Unit

18 used to (do)
A Study this example situation:

a few years ago Nicola doesn’t travel much these days.

She prefers to stay at home.
But she used to travel a lot.
She used to go away two or three times a year.
She used to travel a lot = she travelled often in the past, but
she doesn’t do this any more.

she used to travel she doesn’t

travel
these days past now

B I used to do something = I did it often in the past, but not any more:
I used to play tennis a lot, but I don’t play very much now.
David used to spend a lot of money on clothes. These days he can’t afford it.
‘Do you go to the cinema much?’ ‘Not now, but I used to.’ (= I used to go)
We also use used to … for things that were true, but are not true any more:
This building is now a furniture shop. It used to be a cinema.
I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now I realise he’s a very nice person.
I’ve started drinking coffee recently. I never used to like it before.
Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child.

C ‘I used to do something’ is past. There is no present. You cannot say ‘I use to do’.
To talk about the present, we use the present simple (I do).
Compare:
past he used to play we used to live there used to be
present he plays we live there is
We used to live in a small village, but now we live in a city.
There used to be four cinemas in the town. Now there is only one.

D The normal question form is did (you) use to … ? :

Did you use to eat a lot of sweets when you were a child? (= did you do this often?)
The negative form is didn’t use to … (used not to … is also possible):
I didn’t use to like him. (or I used not to like him.)

E Compare I used to do and I was doing:

I used to watch TV a lot. (= I watched TV often in the past, but I don’t do this any more)
I was watching TV when Rob called. (= I was in the middle of watching TV)

F Do not confuse I used to do and I am used to doing (see Unit 61). The structures and meanings
are different:
I used to live alone. (= I lived alone in the past, but I no longer live alone.)
I am used to living alone. (= I live alone, and it’s not a problem for me because I’ve lived
alone for some time.)

Past continuous (I was doing) ➜ Unit 6 would (= used to) ➜ Unit 36

36 be/get used to (doing something) ➜ Unit 61
 Unit
Exercises 18
18.1 Complete the sentences with used to + a suitable verb.
1 Nicola used to travel a lot, but she doesn’t go away much these days.
2 Sophie a motorbike, but last year she sold it and bought a car.
3 Our friends moved to Spain a few years ago. They in Paris.
4 Jackie my best friend, but we aren’t friends any more.
5 I rarely eat ice cream now, but I it when I was a child.
6 It only takes me about 40 minutes to get to work now that the new road is open.
It more than an hour.
7 There a hotel near the airport, but it closed a long time ago.
8 I in a factory. It wasn’t my favourite job.

18.2 Complete the sentences. Choose from the box.

did
1 Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child.
didn’t
2 We to watch TV a lot, but we don’t have a TV any more.
to
3 Lisa works in a shop now. She a receptionist in a hotel.
use
4 What games you use to play when you were a child?
used
5 I like big cities, but now I prefer the countryside.
used to
6 In your last job, how many hours a day did you to work?
used to be
7 I don’t travel very much these days, but I used .
used to have
8 I used to to run ten kilometres, but I can’t run that far now.
be able
9 These days I eat more than before. I use to eat as much.

18.3 Compare what Karen said ten years ago and what she says today:
I haven’t played
TEN YEARS AGO I play the TODAY the piano for a
piano. long time.
I eat lots of
I travel a lot. cheese now.
I don’t go away
I never much these
I’m very My dog died days.
drink tea. two years ago.
lazy.

I work very Tea’s great!

I don’t like
hard these days. I like it now.
cheese. I have a dog.
Now write about how Karen has changed. Use used to / didn’t use to / never used to in the
first part of your sentence.
1 She used to travel a lot, but she doesn’t go away much these days.
2 She used but
3 but
4 but
5 but
6 but

18.4 Write sentences about yourself. Begin I used to … (I used to be/work/like/play etc.)
1 I used to live in a small village, but now I live in a city.
2 I used to play tennis a lot, but I don’t play any more.
3 I used , but
4 I
5
Now begin with I didn’t use to … .
6 I didn’t use to read a lot, but I do now.
7 I didn’t
8

➜ Additional exercise 9 (page 307) 37

Unit
105 Comparative 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)
A Look at these examples:
£36
How shall we travel? Shall we drive or go by train?
Let’s drive. It’s cheaper.
Don’t go by train. It’s more expensive.
Cheaper and more expensive are comparative forms.
£52
After comparatives you can use than (see Unit 107):
It’s cheaper to drive than go by train.
Going by train is more expensive than driving.

