English Grammar Story:
Comparatives and Superlatives
(Bad/Worse/Worst)
Let's practice English comparatives and superlatives through a useful short story about Ethan’s day as it goes from bad to worse...
Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses
A Bad Day Gets Worse
Ethan wakes up late. This is a bad start to his day. He jumps out of bed, but he steps on something hard. It is his phone. That is even worse. The screen is cracked. He sighs and picks it up, but it does not turn on. This is the worst way to start the morning.
He hurries to the kitchen to make coffee. A morning without coffee is already bad, but this morning is about to get worse. He presses the button, but nothing happens. He forgot to put water in the machine. That is a bad mistake. He sighs, fills it up, and tries again. This time, the coffee starts pouring, but he forgets to put a cup under it! Coffee spills everywhere. His morning is getting even worse.
Still half asleep, he grabs a piece of bread and puts it in the toaster. He waits. And waits. And waits some more. The toaster does nothing. He checks. The toaster is not even plugged in. Could this get any worse?
He plugs it in and presses the button. Nothing. He tries again. Suddenly, smoke comes out. Now, he has burnt toast and a kitchen full of smoke. Worst breakfast ever.
Ethan decides to skip breakfast and runs to get dressed. He puts on his pants, but something feels bad. He looks down. They are on backward. He sighs, changes them, grabs his shoes, and rushes out the door.
But something is even worse – his left shoe feels tight. He looks again. Oh no. Two different shoes! This is turning into the worst morning ever.
At the bus stop, he checks his broken phone. It is useless. This is bad. Just then, he spots his neighbor, Lisa, standing nearby.
"Lisa! Do you know what time it is?" he asks.
Lisa looks at him, confused. "It's 8:45," she says.
"Great, I can still make it!" he says.
Lisa raises an eyebrow. "Make it where?"
"To work!" Ethan says.
Lisa chuckles. "Ethan… today is Sunday!"
Ethan stares at her. He blinks. His bad day is now, without a doubt, the worst. How can it get any worse than that?!
Then, it starts to rain.
See also:
English
Grammar Story: Comparatives and Superlatives – The Best Pizza in Town
English Grammar Story: Comparatives and Superlatives (Adverbs) - The Most Unusual Spy
English Grammar Story: Comparatives and Superlatives (Good/Better/Best) – The Best Swimmer
English Grammar Story: Comparing with "Less" and "Least" - How Not to Start a Life of Crime
Comparatives and Superlatives Online Quizzes
Activity: Fill in the Blanks
Let's practice comparatives and superlatives by filling in the blanks in the copy of the story below:
Ethan wakes up late. This is a ____________ (bad) start to his day. He jumps out of bed, but he steps on something hard. It is his phone. That is even ____________ (bad). The screen is cracked. He sighs and picks it up, but it does not turn on. This is the ____________ (bad) way to start the morning.
He hurries to the kitchen to make coffee. A morning without coffee is already ____________ (bad), but this morning is about to get ____________ (bad). He presses the button, but nothing happens. He forgot to put water in the machine. That is a ____________ (bad) mistake. He sighs, fills it up, and tries again. This time, the coffee starts pouring, but he forgets to put a cup under it! Coffee spills everywhere. His morning is getting even ____________ (bad).
Still half asleep, he grabs a piece of bread and puts it in the toaster. He waits. And waits. And waits some more. The toaster does nothing. He checks. The toaster is not even plugged in. Could this get any ____________ (bad)?
He plugs it in and presses the button. Nothing. He tries again. Suddenly, smoke comes out. Now, he has burnt toast and a kitchen full of smoke. ____________ (bad) breakfast ever.
Ethan decides to skip breakfast and runs to get dressed. He puts on his pants, but something feels ____________ (bad). He looks down. They are on backward. He sighs, changes them, grabs his shoes, and rushes out the door.
But something is even ____________ (bad) – his left shoe feels tight. He looks again. Oh no. Two different shoes! This is turning into the ____________ (bad) morning ever.
At the bus stop, he checks his broken phone. It is useless. This is ____________ (bad). Just then, he spots his neighbor, Lisa, standing nearby.
"Lisa! Do you know what time it is?" he asks.
Lisa looks at him, confused. "It's 8:45," she says.
"Great, I can still make it!" he says.
Lisa raises an eyebrow. "Make it where?"
"To work!" Ethan says.
Lisa chuckles. "Ethan… today is Sunday!"
Ethan stares at her. He blinks. His ____________ (bad) day is now, without a doubt, the ____________ (bad). How can it get any ____________ (bad) than that?!
Then, it starts to rain.
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