Lesson 8

Degrees of comparison

Degrees of comparison:

-er       older                                                             more           more expensive

-est      oldest                                                            most           most expensive

Fairy tale

Little Lion:

-          Who am I?

Mother Lion:

-          You are the strongest, the fastest, the cleverest, the best and most beautiful of all the animals.

A bee:

- Hello. Who are you?

Little Lion:

-          Hello. I’m the strongest, the fastest, the cleverest, the best and most beautiful of all the animals.

A parrot:

- Hello. Who are you?

Little Lion:

-          Hello. I’m the strongest, the fastest, the cleverest, the best and most beautiful of all the animals.

An Owl:

-          Hello. Who are you?

Little Lion:

-          I am the strongest! I am the fastest! I am the most beautiful!

An Owl:

-          Never say that you the strongest, the fastest and so on. There are animals which are stronger, faster, cleverer, better and more beautiful than you.

Little Lion:

-          Thank you, Mr. Owl, for this wise lesson.

Proverbs

·                     East or west home is best.

·                     Better late than never.

·                     Two heads are better than one.

·                     As old as the hills.

·                     As drunk as a lord.

·                     As plain as the nose on a man’s face.

Idioms

As wet as a fish                                                                  As bold as a thief

As strong as a horse                                                           As dry as a bone

As white as a lily                                                                As round as a ball

As weak as a cat                                                                 As sly as a fox

As poor as a rat                                                                   As live as a bird

As black as a coal                                                               As gay as a lark

As free as an air                                                                  As hot as a oven

As light as a feather                                                            As warm as a toast

As uncertain as a weather                                                   As cold as a frog

As sick as a dog                                                                  As red as a rose

Read these idioms every day.

Pronounce “as … as” and “a” in the weak way.

Don’t stress “as … as”.

Then embody them in sentences of your own.

Proverbs

·                     On-lookers see most.

·                     Fish like the bottom deeper; man also looks for what is better.

·                     A good name is sooner lost than won.

·                     A good name is better than riches.

·                     Better untaught than ill-taught.

·                     Better to do well than to say well.

·                     Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.

·                     Better lose a jest than a friend.

·                     Better deny at once than promise long.

·                     As the call, so the echo.

·                     As the tree, so the fruit.

·                     As welcome as flowers in may.

·                     As welcome as water in one’s shoes.

·                     The least said the soonest mended.

·                     A friend is easier lost than found.

·                     Be slow in choosing friends, slower in changing them.

·                     A still tongue makes a wise head.

Discuss why too much talking isn’t good. Do you remember another English proverb which says “The greatest talkers are always the least doers”.

What does it mean?

·                     A good name is better than a good face.

Discuss how important it is for a person to be respected by everybody.

What should he(she) do to be respected?

·                     Who knows most says least.

What is the best way to show one’s knowledge?

What does a modest person do if he knows much?

·                     Doing is better than saying.

·                     Actions speak louder than words.

·                     It’s better to do well than to say.

Here are three English proverbs. Give examples of some persons who speak little but do much.

·                     Speak little but listen well to what others say.

It’s a good proverb, but what is very important in learning to speak English?