A2 — Lesson 14

Health & Comparisons

Comparative · Superlative · Too / Enough · Less / Least · As…As
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Vocabulary: Health & Medicine

In English we use specific words for health professionals, places, and symptoms. Many of these are false friends or have no direct Bulgarian equivalent — learn them carefully.

Places & Professionals — Места и Специалисти

GP (General Practitioner)/ˌdʒiːˈpiː/Личен лекар — your regular doctor in the UK
Surgery/ˈsɜː.dʒər.i/Лекарски кабинет — NOT хирургия! (that is an operation)
A&E (Accident & Emergency)/ˌeɪ.ənˈiː/Спешно отделение — US: Emergency Room (ER)
Pharmacy / Chemist/ˈfɑː.mə.si/Аптека — "chemist's" is also used in British English
Surgeon/ˈsɜː.dʒən/Хирург — does operations
Specialist/ˈspeʃ.ə.lɪst/Специалист — referred to by your GP

Symptoms & Conditions — Симптоми

To cough/kɒf/Кашлям — "I have a cough" (noun)
To sneeze/sniːz/Кихам
To vomit / be sick/ˈvɒm.ɪt/Повръщам — British: "I was sick"
Dizzy/ˈdɪz.i/Замаян — "I feel dizzy"
Swollen/ˈswəʊ.lən/Подут — "my ankle is swollen"
Rash/ræʃ/Обрив — red spots on the skin
Fever / Temperature/ˈfiː.vər/Температура / Треска — "I have a fever"

Treatments — Лечение

Prescription/prɪˈskrɪp.ʃən/Рецепта — a written order from a doctor
Painkiller/ˈpeɪnˌkɪl.ər/Обезболяващо — e.g. ibuprofen, paracetamol
Bandage/ˈbæn.dɪdʒ/Превръзка — wraps a wound or sprain
Dose / Dosage/dəʊs/Доза — the amount of medicine taken at one time
Side effect/ˌsaɪd ɪˈfekt/Страничен ефект — unwanted effect of medicine
Appointment/əˈpɔɪnt.mənt/Час при лекаря — "I have an appointment at 10"
📝 Exercise A — Places & People: Choose the correct word.
1. You go here first in the UK before seeing a specialist.
2. You go here if you have a very serious accident and need immediate help.
3. You collect your medicine from here.
4. This doctor performs operations.
5. In British English, the doctor's office / clinic is called a ___.
🎯 Exercise B — Symptoms & Treatments: Write the correct word.
1. My head is spinning — I feel very ___.
2. The doctor wrote me a ___ for antibiotics.
3. My ankle twisted badly — now it is ___ and painful.
4. Take one tablet twice a day. Do not exceed the recommended ___.
5. I need to make an ___ to see my GP next week.

Grammar Lab

Six grammar topics this lesson. Start with Part 1 — it is the foundation for everything else. If you get Parts 1 and 2 right, Parts 3–6 become much easier.
1

Is the Adjective SHORT or LONG?

This decides everything — get this right first

Before you can form a comparative or superlative, you must decide whether the adjective is short (use -er / -est) or long (use more / the most). The rule is based on syllables — the number of beats when you say the word aloud.

How to count syllables: Say the word and clap for each beat.
"cheap" = 1 clap → short  |  "ex-pen-sive" = 3 claps → long  |  "hap-py" = 2 claps → special rule (see below)
TypeRuleComparativeSuperlativeExamples
1 syllable
SHORT		 Add -er / -est cheap → cheaper cheap → the cheapest old, fast, tall, sick, weak, strong, long, short, young, new
1 syllable ending in CVC
SHORT — spelling change!		 Double the final consonant + -er / -est big → bigger big → the biggest hot → hotter, thin → thinner, fat → fatter, wet → wetter
2 syllables ending in -Y
SHORT — spelling change!		 Change y → i + -er / -est healthy → healthier healthy → the healthiest happy, easy, busy, dizzy, heavy, ugly, lucky, lazy
2+ syllables (not -y)
LONG		 Use more / the most effective → more effective effective → the most effective expensive, dangerous, important, painful, useful, recent
❌ The most common mistakes
  • more cheap → cheap has 1 syllable → cheaper
  • more big → 1 syllable CVC → bigger
  • more happy → ends in -y → happier
  • expensiver → 3 syllables → more expensive
  • more cheaper → NEVER double the marker
⚠️ Tricky 2-syllable words
  • quiet (2 syl) → quieter or more quiet ✅ both fine
  • clever (2 syl) → cleverer or more clever ✅ both fine
  • common (2 syl) → more common ✅ (no -er)
  • simple (2 syl) → simpler ✅ (takes -er)
  • If unsure about a 2-syllable word — use more. It is almost always safe.
📝 Exercise A — Classify: Is the adjective SHORT or LONG? Choose the correct category.
1. "expensive" — how many syllables? Which category?
2. "sick" — how many syllables? Which category?
3. "healthy" — what is the rule?
4. "dangerous" — how many syllables? Which category?
5. "hot" — what is the spelling rule?
🎯 Exercise B: Write the comparative form. Decide short or long first, then form it correctly.
1. painful (how many syllables?)
2. young (how many syllables?)
3. dizzy (ends in -y)
4. useful (how many syllables?)
5. thin (CVC — watch the spelling!)
6. important (how many syllables?)
7. weak (how many syllables?)
8. heavy (ends in -y)
2

