*BIG, LARGE and GREAT* Something that is *BIG* is large in size or great in degree, extent or importance. Examples: Brazil is a big country. Her husband is a big man. One of Brazil's biggest companies.
Children often refer to their older brother or sister as their *BIG* brother or sister, but that is informal. *BIG, LARGE* and *GREAT* are all used to talk about size. In general,* LARGE *is more formal than *BIG* and *GREAT* is more formal than *LARGE*. Big and large are normally used to describe objects. If you use great to describe an object, you are suggesting that it is impressive because of its size. Example: The great bird of prey was a dark smudge against the sun. You can use large or great, but not big, to describe amounts. Example: He noticed a large or great amount of blood on the laundry room. Remember that great has several other meanings, when it does not refer to size, but to something that is remarkable, very good, or enjoyable. Great, as a noun, is used to describe something that is very large. Example: Great column of ice. As an adjective, great is used to emphasize the large amount or degree of something. Example: She had great difficulty in learning English. You use great to describe someone or something that is important, famous or exciting. Example: The great novels of the 19th century. If something is great, it is very good, but this is informal. Example: I thought it was a great idea. So, big, large and great are used to talk about size, and can be used in front of count nouns, but only great can be used in front of uncount nouns. Great is used is stories to indicate that something is very impressive because of its size, and usually to describe feelings or reactions. *Summary:* Big, large and great = to talk about size. Great = used in front of uncount nouns. Large = more formal. Big = usually used in conversations. Large or great = to describe amounts. Big = is not used to describe amounts. Great = for feelings and reactions. Big or great = used when 'surprise' is a count noun. Large = is not used to describe feelings or reactions. Big or large = are not used to talk about qualities. Big or great = used to describe a problem or danger. Large = not used to describe a problem or danger. Great = used to say that a person or a place is important or famous. In conversation, you can use great and big together, or you can use either great or big with another adjective of size. You do this to emphasize the size of something. When you use great and big together, you always put great first. You do not use adjective of size together like this in formal writing. You can say that someone is in great pain, but you do not usually use big, large, or great to describe an illness. Instead you use adjective such as bad, terrible, or severe. Big, bigger, biggest Great, greater, greatest Large, larger, largest *Exercises: Write down GREAT, BIG or LARGE as appropriate. * 1 Where? - Over there, by the … tree. 2 A leopard frequently retreats to a … tree when it has made a kill. 3 A … tree had fallen across one corner. 4 She made a very … amount of money. 5 Drugs taken in … quantities. 6 You people consume … quantities of chips. 7 I was full of … expectations. 8 To my … astonishment she started to tell me about how she had first seen him. 9 The fact that the Government's policy does not make sense should not come as a … surprise. 10 The book brought back those early days of the war with … clarity. 11 The … problem at the moment is unemployment. 12 The … the threat, the less tolerance there can be. 13 One of the … engineers of this century. 14 One of the … cities of the world. 15 A … … gaping hole. 16 Somewhere out there in the … … world. 17 The child has a … cold with fever. 18 Neither of us had any sign of the … headaches that some people get. 19 The child is then likely to develop a … anemia. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
