Grammar Guide: Irregular Comparative and Superlative

This block at Nomen Global, we are taking the time to appreciate the different types of art in the world. The best thing about art is that anyone can create it, anyone can look at it, and anyone can love it! 

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms
While most adjectives follow the simple patterns of adding -er, -est, more, and most, a few adjectives take an irregular form:

Adjective        Comparative    Superlative

bad                  worse              worst

far(distance)     farther             farthest

far(extent)        further             furthest

good                better              best

ill                     worse              worst

late                  later                 latest or last

less                  lesser               least

little(amount)    less                  least

many               more                most

much               more                most

well                 better               best

• The best art is art that you create yourself.
• Art is so much more beautiful when you understand where it came from.
• The farthest I've traveled to view artwork is on a 12-hour plane ride across the world.
• Every day Sarah gets better at painting.

Learn more about grammar at Nomen Global!

Student Spotlight: Roman Khromenko

Roman Khromenko is from Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. He has been studying English at Nomen Global for just one block, but will continue to study here for two semesters. He is studying English so that he is able to enter a university after he becomes even more fluent in English. Roman has enjoyed his experience so far: He likes the way the teachers teach. They explain things clearly and present the material so that everyone understands. Roman says he feels like the school is a big family for the students!

Roman has many goals for the future. He hopes to have healthy kids, a happy marriage, and a money-making job. He is also very proud of the accomplishments he has completed in the past. For Roman, obtaining a US visa was very difficult. He considers receiving his visa to study here one of his greatest successes.

In his free time, Roman enjoys playing sports. Among his favorite sports are tennis, rugby, American football, and baseball. He also enjoys eating meat (pork and chicken), fruit, fish, and seafood.

If you meet Roman, some interesting facts about him include that he believed he had brown eyes until he was 16 (they are green), that he watches fireworks every year on his birthday (May 9), and that he can't refuse someone's offer!

Meet Roman and other interesting students like him at Nomen Global!

Happy Pioneer Day!

Remember that tomorrow is Pioneer Day! It is a special holiday celebrated only in Utah to remember the pioneers who walked across the United States to build a home over 150 years ago.

To celebrate these people and all other pioneers who follow them, we have no school tomorrow! Enjoy your day off and take some time to think of pioneers that you know.

Grammar Guide: Superlatives

Ice skating usually makes people think of cold, winter outings. However, we at Nomen Global think ice skating is the perfect way to escape the summer heat! This summer has reached record-high temperatures all across the United States. While some of our students are used to hot weather, many of our students from around the world are looking for ways to cool down. Today, we will visit the Olympic 2002 site, Seven Peaks Arena, for a fun afternoon ice skating!

Superlatives
Unlike comparatives, we use superlatives to describe a relationship among three or more things. Comparatives describe that relationship between only two things. To form the superlative, you can either add -est or most. The rules for superlative are similar to the rules for comparative to decide which form to use.

In addition to adding -est or most, the superlative also usually has the word the in front of it to show that it is definite.

One-syllable adjectives
When an adjective has only one syllable, the adjective generally takes the -est form to compare three or more things. If the word ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding -est.

• Ice skating is the coolest way to get out of the summer heat.
• July in Provo is the hottest month of the year.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y When an adjective has two syllables and ends with -y, we generally drop the -y and add -est.

• Ice skating is not the easiest sport, but it is fun!
• The students at Nomen Global are the friendliest students in the United States!

Three- or more syllable adjectives When an adjective has three or more syllables, the adjective uses more to form the comparative.

• Seven Peaks is the most popular place to go in the summer months.
• Staying near ice is one of the most effective ways to stay cool in the summer.

Learn more about superlative adjectives and other grammar points at Nomen Global! Visit our Facebook page to see more from our activities.

Student Spotlight: Rawabi Alhulhim

Rawabi Alhulhim is from Saudi Arabia. She has completed one month of classes at Nomen Global and plans to remain here for one semester. Rawabi is studying English because she intends to return to Saudi Arabia to work with her family.