Comparatives — Comparing Two Things

Always use than · short adjectives add -er · long ones use more

Use a comparative when you are comparing two things, people, or groups. The form depends on the length of the adjective. Always follow with than.

Adjective typeRuleExampleSpelling note
1 syllableadd -ercheap → cheaper thanfast → faster, old → older
1 syllable ending CVCdouble consonant + -erbig → bigger thanhot → hotter, thin → thinner
2+ syllablesmore + adjectiveexpensive → more expensive thandangerous → more dangerous
ends in -ychange y→i + -erhealthy → healthier thaneasy → easier, happy → happier
✅ The red pill is cheaper than the blue one.
✅ The flu is more dangerous than a cold.
✅ I feel healthier than last week.
❌ more cheaper than — never double
❌ cheaper as — always use than
❌ more big — big → bigger (CVC rule)
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct comparative form.
1. This clinic is ___ the old one.
2. A cold is ___ the flu.
3. Paracetamol is ___ ibuprofen.
4. This surgery is ___ I expected.
5. She is feeling ___ she did yesterday.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Write the comparative form of the adjective in brackets. You may include than or leave it out.
1. This treatment is ___ (effective) the old one. (2+ syllables)
2. His temperature is ___ (high) this morning. (1 syllable)
3. This hospital is ___ (busy) the clinic. (ends in -y)
4. The side effects are ___ (bad) with this medicine. (irregular)
5. The GP appointment was ___ (quick) the specialist. (1 syllable)
3

Superlatives — The Number One in a Group

Always use the · for 3 or more things · short add -est · long use the most

Use a superlative when you identify the extreme example (best, worst, cheapest) from a group of three or more. Always use the before it.

Short adjectives → the + -est
  • fast → the fastest surgeon
  • cheap → the cheapest medicine
  • big → the biggest dose (CVC: double)
  • happy → the happiest patient (y→i)
Long adjectives → the most + adjective
  • effective → the most effective medicine
  • dangerous → the most dangerous virus
  • complicated → the most complicated case
  • important → the most important symptom
Most vs the most: "Most people get colds in winter." (= the majority — no the) vs "She is the most experienced doctor here." (= superlative — needs the). The difference is about meaning, not the adjective.
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct superlative.
1. Dr. Smith is ___ surgeon in the hospital.
2. That was ___ week of my life — I was completely ill.
3. This is ___ effective treatment available.
4. This is ___ medicine on the shelf.
5. ___ patients recover within a week. (= the majority)
4

Irregular Adjectives — Memorise These

These adjectives completely change their form

These four adjectives do not follow any rule — you must memorise all three forms for each one.

Base formComparative (2 things)Superlative (3+ things)Example
GoodBetter thanThe best"This medicine is better than the last one."
BadWorse thanThe worst"Monday was the worst day of my life."
FarFarther / Further thanThe farthest / furthest"The specialist is further away than the GP."
Little (amount)Less thanThe least"This pill has the least side effects."
📝 Exercise A: Choose the correct irregular form.
1. I felt ___ on Tuesday than on Monday — I was getting sicker.
2. After the medicine, I felt ___ than before.
3. That was the ___ headache I have ever had.
4. This option has the ___ side effects — choose this one.
5. The private hospital is ___ from my house than the NHS one.
5

Too · Enough · Less · Least

Expressing degree and quantity — position matters

These four words all express how much of something there is, but they have very different positions in a sentence and different meanings. Getting the position right is as important as choosing the right word.

WordMeaningPositionExample
TOOMore than needed — a problemBEFORE adjective"The coffee is too hot to drink."
ENOUGHSufficient — just rightAFTER adjective"Are you well enough to travel?"
LESSA smaller amount (comparative)BEFORE adjective"This pill is less expensive than that one."
LEASTThe smallest amount (superlative)BEFORE adjective"This is the least dangerous option."
⚠️ Position: TOO vs ENOUGH
  • TOO comes before: "too sick"
  • ENOUGH comes after: "sick enough"
  • ❌ "enough sick" — wrong order
  • ❌ "sick too" — wrong order
💡 TOO ≠ VERY
  • Very = strongly, neutral feeling
  • Too = a problem, you can't do something
  • "It is very hot." (just hot)
  • "It is too hot to drink." (a problem)
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose TOO, ENOUGH, LESS, or LEAST.
1. He is ___ sick to go to work today.
2. She is not well ___ to leave the hospital.
3. This medicine is ___ effective than the original.
4. This is the ___ expensive option — it costs almost nothing.
5. The dosage is ___ strong — I need a higher dose.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct word: too, enough, less, or least.
1. The tablet is ___ big to swallow — can I crush it? (a problem)
2. You are not strong ___ to leave the hospital yet. (position: after adjective)
3. This antibiotic has ___ side effects than the old one. (comparative of little)
4. Of all the options, this one is the ___ risky. (superlative — smallest amount)
5. I am ___ worried now — the test results were fine. (smaller degree, not superlative)
6

