Ampersand Lab

Foundation grammar · Lesson 88 · A2

older than ... more expensive than ...

Use than after a comparative to say what you are comparing with: older than, more expensive than. Use a bit or much before a comparative to say how big the difference is.

Start the lesson

15Steps · about 25 minutes

In this lesson

comparative + thanA3 screens of questions
than me / than I amB3 screens of questions
more than ... / less than ...C1 screen of questions
a bit older / much olderD2 screens of questions

Point A of 4

comparative + than

Grace is 1.72 metres. Her brother Dylan is 1.65 metres. Grace says: "I'm taller than you." She is taller than him.

A room at the Station Hotel costs £95 a night. A room at the Crown costs £80. The Station Hotel is more expensive than the Crown.

Use than after a comparative: older than ..., more expensive than ... etc.

  • Edinburgh is older than Glasgow.
  • Are strawberries more expensive than apples?
  • It's quicker to walk than to wait for the bus.
  • "How's your knee today?" "Not too bad. Better than yesterday."
  • The pub is busier than usual tonight.

Point A · Exercise 88.1 · part 1 of 3

Read what Nadia and Owen say about themselves, then complete the sentences about them. Use than. | | Nadia | Owen | |---|---|---| | 1 | I'm 31. | I'm 28. | | 2 | I'm not a very good cook. | I'm a very good cook. | | 3 | I'm 1.60 metres tall. | I'm 1.75 metres tall. | | 4 | I get up at 6.30. | I get up at 8 o'clock. | | 5 | I don't walk very fast. | I walk very fast. | | 6 | I haven't got many books. | I've got lots of books. | | 7 | I'm a very careful driver. | I'm not a very careful driver. | | 8 | I'm not very patient. | I'm very patient. | | 9 | I'm not a very good singer. | I'm a good singer. | | 10 | I'm very tidy. | I'm not very tidy. | | 11 | I speak Welsh very well. | I don't speak Welsh very well. | | 12 | I don't eat out very often. | I eat out a lot. |

  1. Example

    Nadia is older than Owen.

    AnswerNadia is older than Owen.

  2. Example

    Owen is a better cook than Nadia.

    AnswerOwen is a better cook than Nadia.

  3. Nadia is .

  4. Nadia gets up Owen.

  5. Owen .

  6. Owen has got .

Point A · Exercise 88.1 · part 2 of 3

Read what Nadia and Owen say about themselves, then complete the sentences about them. Use than. | | Nadia | Owen | |---|---|---| | 1 | I'm 31. | I'm 28. | | 2 | I'm not a very good cook. | I'm a very good cook. | | 3 | I'm 1.60 metres tall. | I'm 1.75 metres tall. | | 4 | I get up at 6.30. | I get up at 8 o'clock. | | 5 | I don't walk very fast. | I walk very fast. | | 6 | I haven't got many books. | I've got lots of books. | | 7 | I'm a very careful driver. | I'm not a very careful driver. | | 8 | I'm not very patient. | I'm very patient. | | 9 | I'm not a very good singer. | I'm a good singer. | | 10 | I'm very tidy. | I'm not very tidy. | | 11 | I speak Welsh very well. | I don't speak Welsh very well. | | 12 | I don't eat out very often. | I eat out a lot. |

  1. Nadia is a .

  2. Owen .

  3. Owen .

  4. Nadia .

Point A · Exercise 88.1 · part 3 of 3

Read what Nadia and Owen say about themselves, then complete the sentences about them. Use than. | | Nadia | Owen | |---|---|---| | 1 | I'm 31. | I'm 28. | | 2 | I'm not a very good cook. | I'm a very good cook. | | 3 | I'm 1.60 metres tall. | I'm 1.75 metres tall. | | 4 | I get up at 6.30. | I get up at 8 o'clock. | | 5 | I don't walk very fast. | I walk very fast. | | 6 | I haven't got many books. | I've got lots of books. | | 7 | I'm a very careful driver. | I'm not a very careful driver. | | 8 | I'm not very patient. | I'm very patient. | | 9 | I'm not a very good singer. | I'm a good singer. | | 10 | I'm very tidy. | I'm not very tidy. | | 11 | I speak Welsh very well. | I don't speak Welsh very well. | | 12 | I don't eat out very often. | I eat out a lot. |

  1. Nadia .

  2. Owen .

Point B of 4

than me / than I am

After than we say me, him, her, us, them.

You can also say than I am, than he can, than she did etc. Both are correct.

  • I can swim further than him. / I can swim further than he can.
  • You're a better driver than me. / You're a better driver than I am.
  • I finished earlier than her. / I finished earlier than she did.

Point B · Exercise 88.2 · part 1 of 3

Complete the sentences. Use than.

  1. Example

    He isn't very fast. You're faster than him.

    AnswerHe isn't very fast. You're faster than him.

  2. She isn't very young. You .

  3. I don't go out very much. You .

  4. He doesn't read very much. You .

  5. I'm not a very good swimmer. You .

Point B · Exercise 88.2 · part 2 of 3

Complete the sentences. Use than.

  1. We haven't got many friends here. You .

  2. They don't earn much money. You .

  3. I can't swim very far. You can .

  4. She hasn't lived here very long. You .

Point B · Exercise 88.2 · part 3 of 3

Complete the sentences. Use than.

  1. They didn't arrive very early. You .

  2. He wasn't very angry. You .

Point C of 4

more than ... / less than ...

Use more than and less than with numbers, amounts and nouns.

More than £30 means a number above 30. Less than £30 means a number below 30.

  • A: How much was your phone? £200? B: No, more than that. (= more than £200)
  • The meeting was very short. It took less than ten minutes.
  • They've got more food than they need.
  • You watch more telly than me.

Point C · Extra practice

Put in more than or less than.

  1. The tickets were expensive. They cost £100.

  2. The walk was short. It took half an hour.

  3. You eat me. You're always hungry.

Point D of 4

a bit older / much older

Two boxes are almost the same size, but one is slightly larger. Box A is a bit bigger than Box B.

Two more boxes: one is the size of a fridge and the other is the size of a shoe. Box C is much bigger than Box D.
a bit / much bigger / older / better / more difficult / more expensive than ...
  • Russia is much bigger than Spain.
  • Jodie is a bit older than Sam. She's 30 and he's 29.
  • The taxi was much more expensive than we expected.
  • You go out much more than me.

Point D · Exercise 88.3 · part 1 of 2

Write a sentence with a bit or much + a comparative (older, better etc.). Begin with the words given.

  1. Example

    Tariq is 30. His cousin is 29. (Tariq ...)

    Tariq is a bit older than his cousin.

    AnswerTariq is a bit older than his cousin.

  2. Sam's grandad is 92. His grandma is 70. (Sam's grandma ...)

  3. My bike cost £400. Yours cost £390. (My bike ...)

  4. Last week I felt awful. Today I feel fine. (I feel ...)

  5. Today it's 21 degrees. Yesterday it was 19 degrees. (It's ...)

Point D · Exercise 88.3 · part 2 of 2

Write a sentence with a bit or much + a comparative (older, better etc.). Begin with the words given.

  1. Chloe is an excellent cook. I'm not very good. (Chloe ...)

Lesson 88 · Result

How you did

Next lesson: not as ... asBack to the course

–Right

Each point

A. comparative + than–Not checkedB. than me / than I am–Not checkedC. more than ... / less than ...–Not checkedD. a bit older / much older–Not checked