B The comparative form is -er or more … .

We use -er for short words (one syllable): We use more … for longer words (two
syllables or more):
cheap → cheaper fast → faster more serious more expensive
large → larger thin → thinner more often more comfortable
We also use -er for two-syllable words that We also use more … for adverbs that end
end in -y (-y → -ier): in -ly:
lucky → luckier early → earlier more slowly more seriously
easy → easier pretty → prettier more easily more quietly

For spelling, see Appendix 6.

Compare these examples:

You’re older than me. You’re more patient than me.

The exam was quite easy – easier than The exam was quite difficult – more
I expected. difficult than I expected.
Can you walk a bit faster? Can you walk a bit more slowly?
I’d like to have a bigger car. I’d like to have a more reliable car.
Last night I went to bed earlier than I don’t play tennis much these days.
usual. I used to play more often.

We use both -er or more … with some two-syllable adjectives, especially:

clever narrow quiet shallow simple
It’s too noisy here. Can we go somewhere quieter? or … somewhere more quiet?

C A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms:

good/well → better
The garden looks better since you tidied it up.
I know him well – probably better than anybody else knows him.
bad/badly → worse
‘How’s your headache? Better?’ ‘No, it’s worse.’
He did very badly in the exam – worse than expected.
far → further (or farther)
It’s a long walk from here to the park – further than I thought. (or farther than)
Note that further (but not farther) also means ‘more’ or ‘additional’:
Let me know if you hear any further news. (= any more news)

210 Comparative 2–3 ➜ Units 106–107 Superlative (cheapest / most expensive etc.) ➜ Unit 108
 Unit
Exercises 105
105.1 Complete the sentences using a comparative form (older / more important etc.).
1 This restaurant is very expensive. Let’s go somewhere cheaper .
2 This coffee is very weak. I like it .
3 The town was surprisingly big. I expected it to be .
4 The hotel was surprisingly cheap. I expected it to be .
5 The weather is too cold here. I’d like to live somewhere .
6 Sometimes my job is a bit boring. I’d like to do something .
7 It’s a shame you live so far away. I wish you lived .
8 It was quite easy to find a place to live. I thought it would be .
9 Your work isn’t very good. I’m sure you can do .
10 Don’t worry. The situation isn’t so bad. It could be .
11 You hardly ever call me. Why don’t you call me ?
12 You’re too near the camera. Can you move a bit away?

105.2 Complete the sentences. Use the comparative forms of the words in the box. Use than where
necessary.
big early high important interested peaceful reliable serious slowly thin
1 I was feeling tired last night, so I went to bed earlier than usual.
2 I’d like to have a more reliable car. The one I have keeps breaking down.
3 Unfortunately the problem was we thought at first.
4 You look . Have you lost weight?
5 We don’t have enough space here. We need a apartment.
6 James doesn’t study very hard. He’s in having a good time.
7 Health and happiness are money.
8 I like living in the country. It’s living in a town.
9 I’m sorry I don’t understand. Can you speak , please?
10 In some parts of the country, prices are in others.

105.3 Complete the sentences. Choose from:

than more worse quietly longer better careful frequent
1 Getting a visa was complicated. It took longer than I expected.
2 Sorry about my mistake. I’ll try and be more in future.
3 Your English has improved. It’s than it was.
4 You can travel by bus or by train. The buses are more than the trains.
5 You can’t always have things immediately. You have to be patient.
6 I’m a pessimist. I always think things are going to get .
7 We were busier usual in the office today. It’s not usually so busy.
8 You’re talking very loudly. Can you speak more ?

105.4 Read the situations and complete the sentences. Use a comparative form (-er or more …).
1 Yesterday the temperature was six degrees. Today it’s only three degrees.
It’s colder today than it was yesterday.
2 Dan and I went for a run. I ran ten kilometres. Dan stopped after eight kilometres.
I ran Dan.
3 The journey takes four hours by car and five hours by train.
The journey takes train car.
4 I expected my friends to arrive at about 4 o’clock. In fact they arrived at 2.30.
My friends I expected.
5 There is always a lot of traffic here, but today the traffic is really bad.
The traffic today usual.

211
Unit
106 Comparative 2 (much better / any better etc.)
A much / a lot etc. + comparative
Before comparatives you can use:
much a lot far (= a lot) a bit a little slightly (= a little)
I felt ill earlier, but I feel much better now. (or a lot better)
Don’t go by train. It’s a lot more expensive. (or much more expensive)
Could you speak a bit more slowly? (or a little more slowly)
This bag is slightly heavier than the other one.
The problem is far more serious than we thought at first.