Equality: As … As

When two things are equal — or not equal

Use as … as to say that two things are the same (or equal). Use not as … as to say they are different (one is less).

✅ Equal: as + adjective + as
  • "This hospital is as good as the private one."
  • "He is as tall as his father."
  • "Today is as hot as yesterday."
❌ Not equal: not as + adjective + as
  • "It is not as cheap as I thought." (= more expensive)
  • "She is not as sick as yesterday." (= better now)
  • ❌ "not as cheap than" — always as, not than
📝 Exercise A: Fill in the gaps with AS or THAN.
1. This clinic is not as expensive ___ the private hospital.
2. He is feeling better ___ he did on Monday.
3. This medicine is as effective ___ the original brand.
4. The new painkiller is stronger ___ the old one.
5. My temperature is not as high ___ yesterday.

Reading: The Patient's Blog (5 Entries)

Read Mark's health diary. Look out for comparatives, superlatives, too/enough, and as…as in every entry.
🤒

1. The Worst Week

Last week was the worst week of my life. I felt worse on Monday than on Sunday. My throat was too sore to eat anything solid. I went to the GP, but the queue was too long to wait. I decided to go to A&E because the wait there is usually shorter than at the local surgery.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How does he describe last week?

2. Why couldn't he eat solid food?

3. Why did he go to A&E instead of waiting at the GP?

4. On which day did he feel worse?

💊

2. The Treatment

The doctor said I was not well enough to go to work. She gave me two prescriptions. The first was the most expensive medicine in the pharmacy. The second was less expensive, but also less effective. I bought the expensive one because health is more important than money.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Was he well enough to work?

2. How many prescriptions did he receive?

3. Which medicine did he choose and why?

4. How does the text describe the second medicine?

😴

3. Day Three

By Wednesday I felt better than on Monday, but I was still not well enough to leave the house. The medicine was working — my fever was lower than before. However, the side effects were worse than I expected. I was more tired than usual and slightly dizzy. The doctor said this was normal.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How did he feel on Wednesday compared to Monday?

2. What evidence shows the medicine was working?

3. What were the side effects?

4. Was he well enough to leave the house on Wednesday?

🏥

4. The Follow-Up

I went back to see the doctor on Friday. She said I was the most improved patient she had seen all week. My throat was less swollen than before. The pain was not as intense as it had been on Monday. She told me to take a smaller dose from now on — half as much as before.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How did the doctor describe him?

2. How was his throat on Friday?

3. How does the text describe the pain on Friday?

4. What did the doctor change about the medicine?

😊

5. Recovery

By Sunday I felt as good as new. The NHS is not as fast as a private clinic, but it is the most important service in the country. My experience this week taught me that prevention is better than cure — eating healthily and exercising is more effective than any painkiller.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How did he feel by Sunday?

2. How does he describe the NHS compared to a private clinic?

3. What lesson did he learn?

4. What does he say is more effective than any painkiller?

Text 1 / 5

Cloze Text

Choose the correct word from each drop-down. Think carefully about comparatives, superlatives, too/enough, and as…as.

Last winter, Sarah had (1) cold she had ever experienced. She felt (2) every day. Her temperature was (3) to go to work.

She went to her GP, who said the clinic was not (4) usual. The doctor prescribed two medicines. The first one was (5) than the second, but also (6).

Sarah chose the (7) expensive option because she was not (8) to afford the other one. After three days, she felt (9) than when she had started. By the end of the week, she felt (10) new. The doctor said she was (11) to return to work on Monday.

Exercises

15 exercise sets covering comparatives, superlatives, irregulars, too/enough, less/least, and as…as.

Tense Writing Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each — all mixed tenses. Tenses: Present Simple · Present Continuous · Past Simple · Present Perfect · Will · Be Going To
Read each sentence carefully and put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.

Gerund or Infinitive?

Five mixed exercises. The verb before the gap decides the form — gerund (verb + -ing) or infinitive (to + verb).
Key verbs with gerund: enjoy · finish · like · love · hate · avoid · mind · stop · practise · keep · suggest · consider
Key verbs with infinitive: want · need · decide · hope · plan · manage · promise · agree · refuse · expect · offer · learn · forget · remember