Rawabi enjoys studying at Nomen Global because she feels as though her teachers and the administration treat her with respect and cooperation. She feels very proud to have come to the United States; in fact, choosing to come here to study English is her greatest success! Rawabi hopes to become more fluent in English. Good luck, Rawabi!

After Rawabi studies at Nomen Global, she plans to attend a university. She hopes that her path will lead her to be as successful as her family. In her free time, Rawabi enjoys going to the movies and learning to play the guitar. She also loves eating Italian food, studying, and traveling.

Meet Rawabi and other inspiring students like her at Nomen Global!

Grammar Guide: Comparatives

A pioneer is someone who does something or goes somewhere for the first time. This block we are celebrating the pioneers that we know in our lives. Many of our students are pioneers themselves! They have come to a new country to study English and they are setting a great example to their families and their posterity. Similar to how a lighthouse guides the way for ships, pioneers guide other people to follow in their footsteps.

Comparatives
We use the comparative of adjectives when we describe the differences between two things. The comparative of the adjective can be formed in two ways: -er or more. The following rules can help you decide which form to use.

One-syllable adjectives
When an adjective has only one syllable, the adjective generally takes the -er form to compare two things. If the word ends with one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant before adding -er.

• Pioneers must be braver than followers.
• Susan became a pioneer in science because she studied harder than other students.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y When an adjective has two syllables and ends with -y, we generally drop the -y and add -er.

• Being a follower is easier than being a pioneer.
• Pioneers feel happier when they help other people.

Three- or more syllable adjectives

When an adjective has three or more syllables, the adjective uses more to form the comparative.

• Pioneers are more inspirational when they accomplish something that is difficult.
• Living in a new place is more difficult than living somewhere familiar.

Learn more about comparatives and other grammar topics at Nomen Global!

Teacher Spotlight: Scott Bowen

Nomen Global is pleased to welcome a new teacher to our faculty! Scott Bowen is originally from San Diego, California, but he has enjoyed traveling the world and living in Utah. He teaches Grammar Level 4 and Integrated Skills Level 3. Scott is also our new Activities Director! He will be in charge of planning and implementing all of our school outings and activities.

Scott lived in Italy for several years before he started teaching at Nomen Global. He learned Italian, taught English once a week, and did service throughout the country. Because of his love for Italy, Scott studied Italian at Brigham Young University. He uses his language-learning skills to improve his classrooms at Nomen Global. He has been teaching English here for 4 weeks, and we are excited to learn more from Scott!

Scott loves seeing the students at Nomen Global. They are from many different countries and bring a fresh outlook on life into Scott's classroom. His favorite aspect of teaching, however, is watching his students progress. His favorite aspect of English is slang and idiomatic expressions!

In the future, Scott plans to apply and be accepted to law school this fall. When he graduates, his dream is to live by the beach. Since Scott is from California, he is an expert surfer! He hopes to live by the beach so that he can continue his hobby.

Get to know more about Scott and other great teachers like him at Nomen Global!

Pioneer Village

Welcome back to school, students! We hope you enjoyed your week-long break to celebrate Independence Day! We also hope you are ready to finish off an already great semester.

Today we visited Pioneer Village, located just down the street from our campus. Pioneer Village is a special museum that shows the different types of buildings that were typical at the time that pioneers first settled in Utah. While many people think of pioneers as the families that traveled across the plains of America during the 1800s, a pioneer is anyone who does something for the first time.

It was a great experience to see how different life was before we had skyscrapers, paved roads, and airplanes. Learning about the pioneers that came to Utah helped us appreciate the lives that we have today. Even though our lives can be difficult, we admire the people who came before us.

Many of our students are also pioneers. They are learning English and living in a different country! Some of them are the first in their families to visit the United States! One day, their descendants will be grateful for the hard work they are doing now.

To learn more about Nomen Global and the activities we offer, visit our website or our Facebook page.