Two big characters tonight: the North Wind and the Sun.
Aesop’s Fables · Part 2 · Comparatives and superlatives
The North Wind and the Sun
Stronger, warmer, more beautiful, the strongest, the best: the grammar for comparing, with two very big characters and one small traveller.
☀️ Play the story too: in the gamebook, you are the Sun.Play the gamebook →
SOPHIA
MARCOS
Which one is stronger?
The fable
After Aesop
The North Wind and the Sun had an argument. “I am stronger than you!” said the Wind. “No, I am stronger,” said the Sun.
They saw a traveller on the road. He was wearing a cloak. “The strongest is the one who can take off his cloak,” said the Sun.
The Wind went first. He blew harder and harder. But the colder it was, the tighter the traveller held his cloak.
Then the Sun shone. The air was warmer, then hotter. At last the traveller said: “It’s too hot!” and he took off his cloak.
Gentleness is stronger than force.
Short adjectives: -er, -est
DEMETRIA
The Sun is warmer than the Wind. The Wind is colder.
SOPHIA
Short adjectives add -er to compare two things, and the -est for the top of the group: strong, stronger, the strongest. With two: than (Spanish ‘que’).
Spelling
PHILO
Why bigger and hotter, with double letters?
SOPHIA
One vowel + one consonant: double it. big → bigger, hot → hotter. With -y: happy → happier. With -e: nice → nicer.
Long adjectives and irregular ones
MARCOS
The morning was more beautiful. And gentle words are better!
SOPHIA
Long adjectives use more and the most: more beautiful, the most beautiful. Irregular: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the fable |
|---|---|---|
| strong → stronger → the strongest | short adjectives | The Wind thought he was the strongest. |
| … than … | comparing two | The Sun is warmer than the Wind. |
| big → bigger, hot → hotter | double the consonant | At midday it was hotter. |
| more / the most + long adjective | long adjectives | The most beautiful morning. |
| good → better → the best | irregular | Gentle words are better. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose the best answer
Choose the right word.
1. The Sun is ___ than the Wind.
2. The Wind is colder ___ the Sun.
3. Who is ___ of all?
4. This cloak is ___ than that one.
5. The morning was ___ than the storm.
6. Kind words are ___ than angry words.
B · Complete the sentence
Write the missing word or words.
7. It was the day of the year. (hot)
8. The Sun is than the clouds. (bright)
9. That was the storm of all. (bad)
10. The traveller was than before. (happy)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
11. “The Wind is more strong than the Sun.”
12. “The Sun is the strongest.”
13. “It is more hot today.”
Now be the Sun yourself. Can you be stronger than the Wind?Play the gamebook →