Larger, Drier, by Far the Least Crowded: Comparatives, Superlatives and Connectors of Addition and Contrast – Geography of Rwanda (Senior 4 English) | Ganzaa

Geography of Rwanda

Lessons

Senior 4 · English

Geography of Rwanda

5 lessons

Lesson 4 of 5

Larger, Drier, by Far the Least Crowded: Comparatives, Superlatives and Connectors of Addition and Contrast

25 min

Let's begin

Which province is largest? Which is most crowded? Is the East really drier than the West, and by how much? Geography is full of comparisons, and an examiner who reads "The East is big and the West is small" learns very little. This lesson gives you the tools for exact comparison: comparatives and superlatives with the words that measure the difference, and the connectors that join similarities (in addition, moreover) and differences (however, although, whereas, despite). Everything is practised on two real provinces.

A model text: Two Provinces, Two Worlds

Written by Ganzaa from the census figures in Lesson 2 and the article in Lesson 1. Comparatives and superlatives are in bold; connectors are underlined.

The Eastern and Western Provinces have several things in common. Both are divided into seven districts, and both share a border with at least one other country. In addition, each contains a national park and at least one large lake. Beyond these similarities, however, they could hardly be more different.

The Eastern Province is by far the larger of the two: at 9,458 square kilometres it is more than one and a half times as large as the Western Province, which covers 5,883. It also has more people, about 3.6 million compared with 2.9 million. Although it has nearly a quarter more people, it is much less crowded, with 433 people per square kilometre, whereas the West has 693. Despite its large population, then, the East is the least densely populated province in the country.

The landscapes differ even more. The East is the lowest and driest part of Rwanda, and much of it is savanna. The West, on the other hand, rises steeply from the shore of Lake Kivu to the Congo–Nile ridge, and its mountain slopes are among the wettest in the country. Moreover, while the Akagera River marks the East's border with Tanzania, the West looks across Lake Kivu to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Not only is the West higher than the East, but it is also wetter and far more crowded.

1 Comparatives and superlatives: form

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
One syllable: high, large, big, wet	higher, larger, bigger, wetter (double one consonant after one short vowel)	the highest, the largest, the biggest, the wettest
Two syllables ending in -y: dry, busy, hilly	drier, busier, hillier	the driest, the busiest, the hilliest
Two or more syllables: crowded, populous, fertile	more crowded, more populous, less fertile	the most crowded, the most populous, the least fertile
Irregular: good, bad, far, little, much/many	better, worse, further/farther, less, more	the best, the worst, the furthest/farthest, the least, the most

2 Measuring the difference

Purpose	Language	Example
A small difference	slightly, a little, marginally + comparative	The Western Province has slightly fewer people than the Southern Province (2.90 million against 3.00 million).
A big difference	much, far, considerably, a great deal + comparative	Kigali is far more crowded than any province.
The biggest difference of all	by far the + superlative; easily the + superlative	Kigali is by far the most crowded, with 2,401 people per km².
Equal or not equal	as … as; not as … as; not nearly as … as; the same … as	The East is not as crowded as the West.
Multiples	twice / three times / one and a half times as … as	Kigali is nearly five times as crowded as the country as a whole.
Rank	the second / third + superlative; one of the + superlative + plural noun	The South is the second most populous province. The North is one of the least populous provinces.
Two things changing together	the + comparative …, the + comparative …	The higher you climb, the cooler it becomes.

Comparing amounts: more goes with any noun; fewer with countable plurals (fewer people, fewer districts); less with uncountable nouns (less rain, less land). For two things, formal English uses the comparative with the: the larger of the two provinces.

3 Connectors of addition and contrast

Connector	What follows it	Example
Addition
and, also, as well as	within a sentence	The East has savanna as well as lakes.
In addition, Moreover, Furthermore, What is more	a new sentence, after a full stop, followed by a comma	Each contains a park. In addition, each has lakes.
In addition to, Besides	a noun or an -ing form	In addition to its savanna, the East has several lakes.
Not only … but also	two clauses; when not only starts the sentence, the verb comes before the subject	Not only is the West higher, but it is also wetter.
Contrast
but, yet	a clause, after a comma	The East is large, but it is the least crowded.
However, Nevertheless, On the other hand, In contrast	a new sentence (or after a semicolon), followed by a comma	The East is dry. However, the West is wet.
although, even though, though	a clause (subject + verb)	Although the East has more people, it is less crowded.
whereas, while	a clause that contrasts two facts directly	The East has 433 people per km², whereas the West has 693.
despite, in spite of	a noun, a pronoun or an -ing form, never a clause	Despite its large population, the East is the least crowded. Despite having more people, it is less crowded.

Worked example 1: one contrast, three patterns

Join: The Eastern Province has the most people. It is the least crowded province.

Find the surprise. We expect the province with the most people to be crowded; it is not. That surprise is a contrast, so we need a contrast connector, not an addition one.
With a clause (although): Although the Eastern Province has the most people, it is the least crowded province. Notice: one connector only, and a comma after the first clause.
With a noun or -ing form (despite): Despite having the most people, the Eastern Province is the least crowded. Or: Despite its large population, … Despite cannot be followed by it has.
Across two sentences (however): The Eastern Province has the most people. However, it is the least crowded. Or with a semicolon: …the most people; however, it is …

Worked example 2: turning figures into an exact comparison

The East covers 9,458 km² and the West 5,883 km². How much larger is the East?

Divide the larger by the smaller: 9,458 ÷ 5,883 ≈ 1.61.
Choose the matching phrase: 1.61 is more than 1.5 but well short of 2, so more than one and a half times as large as is accurate. Twice as large would be false; slightly larger would hide a big difference.
Check the grammar of the multiple: times as + adjective + as, not times larger as.

Answer: The Eastern Province is more than one and a half times as large as the Western Province.

Warning

Never double a comparative: more drier, the most highest are wrong. Write drier, the highest.
One connector per contrast: Although the East is larger, ~~but~~ it is less crowded. Use although or but, not both.
Despite takes no of and no clause: not despite of its size, not despite it is large. Write despite its size, despite being large, or despite the fact that it is large.
However is not although. Wrong: However the East is larger, it is less crowded. However links two sentences and needs a comma after it.
Fewer people, less rain: not less people in formal writing.
Than, not then, after a comparative: higher than the East.

Tip

"Despite eats nouns; although eats sentences." After despite or in spite of, you must be able to put the fact or a single noun phrase; after although, you must be able to put a whole small sentence with its own verb.

Linking words of contrast: BBC English Class, BBC Learning English (about 2½ minutes, 2016). Listen for what comes after each connector: a noun, an -ing form or a whole clause. Then check your answers against the connectors table above.

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Practice

Write the comparative and superlative: (a) wet (b) hilly (c) fertile (d) far (e) little (f) large.
Choose fewer or less: (a) The East receives ___ rain than the West. (b) Kigali has ___ districts than the Southern Province. (c) The City of Kigali has ___ land than the Eastern Province.
Use the table in Lesson 2 to write one accurate sentence for each: (a) the Southern and Western Provinces, population (use slightly); (b) the Northern and Western Provinces, density (use slightly); (c) Kigali and every province, density (use by far).
Complete with although, despite, however, whereas or moreover: (a) ___ its small area, Kigali has 1.7 million people. (b) The North has 663 people per km², ___ the East has 433. (c) The West has Lake Kivu. ___, it shares Nyungwe forest with the South. (d) ___ the East is the largest province, it is not the most crowded. (e) The East is the largest province. ___, it is the least crowded.
Correct the errors: (a) Despite the West is smaller, it is more crowded. (b) Although the East is the driest province, but it has several lakes. (c) Karisimbi is more higher than Muhabura. (d) However the North is small, it is crowded.
Rewrite in three ways, with although, despite and however: The City of Kigali is the smallest province by area. It is by far the most crowded.
Using the table in Lesson 2, write a paragraph of 100–120 words comparing the Northern and Southern Provinces. Use at least two comparatives with a measuring word, one superlative, two addition connectors and two contrast connectors.

Show answersHide answers

(a) wetter, the wettest (b) hillier, the hilliest (c) more fertile, the most fertile (d) further/farther, the furthest/farthest (e) less, the least (f) larger, the largest.
(a) less (rain is uncountable) (b) fewer (districts are countable: 3 against 8) (c) less (land is uncountable).
Models: (a) The Southern Province has slightly more people than the Western Province (3.00 million against 2.90 million). (b) The Northern Province is slightly less crowded than the Western Province (663 against 693 people per km²). (c) Kigali is by far the most crowded province, with 2,401 people per km².
(a) Despite (b) whereas (c) Moreover (d) Although (e) However.
(a) Although the West is smaller, it is more crowded. / Despite being smaller, the West is more crowded. (b) Although the East is the driest province, it has several lakes. (c) Karisimbi is higher than Muhabura. (d) Although the North is small, it is crowded. (or: The North is small. However, it is crowded.)
Although the City of Kigali is the smallest province by area, it is by far the most crowded. / Despite being the smallest province by area, the City of Kigali is by far the most crowded. / The City of Kigali is the smallest province by area. However, it is by far the most crowded.
Answers will vary. Facts to use: the North has 2,038,511 people and 663 people per km²; the South has 3,002,699 people and 547 per km²; the South has eight districts and the North five. A strong answer notices that the South has far more people (about 1.5 times as many: 3,002,699 ÷ 2,038,511 ≈ 1.47) but the North is more crowded.

Quick check

Choose the correct sentence.

Key points

Short adjectives take -er/-est (drier, the driest); longer ones take more/most; never both.
Measure the difference: slightly, much, far, by far, twice as … as, not nearly as … as; check the arithmetic first.
Fewer + countable plurals; less + uncountable nouns.
Addition: in addition, moreover, as well as, not only … but also. Contrast: but, however (between sentences), although (+ clause), whereas (two facts), despite (+ noun or -ing).

Sources and credits

Model text "Two Provinces, Two Worlds", Venn diagram, grammar tables, worked examples and practice written by Ganzaa.
Population and density figures: Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census, 2022: Main Indicators Report, National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda. Areas of the provinces: Provinces of Rwanda, Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts only). Landscapes: as credited in Lesson 1.
Video: Linking words of contrast: BBC English Class, BBC Learning English, embedded from YouTube.

1A model text: Two Provinces, Two Worlds

21 Comparatives and superlatives: form

32 Measuring the difference

43 Connectors of addition and contrast

A model text: Two Provinces, Two Worlds

1 Comparatives and superlatives: form

2 Measuring the difference

3 Connectors of addition and contrast