Unit 12. Comparative Constructions.

Exercise 1. Write sentences with the … the …. Choose a half sentence from box A to go with a half sentence from box B.

Example: The warmer the weather, the better I feel.

A: 1. The earlier we leave. 2. The more electricity you use. 3. The longer he waited. 4. The more I got to know this judge. 5. The more you practise your English. 6. The more you have. 7. The longer the telephone call is. 8. The more goods you sell. 9. The more expensive the hotel is. 10. The sooner you take your medicine. 11. The sooner you leave. 12. The more money he stole.

B: a. The faster you’ll learn. b. The more you want. c. The more you have to pay. d. The better the service. e. The sooner we’ll arrive. f. The more profit you’ll make. g. The better you feel. h. The more impatient he became. i. The more I liked him. j. The higher your bill will be. k. The more money he needed. l. The more difficult it will be for policemen to find you.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences using as … as ….

Example: I’m quite tall but you are taller. I’m not …. – I’m quite tall but you are taller. I’m not as tall as you.

1. The lawyer works reasonably hard but he used to work much harder. The lawyer doesn’t …. 2. My salary is high but yours is higher. My salary isn’t …. 3. You know a bit about statutory laws but I know more. You don’t …. 4. I still feel quite tired after the trial today but I felt a lot more tired after cross-examination yesterday. I don’t …. 5. These migrants have lived here for quite a long time but we’ve lived here longer. They haven’t …. 6. The clerk of court still smokes but he used to smoke a lot more. He doesn’t …. 7. A young advocate was a bit nervous before the interview but usually he’s a lot more nervous. He wasn’t …. 8. The weather is still unpleasant today but yesterday it was worse. The weather isn’t …. 9. The courtroom is usually crowded. The courtroom isn’t …. 10. The sheriff knows more people in this city. I don’t know …. 11. The House of Commons has passed many new laws. The House of Lords hasn’t …. 12. There are a lot of Magistrates or Justices of Peace in Britain. The number of High Court Judges is less. There aren’t ….

Exercise 3. Fill in the gaps with than / as / from in each of the following sentences.

Example: I feel much better today … I did last week. – I feel much better today than I did last week.

1. The Empire State Building is taller … the Statue of Liberty. 2. California is farther from New York … Pennsylvania. 3. His assignment is different … mine. 4. The Speaker reads more quickly … the members of Parliament. 5. No punishment is so severe … capital punishment. 6. That report is less impressive … the government’s. 7. This judge wears the same wig … the other judges. 8. The prosecutor speaks much more realistically … the advocate. 9. The clients have less money at the end of the month … they have at the beginning. 10. Common law is different … statutory law. 11. The presiding officer acts as the mouthpiece of the House, performing duties such … announcing the results of the votes. 12. The House of Lords has 78 more members … the House of Commons.

Exercise 4. Use the correct form of the adjectives and adverbs. Let as and than be your clues. Add any other words that may be necessary.

Example: They have … (few) classes as we. – They have as few classes as we.

1. The audience left the courtroom … (soon) as the judge declared the verdict. 2. It’s false that magistrates’ job is … (important) than that of a Supreme Court Judge. 3. Our new barrister interprets the law … (well) as his predecessor. 4. A new house is much … (expensive) than an old one. 5. Last week was … (hot) as this week. 6. This student is … (talented) than his cousin. 7. The witness’s descriptions are … (colorful) than the suspect’s. 8. Nobody is … (happy) than Maria Helena, because she has won the case. 9. The solicitor felt … (bad) than the barrister about losing the case. 10. The defendant came to the proceeding … (early) than the plaintiff. 11. Enforcement officials can hold a person without formal charge for not … (many) than 24 hours for the purpose of investigation. 12. It goes without saying that the President’s salary is … (high) than the salary of his assistants.

Exercise 5. Correct the mistakes. Pay attention to the use of the comparatives.

Example: More you study, more you know. – The more you study, the more you know.

1. The more laws you know, better you’ll pass your examination. 2. No one can escape from this policeman, he runs as faster as a race car. 3. The last survey of the standing committee is more better than we have hoped. 4. The work of the police is much dangerous than ordinary people usually think. 5. The duties of a bailiff are more important than a clerk of the court. 6. This encyclopedia costs twice more as the other one. 7. No soon had she entered the building than the hearing began. 8. The senior Senator is usually the oldest or the more experienced in the Senate. 9. Corporal punishment means the same than physical punishment. 10. It is more difficult to become a barrister as a solicitor as you have to study more. 11. The Constitutions of different countries differ than each other. 12. Attorneys are usually present in all but the more minor civil cases.

Exercise 6. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. По-моему, работа адвоката не такая интересная, как работа прокурора. 2. Служба следователя опаснее, чем работа учителя. 3. Этот адвокат более опытный. Он выиграл в три раза больше дел, чем тот. 4. Чем больше ты учишься, тем умнее ты становишься. 5. Как только мы вышли из дома, мы стали очевидцами ДТП. 6. Зарплата судьи выше, чем зарплата секретаря в суде. 7. По сравнению с другими аспектами уголовного права вопрос наказания намного противоречивее. 8. Джон обнаружил в два раза меньше улик, чем его напарник. 9. Чем больше он работал, тем опытнее он становился. 10. Как только он получил письмо, он позвонил своему адвокату. 11. Гражданское право намного интереснее, чем уголовное право. 12. Наказание преступника должно быть настолько справедливым насколько это возможно.

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