English Course · Level 2 (A2) · Week 3 of 12

City Life

Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives · (not) as … as

This week's plan

Day	Learn	Listen / Watch	Practise
Day 1	Words: Describing a city · Sentences 1–2	Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “English Collocations You Must Know for Towns and Cities!” (podcast)	Exercise 1
Day 2	Words: City problems · Sentences 3–4	Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “Let's Learn English! Topic: The City versus The Country” (podcast)	Exercise 2
Day 3	Words: Places in the city · Sentences 5–6	BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “Comparatives and superlatives” (podcast)	Exercise 3
Day 4	Words: Getting around · Sentences 7–8	engVid (Adam): “How to ask for and give directions in English” (video) + British Council: “Transport announcements” (listening)	Exercise 4
Day 5	Words: Comparing · Sentences 9–10	British Council: “Facts and figures” (listening)	Write & Speak
Day 6	Review all 30 words + 10 sentences	BBC Learning English Grammar: “Choosing a home” (podcast)	Redo mistakes
Day 7	Free day ☺	BBC 6 Minute English: “Making cities feel quieter” (podcast)	Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · Describing a city

modernحديث
historicتاريخي
noisyمزعج / فيه دوشة
peacefulهادئ
pollutedملوَّث
livelyمفعم بالحياة / فيه حركة

Set 2 · City problems

traffic jamزحمة مرور
rush hourساعة الذروة
noiseضوضاء / دوشة
pollutionتلوّث
rentإيجار
cost of livingتكلفة المعيشة

Set 3 · Places in the city

neighbourhoodحيّ / منطقة
squareميدان
bridgeجسر / كوبري
shopping centreمركز تسوق / مول
skyscraperناطحة سحاب
suburbsالضواحي

Set 4 · Getting around

public transportالمواصلات العامة
on footسيرًا على الأقدام / مشي
microbusميكروباص
traffic lightsإشارة المرور
pedestrianأحد المشاة
cross the roadيعبر الشارع

Set 5 · Comparing

thanمن (في المقارنة)
the mostالأكثر
the leastالأقل
as … asبنفس قدر / زيّ
much betterأفضل بكثير
not as … asليس بقدر / مش زيّ

10 sentences to memorise

1Cairo is bigger and noisier than Alexandria.القاهرة أكبر وأكثر ضوضاءً من الإسكندرية.
2Alexandria is more peaceful than Cairo in winter.الإسكندرية أهدأ من القاهرة في الشتاء.
3The traffic is terrible in the rush hour.المرور سيئ جدًا في ساعة الذروة.
4The rent here is much more expensive than in my village.الإيجار هنا أغلى بكثير منه في قريتي.
5Khan el-Khalili is one of the oldest markets in Cairo.خان الخليلي من أقدم الأسواق في القاهرة.
6Our neighbourhood is quieter than the city centre.حيّنا أهدأ من وسط المدينة.
7The metro is the fastest way to get around Cairo.المترو هو أسرع وسيلة للتنقل في القاهرة.
8Be careful when you cross the road.احترس عندما تعبر الشارع.
9New Cairo isn't as crowded as the city centre.القاهرة الجديدة ليست مزدحمة مثل وسط البلد.
10Life in the suburbs is better for families.الحياة في الضواحي أفضل للعائلات.

Grammar: Comparatives and superlatives · (not) as … as

Short adjectives: + -er than / the + -est (cheap → cheaper than → the cheapest)

Long adjectives: more … than / the most … (modern → more modern than → the most modern)

as + adjective + as = the same · not as … as = less

في العربية نقول «أكبر من» بكلمة واحدة، فيقع المتعلم في خطأين: more bigger (الجمع بين الطريقتين)، أو استخدام from بدل than (bigger from Cairo ✗). القاعدة: الصفة القصيرة تأخذ er-، والطويلة تأخذ more، ولا نجمع بينهما أبدًا، وبعد المقارنة نستخدم than. ومع صيغة التفضيل العليا لا تنسَ the: the biggest city.

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
cheap	cheaper than	the cheapest
big	bigger than	the biggest
noisy	noisier than	the noisiest
modern	more modern than	the most modern
polluted	more polluted than	the most polluted
good	better than	the best
bad	worse than	the worst
far	further than	the furthest

One syllable ending in consonant + vowel + consonant: double the last letter (big → bigger, hot → hottest). Adjectives ending in -y: -ier / -iest (busy → busier → the busiest).

Use much, a lot or a bit before a comparative: much cheaper, a bit quieter.

as … as: Aswan is as hot as Luxor in summer. · Tanta isn't as big as Cairo.

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Write the comparative and the superlative.

1) cheap
2) hot
3) busy
4) modern
5) good
6) bad
7) peaceful
8) crowded

Show the answers

1) cheaper · the cheapest 2) hotter · the hottest 3) busier · the busiest 4) more modern · the most modern 5) better · the best 6) worse · the worst 7) more peaceful · the most peaceful 8) more crowded · the most crowded

Exercise 2 · Complete with the correct form of the adjective.

1) The metro is ___ (fast) than the bus.
2) Cairo is the ___ (big) city in Egypt.
3) Is the rent in Zamalek ___ (expensive) than in Shubra?
4) Today the traffic is ___ (bad) than yesterday.
5) This is the ___ (interesting) museum in the city.
6) My new flat is much ___ (quiet) than my old one.

Show the answers

1) faster 2) biggest 3) more expensive 4) worse 5) most interesting 6) quieter

Exercise 3 · Rewrite the sentences with (not) as … as.

1) Luxor is hot. Aswan is hot too. (as … as)
2) Alexandria is smaller than Cairo. (not as big as)
3) The bus is slower than the metro. (not as fast as)
4) My street and your street are both noisy. (as … as)
5) Taxis are more expensive than buses. (Buses … not as … as)

Show the answers

1) Luxor is as hot as Aswan. (or: Aswan is as hot as Luxor.) 2) Alexandria isn't (is not) as big as Cairo. 3) The bus isn't as fast as the metro. 4) My street is as noisy as your street. (or: Your street is as noisy as my street / mine.) 5) Buses aren't as expensive as taxis.

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

1) الحياة في القرية أهدأ من الحياة في المدينة.
2) هذا أفضل مطعم في الحيّ.
3) المواصلات العامة أرخص بكثير من التاكسي.
4) الإسكندرية ليست كبيرة مثل القاهرة.

Show the answers

1) Life in the village is quieter (more peaceful) than life in the city. 2) This is the best restaurant in the neighbourhood. 3) Public transport is much cheaper than a taxi (taxis / taking a taxi). 4) Alexandria isn't (is not) as big as Cairo.

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “Two places”: write 80–100 words comparing your city or town with another place you know. Use comparatives, superlatives and (not) as … as. Then say it aloud as if you are talking to a tourist.

Example: I live in Cairo, but my grandparents live in Mansoura. Cairo is much bigger and more exciting than Mansoura. It has the best shopping centres and some of the most historic places in Egypt. However, it is also noisier and more polluted, and the traffic in the rush hour is terrible. Mansoura isn't as crowded as Cairo, and the cost of living there is lower. The rent is cheaper and, in my opinion, the people are friendlier. Cairo is better for work, but Mansoura is more peaceful. One day I want to live in a quiet place near the sea.