2019-08-13 Core: homes and comparatives

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - notes from all classes
---
p. 81 parts 2 and 3 - Discuss these questions with your partners. (Who do you live with? Where do you live? Do you have experience with other arrangements in part 2?)
---
What other rooms are in a house besides living room, bedroom, and kitchen?
- bathroom
- laundry room
- TV room / den
- dining room
- basement
- attic
- game room / playroom / rec room
- guest bedroom
---
p. 82 part 1 - Which of these things are necessary in a place you’d live? Which are important but not necessary? Which are unimportant?
If you and your partner(s) don’t know a word, use a dictionary or image search. (DON’T use a translator)
Are there other necessary features?

Without a closet, you might use a wardrobe for your clothes.
You can park in a driveway if you don’t have a garage.
In the summer you might want central air(-conditioning).

Make sure you understand the differences:
yard / garden
balcony / terrace / porch
---
What are some advantages that the other three types of houses in the pictures might have?
---
part 3 - Listen and match the questions with the woman’s answers.
---
p. 83 part 4 - Listen again and complete the sentences.
---
What is a shelter? How is it different from a permanent home.
---
BREAK
---
A shelter is something basic to protect from the elements.
A permanent home has several spaces with different functions. (You go inside for more than just protection.)
---
Grammar: comparatives, equatives, and superlatives
---
Comparatives - between two things or groups

I am older than all of you. (old + -er, because “old” is only one syllable)
This grammar is easier than Korean grammar. (easy + -er, because the second syllable is “small”, just -y or -le)
I am more careful than my roommate. (more + careful, because the second syllable is “big”)
This car is more expensive than that one. (more + expensive, because it’s three syllables)
- If you can say “more”, you can also say “less”, but we don’t really use “less” with +er adjectives.
Traditional designs are much better in bad weather conditions.
- If we don’t say the second thing being compared, we don’t use “than”.

The climate is getting warmer and warmer.
Houses are getting more and more expensive.
Houses are getting less and less affordable.
- Repeat the comparative (or “more” or “less”) to emphasize that something is changing over time.

The colder the climate (is), the warmer your house needs to be.
The bigger your house (is), the more expensive (it is).
The more, the merrier. = If there are more people, it will be more fun.
- Use a pair of comparatives to show that two things change together.
---
Equatives - use “as” to say two things are the same (or not)

I’m not as tall as my dad. = I’m less tall. (but “less tall” isn’t common)
I am as tall as my roommate. = We are equally tall.
I like this house more, but it’s not as affordable.
- Like “than”, we don’t need the second “as” if we don’t say the second thing.
---
Superlatives - to talk about “number one” from more than two things
He is the tallest student in the class. (This tells you there are more than two students.)
- Use “est” for superlatives when you use “er” for comparatives.
- Use “most” or “least” when you use “more” or “less” for comparatives.
- Use “the” with superlatives, because this is a specific one.

- “first” and “last” function like superlatives
---
Irregular comparatives and superlatives:
good - better - best
well - better - best
bad - worse - worst
much - more - most
many - more - most
little - less - least (for quantity; “little” for size is regular: little - littler - littlest)
far - farther/further - farthest/furthest
---
p. 83 part 7 - Rewrite the sentences (with the same meaning) to include the words in parentheses and to begin with the bold words. (You can do whatever you need to with the other words.)
1 Houses are less appropriate for local conditions.
2 A cave house is not as small as you think.
3 An igloo is not as cold inside as you might think.
4 New houses are getting more and more expensive.
5 My tent is the best in camp.
6 This house is the oldest.
7 A house on stilts survives more easily in floods.
8 You can put up a ger more quickly than a brick house.
- Adverbs that are [adjective] + -ly take “more”, even if they are only two syllables.
---
How would you compare Boston and New York?
NYC is much more populous than Boston.
NYC is a little more crowded than Boston.
Boston is not as expensive as NYC.
NYC is more dangerous than Boston.
Public transportation is worse in Boston than in NYC.
Shopping is better in NYC than in Boston.
There are more Starbucks in NYC.
---
Homework: p. 84 part 2 - Complete these sentences about New York City. Then write four more sentences with the other words.