music for a year, and honestly, Spotify is by far the better choice for me. The interface is much cleaner, the playlists are way smarter, and the free version is second to none. Apple Music has better sound quality — that's a real game-changer for audiophiles — but it's nowhere near as social. Spotify lets you share, collaborate and discover with friends in a way Apple still can't match. Price-wise, they're almost identical, so it really comes down to what you value. For most people, Spotify offers much better value for money and is, in my opinion, the best streaming app on the market right now.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
COMPARE & RECOMMEND · Pairs. Choose ONE category each round (cities / phones / restaurants / streaming apps / supermarkets). Each partner picks an option and 'sells' it using at least 4 comparison tools. Partner must respond with a counter-comparison. After 3 rounds, agree on a winner. Teacher monitors for modifiers (much, way, far, a bit, nowhere near as).
Useful phrases
- • It's by far the best…
- • Way better than…
- • Nowhere near as good as…
- • I'd much rather…
- • It's a real game-changer.
- • Honestly, it's a bit overrated.
- ASo, iPhone or Android — which do you think is better?
- B_______________
- AFair point. But isn't the iPhone camera the best on the market?
- B_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Push for spontaneous comparisons in every activity. Modifiers are the fluency goal. ~30 min total
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Write 5 sentences comparing things in your daily life. Use a different modifier (much, way, far, a bit, nowhere near as) in each.
Record a 90-second voice note comparing your home town with another city you know.
Read 2 product reviews online; underline every comparative and superlative phrase you find.
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- Short adjectives: -er / -est. Long adjectives: more / the most.
- Always 'than' with comparatives, 'the' with superlatives.
- 'as + adjective + as' = equal comparison.
- Modifiers (much, way, far, a bit, nowhere near as) make comparisons natural.
- Irregulars: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst.