Unit

108 Superlative (the longest / the most enjoyable etc.)

A Look at these examples:

What is the longest river in the world?

What was the most enjoyable holiday you’ve ever had?
Longest and most enjoyable are superlative forms.

The superlative form is -est or most … . In general, we use -est for short words and most … for
longer words.
long → longest hot → hottest easy → easiest hard → hardest
but most famous most boring most enjoyable most difficult
A few superlative forms are irregular:
good → best bad → worst far → furthest or farthest
The rules are the same as those for the comparative – see Unit 105.
For spelling, see Appendix 6.

B We normally use the (or my/your etc.) with a superlative:

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
The Louvre in Paris is one of the most famous museums in the world.
She is really nice – one of the nicest people I know.
What’s the best movie you’ve ever seen, and what’s the worst?
How old is your youngest child?
Compare the superlative and the comparative:
This hotel is the cheapest in town. (superlative)
It’s cheaper than all the others in town. (comparative)
He’s the most patient person I’ve ever met.
He’s much more patient than I am.

C oldest and eldest

The superlative of old is oldest:
That church is the oldest building in the town. (not the eldest)
We use eldest only when we talk about people in a family (you can also use oldest):
Their eldest son is 13 years old. (or Their oldest son)
Are you the eldest in your family? (or the oldest)

D After superlatives we normally use in with places:

What’s the longest river in the world? (not of the world)
We had a nice room. It was one of the best in the hotel. (not of the hotel)
We also use in for organisations and groups of people (a class / a company etc.):
Who is the youngest student in the class? (not of the class)
For a period of time (day, year etc.), we normally use of:
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
What was the happiest day of your life?

E We often use the present perfect (I have done) after a superlative (see also Unit 8A):
What’s the most important decision you’ve ever made?
That was the best holiday I’ve had for a long time.

216 Comparative (cheaper / more expensive etc.) ➜ Units 105–107 elder ➜ Unit 106E
 Unit
Exercises 108
108.1 Complete the sentences. Use the superlative forms (-est or most …) of the words in the box.
bad cheap good honest popular short tall
1 We didn’t have much money, so we stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town.
2 This building is 250 metres high, but it’s not in the city.
3 It was an awful day. It was day of my life.
4 What is sport in your country?
5 I like the morning. For me it’s part of the day.
6 Sarah always tells the truth. She’s one of people I know.
7 A straight line is distance between two points.
108.2 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) or a comparative (-er or more …).
1 We stayed at the cheapest hotel in the town. (cheap)
2 Our hotel was cheaper than all the others in the town. (cheap)
3 I wasn’t feeling well yesterday, but I feel a bit today. (good)
4 What’s thing you’ve ever bought? (expensive)
5 I prefer this chair to the other one. It’s . (comfortable)
6 Amy and Ben have three daughters. is 14 years old. (old)
7 Who is the person you know? (old)
8 What’s way to get to the station? (quick)
9 Which is – the bus or the train? (quick)
10 I can remember when I was three years old. It’s memory. (early)
11 Everest is mountain in the world. It is
than any other mountain. (high)
12 a: This knife isn’t very sharp. Do you have a one?
B: No, it’s one I have. (sharp)
108.3 Complete the sentences. Use a superlative (-est or most …) + a preposition (of or in).
1 It’s a very good room. It’s the best room in the hotel.
2 Brazil is a very large country. It’s South America.
3 It was a very happy day. It was my life.
4 This is a very valuable painting. It’s the museum.
5 Spring is a very busy time for me. It’s the year.
In the following sentences use one of + a superlative + a preposition.
6 It’s a very good room. It’s one of the best rooms in the hotel.
7 He’s a very rich man. He’s one the country.
8 She’s a very good student. She’s the class.
9 It was a very bad experience. It was my life.
10 It’s a very famous university. It’s the world.
108.4 What do you say in these situations? Use a superlative + ever.
1 You’ve just been to the cinema. The movie was extremely boring. You tell your friend:
(boring / movie / ever / see) That’s the most boring movie I’ve ever seen .
2 Someone has just told you a joke which you think is very funny. You say:
(funny / joke / ever / hear) That’s .
3 You’re drinking coffee with a friend. It’s really good coffee. You say:
(good / coffee / ever / taste) This .
4 You have just run ten kilometres. You’ve never run further than this. You say:
(far / ever / run) That .
5 You gave up your job. Now you think this was a very bad mistake. You say:
(bad / mistake / ever / make) It .
6 Your friend meets a lot of people, some of them famous. You ask your friend:
(famous / person / ever / meet?) Who ?

217
Unit
109 Word order 1: verb + object; place and time
A Verb + object
The verb and the object normally go together. We do not usually put other words between them:
verb object
I like my job very much. (not I like very much)
Our guide spoke English fluently. (not spoke fluently English)
I didn’t use my phone yesterday.
Do you eat meat every day?

Two more examples:

I lost all my money and I also lost my passport.
(not I lost also my passport)
At the end of this street you’ll see a supermarket on your left.
(not see on your left a supermarket)

B Place
The verb and place (where?) normally go together:
go home live in a city walk to work etc.
If the verb has an object, the order is:
verb object place
We took the children to the zoo. (not took to the zoo the children)
Don’t put anything on the table.
Did you learn English at school?

C Time
Normally time (when? / how often? / how long?) goes after place:
place time
Ben walks to work every morning. (not every morning to work)
I’m going to Paris on Monday.
They’ve lived in the same house for a long time.
We need to be at the airport by 8 o’clock.
Sarah gave me a lift home after the party.
You really shouldn’t go to bed so late.

Sometimes we put time at the beginning of the sentence:

On Monday I’m going to Paris.
After the party Sarah gave me a lift home.
Some time words (for example, always/never/usually) go with the verb in the middle of
the sentence. See Unit 110.

218 Word order in questions ➜ Units 49–50 Adjective order ➜ Unit 99 Word order 2 ➜ Unit 110
 Unit
Exercises 109
109.1 Is the word order OK or not? Correct the sentences where necessary.
1 Did you see your friends yesterday? OK
2 Ben walks every morning to work. Ben walks to work every morning.
3 Joe doesn’t like very much football.
4 Dan won easily the race.
5 Tanya speaks German quite well.
6 Have you seen recently Chris?
7 I borrowed from a friend some money.
8 Please don’t ask that question again.
9 I ate quickly my breakfast and went out.
10 Did you invite to the party a lot of people?
11 Sam watches all the time TV.
12 Does Kevin play football every weekend?

109.2 Complete the sentences. Put the parts in the correct order.
1 We (the children / to the zoo / took). We took the children to the zoo .
2 I (a friend of mine / on my way home / met). I .
3 I (to put / on the envelope / a stamp / forgot). I .
4 We (a lot of fruit / bought / in the market). We .
5 They (opposite the park / a new hotel / built). They .
6 Did you (at school / today / a lot of things / learn)?
Did you ?
7 We (some interesting books / found / in the library).
We .
8 Please (at the top / write / of the page / your name).
Please .

109.3 Complete the sentences. Put the parts in the correct order.
1 They (for a long time / have lived / in the same house).
They have lived in the same house for a long time .
2 I (to the supermarket / every Friday / go).
I .
3 Why (home / did you come / so late)?
Why ?
4 Sarah (her children / takes / every day / to school).
Sarah .
5 I haven’t (been / recently / to the cinema).
I haven’t .
6 I (her name / after a few minutes / remembered).
I .
7 We (around the town / all morning / walked).
We .
8 My brother (has been / since April / in Canada).
My brother .
9 I (on Saturday night / didn’t see you / at the party).
I .
10 Lisa (her umbrella / last night / in a restaurant / left).
Lisa .
11 The moon (round the earth / every 27 days / goes).
The moon .
12 Anna (Italian / for the last three years / has been teaching / in London).
Anna .

219
Unit
110 Word order 2: adverbs with the verb
A Some adverbs (for example, always, also, probably) go with the verb in the middle of a sentence:
Emily always drives to work.
We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry.
The meeting will probably be cancelled.

B If the verb is one word (drives/cooked etc.), the adverb goes before the verb:
adverb verb
Emily always drives to work.
I almost fell as I was going down the stairs.

I cleaned the house and also cooked the dinner. (not cooked also)
Laura hardly ever watches television and rarely reads newspapers.
‘Shall I give you my address?’ ‘No, I already have it.’
Note that these adverbs (always/usually/also etc.) go before have to … :
Joe never phones me. I always have to phone him. (not I have always to phone)
But adverbs go after am/is/are/was/were:
We were feeling very tired and we were also hungry. (not also were)
You’re always late. You’re never on time.
The traffic isn’t usually as bad as it was this morning.

C If the verb is two or more words (for example, can remember / will be cancelled), the adverb
usually goes after the first verb (can/doesn’t/will etc.):
verb 1 adverb verb 2
I can never remember her name.
Clare doesn’t usually drive to work.
Are you definitely going away next week?
The meeting will probably be cancelled.

You’ve always been very kind to me.

Jack can’t cook. He can’t even boil an egg.
Do you still work for the same company?
The house was only built a year ago and it’s already falling down.
Note that probably goes before a negative (isn’t/won’t etc.). So we say:
I probably won’t see you. or
I’ll probably not see you. (but not I won’t probably)

D We also use all and both with the verb in the middle of a sentence:
We all felt ill after the meal. (not felt all ill)
My parents are both teachers.
Sarah and Jane have both applied for the job.
My friends are all going out tonight.

E Sometimes we use is/will/did etc. instead of repeating part of a sentence (see Unit 51):
Tom says he isn’t clever, but I think he is. (= he is clever)
When we do this, we put always/never etc. before the verb:
He always says he won’t be late, but he always is. (= he is always late)
I’ve never done it and I never will. (= I will never do it)

220 Word order 1 ➜ Unit 109

 Unit
Exercises 110
110.1 Is the word order OK or not? Correct the sentences where necessary.
1 Helen drives always to work. Helen always drives to work.
2 I cleaned the house and also cooked the dinner. OK
3 I have usually a shower in the morning.
4 I’m usually hungry when I get home from work.
5 Steve gets hardly ever angry.
6 I called him and I sent also an email.
7 You don’t listen! I have always to repeat things.
8 I never have worked in a factory.
9 I never have enough time. I’m always busy.
10 When I arrived, my friends already were there.

110.2 Rewrite the sentences to include the word in brackets.

1 Clare doesn’t drive to work. (usually) Clare doesn’t usually drive to work.
2 Katherine is very generous. (always)
3 I don’t have to work on Sundays. (usually)
4 Do you watch TV in the evenings? (always)
5 Martin is learning Spanish, and he is learning Japanese. (also)
Martin is learning Spanish and he
6 a We were on holiday in Spain. (all)
b We were staying at the same hotel. (all)
c We had a great time. (all)
7 a The new hotel is expensive. (probably)
b It costs a lot to stay there. (probably)
8 a I can help you. (probably)
b I can’t help you. (probably)

110.3 Complete the sentences. Use the words in brackets in the correct order.
1 What’s her name again? I can never remember (remember / I / never / can) it.
2 Our cat (usually / sleeps) under the bed.
3 There are plenty of hotels here. (usually / it / easy / is)
to find a place to stay.
4 Mark and Amy (both / were / born) in Manchester.
5 Lisa is a good pianist. (sing / she / also / can) very well.
6 How do you go to work? (usually / you / do / go) by bus?
7 I see them every day, but (never / I / have / spoken) to them.
8 We haven’t moved. (we / still / are / living) in the same place.
9 This shop is always busy. (have / you / always / to wait)
a long time to be served.
10 This could be the last time I see you. (meet / never / we / might)
again.
11 Thanks for the invitation, but (probably / I / be / won’t)
able to come to the party.
12 I’m going out for an hour. (still / be / you / will) here when
I get back?
13 Helen goes away a lot. (is / hardly ever / she) at home.
14 If we hadn’t taken the same train,
(never / met / we / would / have) each other.
15 The journey took a long time today. (doesn’t / take / it / always)
so long.
16 (all / were / we) tired, so (all / we / fell) asleep.
17 Tanya (says / always) that she’ll phone me, but
(does / she / never).
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