B any / no + comparative
You can use any and no + comparative (any longer / no bigger etc.):
I’ve waited long enough. I’m not waiting any longer. (= not even a little longer)
We expected their apartment to be very big, but it’s no bigger than ours.
or … it isn’t any bigger than ours. (= not even a little bigger)
How do you feel now? Do you feel any better?
This hotel is better than the other one, and it’s no more expensive.

C better and better, more and more etc.

We repeat comparatives (better and better etc.) to say that something changes continuously:
Your English is improving. It’s getting better and better.
The city has grown fast in recent years. It’s got bigger and bigger.
As I listened to his story, I became more and more convinced that he was lying.
More and more tourists are visiting this part of the country.

D the … the …
You can say the sooner the better, the more the better etc. :
a: What time shall we leave?
B: The sooner the better. (= as soon as possible)
a: What sort of bag do you want? A big one?
B: Yes, the bigger the better. (= as big as possible)
When you’re travelling, the less luggage you have the better.
We also use the … the … to say that one thing depends on another thing:
The sooner we leave, the earlier we’ll arrive. (= if we leave sooner, we’ll arrive earlier)
The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.
The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.
The more I thought about the plan, the less I liked it.

E older and elder

The comparative of old is older:
David looks older than he really is. (not looks elder)
We use elder only when we talk about people in a family (my elder sister, their elder son etc.).
You can also use older:
My elder sister is a TV producer. (or My older sister …)
But we do not say that ‘somebody is elder’:
My sister is older than me. (not elder than me)

any/no ➜ Unit 86 Comparative 1, 3 ➜ Units 105, 107 eldest ➜ Unit 108C

212 even + comparative ➜ Unit 112C
 Unit
Exercises 106
106.1 Use the words in brackets to complete the sentences. Use much / a bit etc. + a comparative
form. Use than where necessary.
1 The problem is much more serious than we thought at first. (much / serious)
2 This bag is too small. I need something . (much / big)
3 I liked the museum. It was I expected. (a lot / interesting)
4 It was very hot yesterday. Today it’s . (a little / cool)
5 I’m afraid the problem is it seems. (far / complicated)
6 You’re driving too fast. Can you drive ? (a bit / slowly)
7 I thought he was younger than me, but in fact he’s . (slightly / old)

106.2 Complete the sentences using any/no + comparative. Use than where necessary.
1 I’ve waited long enough. I’m not waiting any longer .
2 I’m sorry I’m a bit late, but I couldn’t get here .
3 This shop isn’t expensive. The prices are anywhere else.
4 I need to stop for a rest. I can’t walk .
5 The traffic isn’t especially bad today. It’s usual.

106.3 Complete the sentences using … and … (see Section C).

1 It’s getting more and more difficult to find a job. (difficult)
2 That hole in your sweater is getting . (big)
3 I waited for my interview and became . (nervous)
4 As the day went on, the weather got . (bad)
5 Health care is becoming . (expensive)
6 Since Anna went to Canada, her English has got . (good)
7 These days I travel a lot. I’m spending away from home. (time)

106.4 Complete the sentences using the … the … .

1 You learn things more easily when you’re young.
The younger you are , the easier it is to learn.
2 It’s hard to concentrate when you’re tired.
The more tired you are, the .
3 We should decide what to do as soon as possible.
The , the better.
4 I know more, but I understand less.
The , the less I understand.
5 If you use more electricity, your bill will be higher.
The more electricity you use, .
6 Kate had to wait a long time and became more and more impatient.
The , the more .

106.5 Use the words on the right to complete the sentences.

any
1 I like to travel light. The less luggage, the better. better
2 The problem is getting and more serious. elder
3 The more time I have, the it takes me to do things. less
4 I’m walking as fast as I can. I can’t walk faster. less
5 The higher your income, more tax you have to pay. longer
6 I’m surprised Anna is only 25. I thought she was . more
7 Jane’s sister is a nurse. no
8 I was a little late. The journey took longer than I expected. older
9 Applications for the job must be received later than 15 April. slightly
10 Don’t tell him anything. The he knows, the . the

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Unit
107 Comparative 3 (as … as / than)
A Study this example situation:

Sarah, Joe and David are all very rich.

