Ex. 1. Answer the questions. How does Jack London describe:
a) Martin's hair?
b) Martin's eyes?
c) Martin s mouth?
Do yon think the author likes his hero or doesn’t like him? Prove your point.
Ex. 2. Find the Russian equivalents to the following: Square-domed; a mop; nut-brown; a high forehead; sunburn; a mouth; full lips; a strong chin; regular teeth.
Ex. 3. Reproduce the description of the young man as close to the text, as you can. Ex. 4. There was a bank robbery in Western London. Suppose you are a witness to this crime and help the Police to identify the robber. Use the following key words and phrases to describe him.
1. Age: elderly, middle –aged, young, under 30, past 40 …
2. Height: tall, short, thick neck, broad – shouldered …
3. Build: slim, stout, thick neck, broad – shouldered …
4. Face: long, round, thin, wrinkled, oval …
5. Hair: long, straight, curly, blond, bald – headed, bobbed …
6. Eyes: close – set, dark – eyed, bulging, small …
7. Nose: straight, hooked, blunt …
8. Ears: stick out …
9. Distinctive marks: freckles, hunchback, a mole on his right cheek, beard, moustache …
NOTE:
Some two syllable adjectives like happy (clever, common, narrow, pleasant, quiet, simple, stupid) have two comparative or superlative forms:
-either with – er / est:
She is cleverer than you. She is the cleverest person I know.
- or with more / the most
She is more clever than you. She is the most clever person I know
Comparative and superlative forms often confused:
Further and farther refer to distance:
London is five miles further/farther.
Further (not farther) can mean “in addition”:
There is no further information.
We use elder/eldest before a noun only with reference to people in a family:
my elder brother/son, the eldest child, he is the eldest
(but not: He is elder than me)
We use older/oldest for people and things:
He is older than I am. This book is older.
Lesser is formed from less but it is a true comparative. We can not use than after it. Lesser
means not so great and we use it in fixed phrases like: the lesser of two evils.
Latest/last:
I bought the latest (i.e. most recent) edition of today’s paper.
I bought the last (i.e. final) edition of today’s paper.
The comparative and superlative of little is smaller/smallest:
a small/little boy, a smaller/the smallest boy.
Grammar: The Comparison of Adjectives.
Common comparative and superlative forms: