2. Read the dialogue, ignoring the gaps, and check your ideas from exercise 1.

(Đọc đoạn hội thoại, bỏ qua những khoảng trống và kiểm tra ý tưởng của bạn từ bài tập 1)

Jenny: I think this flat is the best we've seen so far. Rents seem to be getting higher and higher. But this one’s the least expensive and it’s the (1) ____________ (near) to the city centre.

Beth: But it’s the one with the fewest rooms and the least space.

Jenny: So you prefer the flat in the (2) ____________ (bad) location and with the (3) ____________ (high) rent?

Beth: The location isn’t that bad. It’s (4) ____________ (far) from the centre than the other two, but you can get to the train station more easily. And it’s much (5) ____________ (spacious) than the other two flats.

Jenny: Can we afford it, though? The more we spend on rent, the less we'll have for other things.

Beth: Actually, it’s less expensive than it seems because the rent includes all the bills.

4. Read the Learn this! box. Match each highlighted phrase in the dialogue with a rule (a-f).

(Đọc Tìm hiểu điều này! hộp. Nối mỗi cụm từ được đánh dấu trong đoạn hội thoại với một quy tắc (a-f)

the best we've seen; higher and higher; the least expensive; the fewest rooms; the least space; more easily; The more we spend on rent, the less we'll have for other things; less expensive than it seems.

LEARN THIS! Comparative and superlative forms

a. We often use a superlative with the present perfect.

That's the biggest mansion I've ever seen.

b. We use double comparatives to emphasise that something is changing.

Property is getting cheaper and cheaper.

c. We use The..., the... and comparatives to say that one thing changes with another.

The closer you are to the centre, the more you pay in rent.

d. We usually use more and most to form comparative and superlative adverbs. However, we add -er and -est to some short adverbs.

The flat sold more quickly than I expected.

Houses sell faster in the spring. 7

e. Like 'more' and 'most', we can use 'less' and 'least' with long adjectives, adverbs and uncountable nouns.

This is the least spacious house in the road.

There's less space in my room than in yours.

f. We use fewer and fewest with countable nouns.

Which flat has the fewest rooms?

There are fewer big flats in the town centre.

6. USE OF ENGLISH Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first using the word in brackets and the correct comparative or superlative form.

(Hoàn thành câu thứ hai sao cho nghĩa giống như câu thứ nhất, sử dụng từ trong ngoặc và dạng so sánh hơn hoặc so sánh nhất đúng)

1. Houses sell less fast in December. (slowly)

Houses _____________________________________.

2. The cottage isn’t as spacious as the villa. (less)

The cottage _______________________________________.

3. Houses are becoming increasingly expensive. (more)

Houses ________________________________________________.

4. As the flat gets older, it becomes more dilapidated (the)

The ______________________________________________________.

5. I've never seen a cosier living room! (the)

This is ____________________________________!