Shadowing Practice: Comparative and Superlative - English Conversation - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Comparative and Superlative Dialogue 1 Mary and Kate go to the supermarket to buy groceries for a friend's birthday.
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What do we buy first?
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I think cake is the best choice.
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Okay, that's exactly how I feel.
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How about the strawberry cake?
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Umm, the chocolate cake is better.
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Chocolates are the best food in the world.
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Also, the strawberry cake is more expensive than the chocolate cake.
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You're right.
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It's the most expensive cake in the shop, but the chocolate cake is very small.
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Well, we need to get enough cake for five people, so I don't think it's a good idea.
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Look!
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The grape cake is bigger than the chocolate cake.
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That's right, but I don't like grapes.
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How about the lemon cake?
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Oh, it's not bad.
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It's cheaper than the strawberry cake, bigger than the chocolate cake, and tastier than the lemon cake.
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We're of one mind.
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Next, we need to buy snacks and drinks.
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I have no objection.
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Why don't we buy some chips to have a snack a little later?
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I think some cookies are healthier.
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I plan to go bake some cookies later on,
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so we'll have a great snack, won't we? That sounds wonderful.
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Let's go and pick up the ingredients.
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We need flour, sugar, and butter, eggs, and raisins.
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Hmm.
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Oh, that bag of sugar is too small to bake cookies.
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You should get the biggest bag of sugar.
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The biggest bag?
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Are you sure?
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Right on.
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I think it will be better if we buy some fruits, right?
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You read my mind.
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Which fruit should we choose?
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Peaches or watermelon?
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Let me think.
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I think peaches are better than watermelon.
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Okay, we should put them in plastic.
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Please choose the fruit in the basket next to it.
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They look fresher.
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I would like to buy some yogurt too.
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Is that okay?
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Sure, I agree with you entirely.
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Yogurt is one of the healthiest snacks.
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It also makes our skin smoother and more beautiful.
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So put it in the cart.
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Let's go to the checkout now.
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We have finished shopping.
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Hello.
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Hello.
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How would you like to pay?
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Cash or credit card?
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A credit card is more convenient than cash, right?
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So, we'll pay with a credit card.
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Yes, that's $100.
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Here you are.
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Thank you.
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Have a wonderful day.
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You too.
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Bye.
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Bye.
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Welcome next time.
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Dialogue 2.
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Today is the first school day after a long summer vacation.
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In the break time, Samantha meets Stephanie in the schoolyard.
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Hi, Stephanie.
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Oh, Samantha.
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How wonderful to meet you.
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Oh, your new bag is so beautiful.
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Not as beautiful as yours, Stephanie.
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And you have a new hairstyle.
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Your hair is shorter than before, but it looks more stylish now.
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During the holidays, I went to get my hair cut.
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It's one of the most famous hairstyles of the current year, isn't it?
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If I remember correctly, it's called wavy hair, right?
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Yes, you guessed right.
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You look very attractive with long wavy hair.
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Thank you for your compliment.
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Wow, that's a really nice watch, Stephanie.
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It looks beautiful.
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Thanks, just bought it last week.
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It's the most beautiful watch that I've seen.
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The best choice ever, right?
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It might look cool a bit, but it's not as good as I thought.
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The quality is worse than I thought.
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It's definitely better than mine.
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To be honest, my watch is the cheapest one that I found in the shop.
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It looks nice though.
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Wow, look.
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Oh, he is my god.
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Wait a minute.
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Ugh, I know him.
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That's Robert.
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He's the most famous guy in the school.
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He's pretty handsome.
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He's definitely the most handsome guy that I've seen in the school.
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He's more handsome than my old boyfriend too.
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Yeah, he's also one of the richest guys in our school.
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Look at his watch.
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My goodness, that's the most luxurious watch that I've ever seen.
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It's pretty ostentatious, isn't it?
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Yeah, look at his shoes.
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Is that the most well-known brand, isn't it?
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He's my best man.
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I'm enamored with him.
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No way, you wish.
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He's got so many wonderful presents for girls in the school and other schools.
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He's considered to be the most popular boy and the most loved one.
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He has many friends, both guys and girls.
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I think he's the most easygoing person.
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Oh no, he's gone.
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Come on, we have to go to the canteen and get something to eat.
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Handsome guy can't eat.
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Food is our love.
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I'm so hungry.
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I could eat a horse. So am I.
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Let's go now.
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Dialogue 3 Jacob is Matt's new neighbor and he is a new student who recently transferred to Matt's school.
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While the teacher gives comments on the midterm test, Matt and Jacob secretly discuss the scores.
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Keep working.
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You're getting better, David.
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You have the highest score in our class.
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Do you know who that is?
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That's Sakamoto David.
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He's the most intelligent student in our class.
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Really?
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You mean he's more intelligent than you?
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Yes, he's always been my strongest opponent in the class.
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I have to admit one thing, that he studied harder than me, so his marks are better than mine.
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To sum up, you're worse than him.
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Just because I have many friends, I don't have time to study.
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Oh, he's pretty handsome too.
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He's more handsome than you are too.
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Aye, stop it right away.
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That's my pain.
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I'm just kidding.
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He's not as sociable as me.
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He doesn't have too many friends.
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He's quieter and more sensitive than me.
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I'm the friendliest person.
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We're different, okay?
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Whatever you say is true.
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Who's the boy next to him?
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The guy that's talking to him.
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Oh, that's John Nick.
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He's the most talented badminton player in our school.
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He represented the school in many big competitions and won high prizes.
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He's considered the honor of the school.
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I think he's more outstanding than David, isn't he?
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Yeah, he's considered to be the most famous boy in the school.
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He's taller than David, so he's more attractive than David.
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Yeah, his hairstyle is more fashionable than David.
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Goodbye, class.
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Goodbye, teacher.
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Oh, it's finished.
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Yes, bye.
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See you tomorrow.
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Yep, talk to you later.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice the use of comparatives and superlatives in English through a dialogue set in a supermarket. The conversation between Mary and Kate not only highlights how to compare items but also emphasizes making choices based on preferences and characteristics such as size, taste, and price. By actively listening and speaking along with the dialogue, you will enhance your English speaking practice and gain confidence in using comparative and superlative forms naturally in conversation.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • Better - the comparative form of good, used to compare two items.
  • Best - the superlative form of good, used to describe the top item in a group.
  • More expensive - a comparative phrase to indicate higher price.
  • Bigger - the comparative form of big, indicating a greater size.
  • Cheaper - a comparative form referring to lower price.
  • Tastier - the comparative form of tasty, indicating better flavor.
  • Healthier - the comparative form of healthy, used to describe better nutritional value.
  • Fresher - the comparative form of fresh, often used for food items.

Practice Tips

To effectively use the shadowing technique, listen to the conversation attentively and repeat each line after the speakers. This will help you with pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm. Since this dialogue is conversational and at a moderate pace, you can use a shadow speak approach by first listening and then mimicking Mary and Kate’s dialogue. When you practice, pay attention to the differences in speech when using comparatives, like “better” versus “best,” which can alter the emphasis in conversation.

Consider using a shadowing app that allows you to slow down the dialogue if necessary. Practice regularly to reinforce the vocabulary and phrases. This will not only improve your speaking skills but will also prepare you to engage in everyday conversations where these comparative terms are essential. Remember, the goal is to make the language feel natural to you. Happy practicing!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.