Comparatives are used to compare differences between two objects (larger, smaller, faster, higher).

One Syllable / -er

small – smaller
cold – colder
young – younger

One Syllable ends in /e/ -r

safe – safer
nice – nicer
close – closer

Consonant + vowel + Consonant -(x)er

hot – hotter
big – bigger
fat – fatter

Two Syllable ends in /y/ -ier

happy – happier
angry – angrier
hungry – hungrier

Two or More Syllables >> more –

dangerous – more dangerous
expensive – more expensive
difficult – more difficult

Irregular

good – better
bad – worse

Read the dialog and look for the comparatives.

Aimee: So Todd, you said before, that your mom is from San Francisco.

Todd: No, my dad is from San Francisco.

Aimee: So, your dad is from San Francisco and your mom is from Los Angeles.

Todd: Yes, that’s right.

Aimee: Okay, so which city is better?

Todd: Ooh, wow. They both are great American cities! They are very, very different. I think San Francisco is better, but some people think LA is better. 

Aimee: So, is LA bigger than San Francisco?

Todd: Yes, it is much, much bigger. LA is huge. It is about 10 million people, maybe more.

Aimee: That is huge.

Todd: Yeah. San Francisco has only one million people.

Aimee: Oh, that’s tiny.

Todd: Yeah, it’s much smaller than LA.

Aimee: Okay.

Todd: Yeah, much smaller.

Aimee: And is LA more expensive than San Francisco?

Todd: I don’t think so. LA is expensive but San Francisco is more expensive. San Francisco is maybe the most expensive city in the US. Because of Google, Yahoo, Apple, all these famous companies.

Aimee: Right, okay. And so about the weather? Is LA warmer than San Francisco?

Todd: Yeah, it’s much warmer. It’s much, much warmer. LA has beautiful weather so most days it’s warm, no clouds, maybe 25 degrees Celsius.

Aimee: What about the looks? Is LA prettier than San Francisco?

Todd: No, not at all.

Aimee: No?

Todd: Which city sounds more interesting to you, Aimee?

Aimee: I want to go to both but I think I would prefer to go to San Francisco.

Todd: Great! Let’s visit together!.

Source: https://elllo.org/english/grammar/L3-09-Comparatives.htm

Ramadan is a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. 
Here are some questions and answers about Islam’s holiest month:


WHY DO PEOPLE FAST DURING RAMADAN?


The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Ramadan is a time to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on one’s inner self.
 It’s seen as a way to physically and spiritually purify, refraining from habits such as smoking and caffeine. 

HOW DO PEOPLE FAST?

Muslims who observe Ramadan abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for the entire month of Ramadan. A single sip of water is enough to invalidate the fast.
Just before the fast, Muslims have a pre-dawn meal of power foods to get them through the day, the “suhoor.” Egyptians eat mashed fava beans called “ful,” spiced with cumin and olive oil, while in Lebanon and Syria, popular suhoor food is flatbread with thyme, cheese, or yogurt. In Afghanistan, people eat dates and dumplings stuffed with potato and leeks, first steamed, then fried.

CAN A PERSON BE EXEMPTED FROM FASTING?

Yes. There are exceptions for children, the elderly, those who are ill, women who are pregnant, and people traveling, which can include athletes during tournaments.
 


HOW DO PEOPLE MARK THE END OF RAMADAN?

The end of Ramadan is marked by intense worship as observing Muslims seek to have their prayers answered during “Laylat al-Qadr” or “the Night of Destiny.” It is on this night, which falls during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, that Muslims believe that God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the first verses of the Quran. 
The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three-day holiday called Eid Al-Fitr. Children often receive new clothes, gifts, and cash. Muslims attend early morning Eid prayers the day after Ramadan. Families usually spend the day at parks and eating — now during the day.

Source: https://www.arabnews.com/node/935516/islam-perspective

Useful Phrases

canned tomatoes 

cook uncovered 

blanch tomatoes

skin tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, prepared as described below, or 2 cups canned imported Italian tomatoes, cut up, with their juice
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
• Salt to taste

• Put either the prepared fresh tomatoes or the canned in a saucepan, add the butter, onion, and salt, and cook uncovered at a very slow, but steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until it is thickened to your liking and the fat floats free from the tomato.
• Stir from time to time, mashing up any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Taste and correct for salt. Before tossing with pasta, you may remove the onion (as Hazan recommended) and save for another use, but many opt to leave it in. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table.

• Making Fresh Tomatoes Ready for Sauce
• The blanching method: Put the tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or less. Drain them and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, skin them, and cut them into coarse pieces.
• The freezing method (from David Tanis, via The Kitchn): Freeze tomatoes on a baking sheet until hard. Thaw again, either on the counter or under running water. Skin them and cut them into coarse pieces.
• The food mill method: Wash the tomatoes in cold water, cut them lengthwise in half, and put them in a covered saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Set a food mill fitted with the disk with the largest holes over a bowl. Transfer the tomatoes with any of their juices to the mill and puree.

Source – https://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-butter

Adverbs of Frequency – Grammar Notes

We use adverbs of frequency to show how often we do something.

1. I always have coffee in the morning.
2. I usually eat dinner at home.
3. I sometimes eat at restaurants.
4. I never drink alcohol.

Adverbs of frequency and relative strength.

1. Always (100%)
2. Almost always
3. Usually
4. Often
5. Sometimes
6. Hardly ever / Rarely
7. Almost never
8. Never (0%)

Adverbs of frequency can be used immediately in front of the verb.

1. Junko almost always paints in the evening.
2. She usually gets to work early.
3. We hardly ever rent movies.
4. I never stay out late.

Read the dialog and look for the Adverbs of Frequency

Daniel: So Hana, tell me, do you cook often?

Hana: Yes, I always cook. How about you?

Daniel: Well, I don’t really cook that often. I’m really busy during the week. I usually just get takeout. But on the weekends, I often cook.

Hana: Do you ever eat out?

Daniel: Only occasionally because I don’t really have the time. What about you?

Hana: Well, I hardly ever go out to eat.

Daniel: Do you ever get takeout?

Hana: No, I never do. I prefer to cook. Daniel, do you ever have friends over for dinner?

Daniel: I do sometimes but rarely. I’m not a great cook.

Hana: Well, I like to cook and like having friends over for dinner. Do you want to come to my apartment for dinner tonight? 

Daniel: Wow! Sure, I’d love to!

Source: https://www.elllo.org/english/grammar/L2-05-DanielHana-Cooking-Adverbs-Frequency.htm