Sarah has $20 million, Joe has $15 million
and David has $10 million. So:
Joe is rich.
He is richer than David.
But he isn’t as rich as Sarah.
(= Sarah is richer than he is)
SARAH JOE DAVID

Some more examples of not as … (as):

Jack isn’t as old as he looks. (= he looks older than he is)
The town centre wasn’t as crowded as usual. (= it is usually more crowded)
Lisa didn’t do as well in the exam as she had hoped. (= she had hoped to do better)
The weather is better today. It’s not as cold. (= yesterday was colder than today)
I don’t know as many people as you do. (= you know more people than me)
‘How much was it? Fifty dollars?’ ‘No, not as much as that.’ (= less than fifty dollars)
You can also say not so … (as):
It’s not warm, but it’s not so cold as yesterday. (= it’s not as cold as …)
Less than is similar to not as … as:
I spent less money than you. (= I didn’t spend as much money as you)
The city centre was less crowded than usual. (= it wasn’t as crowded as usual)
I play tennis less than I used to. (= I don’t play as much as I used to)

B We also use as … as (but not so … as) in positive sentences and in questions:

I’m sorry I’m late. I got here as fast as I could.
There’s plenty of food. You can have as much as you want.
Can you send me the information as soon as possible, please?
Let’s walk. It’s just as quick as taking the bus.
also twice as … as, three times as … as etc. :
Petrol is twice as expensive as it was a few years ago.
Their house is about three times as big as ours.
(or … three times the size of ours)

C We say the same as (not the same like):

Laura’s salary is the same as mine. or Laura gets the same salary as me.
David is the same age as James.
Sarah hasn’t changed. She still looks the same as she did ten years ago.

D than me / than I am etc.

You can say:
You’re taller than me. or You’re taller than I am.
(not usually You’re taller than I)
He’s not as clever as her. or He’s not as clever as she is.
They have more money than us. or They have more money than we have.
I can’t run as fast as him. or I can’t run as fast as he can.

214 Comparative 1–2 ➜ Units 105–106 as long as ➜ Unit 115B as and like ➜ Unit 117
 Unit
Exercises 107
107.1 Complete the sentences using as … as.
1 I’m tall, but you are taller. I’m not as tall as you .
2 My salary is high, but yours is higher. My salary isn’t .
3 You know a bit about cars, but I know more.
You don’t .
4 We are busy today, but we were busier yesterday.
We aren’t .
5 I still feel bad, but I felt a lot worse earlier.
I don’t .
6 Our neighbours have lived here for quite a long time, but we’ve lived here longer.
Our neighbours haven’t .
7 I was a little nervous before the interview, but usually I’m a lot more nervous.
I wasn’t .

107.2 Write a new sentence with the same meaning.

1 Jack is younger than he looks. Jack isn’t as old as he looks .
2 I didn’t spend as much money as you. You spent more money than me .
3 The station was nearer than I thought. The station wasn’t .
4 The meal didn’t cost as much as I expected. The meal cost .
5 I watch TV less than I used to. I don’t .
6 Karen’s hair isn’t as long as it used to be. Karen used to .
7 I know them better than you do. You don’t .
8 There are fewer students in this class than in the other one.
There aren’t .

107.3 Complete the sentences using as … as. Choose from:

fast hard long often quietly soon well
1 I’m sorry I’m late. I got here as fast as I could.
2 It was a difficult question. I answered it I could.
3 ‘How long can I stay with you?’ ‘You can stay you like.’
4 I need the information quickly, so let me know possible.
5 I like to keep fit, so I go swimming I can.
6 I didn’t want to wake anybody, so I came in I could.
7 You always say how tiring your job is, but I work just you.

107.4 Write sentences using the same as.

1 David and James are both 22 years old. David is the same age as James.
2 You and I both have dark brown hair. Your hair mine.
3 I arrived at 10.25 and so did you. I arrived you.
4 My birthday is 5 April. It’s Tom’s birthday too. My birthday Tom’s.

107.5 Complete the sentences. Choose from:

as him is less me much soon than twice
1 I’ll let you know as soon as I have any more news.
2 My friends arrived earlier I expected.
3 I live in the same street Katherine. We’re neighbours.
4 He doesn’t know much. I know more than .
5 This morning there was traffic than usual.
6 I don’t watch TV as as I used to.
7 Your bag is quite light. Mine is as heavy as yours.
8 We were born in the same year. I’m a little older than she .
9 I was really surprised. Nobody was more surprised than .
215
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