GRADE 9 English LEISURE TIME – GRAMMAR IN USE:COMPARISON OF ADVERBS Notes
GRAMMAR IN USE: COMPARISON OF ADVERBS
Subject: English — Topic: LEISURE TIME — Age: 14 (Kenya)
What are we comparing?
We compare how actions are done. Use comparatives (two people/things) and superlatives (three or more). Examples use leisure activities: playing football, watching films, reading, swimming, hanging out.
Basic rules
- One-syllable adverbs (fast, hard, soon) usually add -er / -est:
fast → faster → fastest (He runs fast. He runs faster than me. He is the fastest runner.)
- Adverbs ending in -ly (quickly, quietly) use more / most:
quietly → more quietly → most quietly (She reads quietly. She reads more quietly than him.)
- Longer adverbs (often, easily, carefully) also use more/most:
often → more often → most often (I swim often. I swim more often than my brother.)
- Irregular adverbs must be learnt:
well → better → best
badly → worse → worst
far → farther/further → farthest/furthest
little (amount) → less → least
much/many → more → most - Forms with negatives: use less / least — e.g., less often, least interested.
How to use comparatives and superlatives
- Comparative (two): use adverb + -er or more + adverb + than.
Example: "Asha swims faster than James." / "Asha swims more quickly than James."
- Superlative (three or more): use the + adverb + -est or the most + adverb.
Example: "Of our class, Wanjiru plays football the most often."
Leisure-time examples (Kenyan context)
⚽️ Daniel plays football more often than Amina.
🎬 We watch films less often during exams.
📚 My sister reads more quietly at the library than at home (more quietly = because quietly ends in -ly).
🏊♀️ Among the swimmers, Paul swims the fastest.
🎮 I arrive at the gaming centre earlier than my friends (early → earlier → earliest).
🎶 Of all the choir members, Njeri sings best (well → better → best).
Quick tips
- If an adverb ends in -ly, use more/most, not -er/-est (wrong: quicklyer).
- Use than after a comparative: "more often than ...", "faster than ...".
- Use the before superlatives: "the most often", "the fastest".
- Use less/least to show smaller frequency or degree: "less often", "least excited".
Practice — Choose the correct form
- James arrives (early / earlier / more early) than me.
- We go to the cinema (often / more often / most often) at the weekend.
- Of all her friends, Lucy sings (good / better / best).
- He plays video games (hard / harder / more hard) than his sister.
- She reads (quiet / more quietly / quietlyer) than before.
- Who visits the park (less often / less / least often) of all?
Answers
- earlier — "James arrives earlier than me."
- more often — "We go to the cinema more often at the weekend."
- best — "Lucy sings best." (well → better → best)
- harder — "He plays video games harder than his sister."
- more quietly — "She reads more quietly than before."
- least often — "Who visits the park least often of all?"
Practice these patterns when talking about leisure. Try making your own sentences about weekend activities with friends — use comparatives and superlatives to compare how often, how well, or how quickly activities are done.