13. Comparisons

13.1 The following sentences are not good as they stand. Reword them in either of the ways suggested opposite (elementary).

Your house is less near than I thought. e.g. Your house is farther than I thought (note "farther" = distance, "further" is figurative .. e.g. nothing is further from the truth)
This book is less big than yours.
This exercise is less good than your last one.
My mother is less old than you think she is.
These grapes are less expensive than those.
Kenneth is less short than his brother.
A donkey is less beautiful than a horse.
We're less bad than you think we are.
This hill is less low than I thought it was.
She is less ugly than you said she was.
I am less light than you.
The grass is less short here than in our garden.
A cigarette is less strong than a cigar (use "mild").
Apples are less cheap than oranges.
The garden is less big than we hoped.
A tram is less quick than a bus.
My brother is less hard-working than me.
Our house is less low than yours.
This street is less wide than the next one.
My bag is less heavy than my friend's.

The idea "he is less stupid than I thought he was" is best expressed by either:

He is not so stupid as I thought he was.
He is cleverer than I thought he was.

13.2 Reword as in the previous exercise (intermediate).

The sea was less smooth than I had hoped (use rough).
The river is less deep near the ford (use shallow).
It is less dangerous to tease a lion than scorn a woman (use safe).
Maisie is much less young than she looks.
She is less proud than her sister (use humble).
The film was less interesting than the play (use dull).
Richard Burton is much less ugly than Cyril (use handsome).
He is less obstinate than his brothers (use cooperative).
She's less sophisticated than she makes herself out to be (use naive or simple).
You'd be less well off if you were married (use badly off).
My cigarettes are less good than yours.
A well-dressed woman is much less humble than a peacock.
The river was less shallow than he expected.
John is much less intelligent than his sister (use dull).
My wife is much less economical than yours (use extravagant).

Q. When do you use comparisons like "more economical" or "more intelligent" rather than "economicaler" or "intelligenter" !!! ???

Remember the irregular comparisons (and superlatives): bad, worse, (worst); far, farther/further, (farthest/furthest); good, better, (best); old, older/elder, (oldest/eldest)

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