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Concert cancellations due to severe weather

Level
a2
Topic
culture

Read this at a different level:b2

My friend Cassie loves Ed Sheeran. She bought tickets for his Friday show in Massachusetts. She was so excited. The concert was more important to her than anything that week.

Then she got bad news. The Friday show was cancelled. The Saturday show was also cancelled. Storm warnings made the concerts too dangerous. Cassie was sadder than I expected. She called me and talked for a long time.

Cassie said the weather was much worse than usual. Strong storms came to the area. The organisers made a difficult decision. They stopped both shows because of the storm warnings. Cassie understood the reason, but she was still very disappointed.

Now Cassie is waiting for new dates. She still has her tickets. She says a rescheduled concert is better than no concert. I think she is right. I hope Ed Sheeran comes back to Massachusetts soon.

Highlighted sentences show the grammar focus structure.

Key Vocabulary

  • ticket

    /ˈtɪkɪt/

    A small piece of paper or card that shows you have paid to enter a place or travel somewhere.

    I bought a train ticket at the station before the journey.

  • cancel

    /ˈkænsəl/

    To decide that something that was planned will not happen.

    The teacher cancelled the class because she was sick.

  • disappointed

    /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/

    Feeling sad because something you hoped for did not happen.

    The children were disappointed when it rained on their picnic day.

  • storm

    /stɔːrm/

    Very bad weather with strong wind, heavy rain, and sometimes thunder and lightning.

    We stayed inside all day because of the big storm outside.

  • reschedule

    /riːˈskɛdʒuːl/

    To plan something again for a different time because the first time was cancelled or changed.

    The doctor rescheduled my appointment for next Tuesday.

Grammar Spotlight

Comparatives — -er than / more ... than

adjective + -er than / more + adjective + than

When do we use it?

  • Use comparatives to show that one person, thing, or event is different from another — bigger, better, more exciting, etc.
  • Use 'than' after the comparative to introduce what you are comparing to.
  • Use comparatives when two things are not equal — one is higher, lower, stronger, or more important than the other.

How is it formed?

short adjective + -er than+more + long adjective + than

Short adjectives (1–2 syllables): add -er. Long adjectives (3+ syllables): use 'more'.

★Short? Add -er. Long? Use more. Always add than!

See it in action

  1. The Saturday show was more important than the Friday show to Cassie.

  2. Ed Sheeran's concerts are more exciting than a normal weekend.

  3. The storm warning was stronger than anyone expected.

  4. Getting a new ticket was harder than Cassie thought.

Remember this

✗The concert was more important than anything. → 'more importanter'
✓The concert was more important than anything.

Never use both 'more' AND '-er' together. Choose one rule: 'more' for long adjectives, '-er' for short ones.

✗The Saturday show was more big than the Friday show.
✓The Saturday show was bigger than the Friday show.

'Big' is a short adjective, so use '-er' (bigger), not 'more big'.

✗Cassie was more sad that the concert was cancelled.
✓Cassie was sadder that the concert was cancelled.

One-syllable adjectives like 'sad' take '-er'. Remember to double the final consonant: sad → sadder.

Discussion Questions

  1. 1.

    Did you ever buy a ticket for a concert, a sports event, or a show? What was it for?

  2. 2.

    What do people in your country do when bad weather cancels an outdoor event? Do they get angry, or do they understand?

  3. 3.

    Who is your favourite singer or musician? Would you like to see them perform live one day?

Comprehension Questions

  1. 1.

    Why were the concerts cancelled?

  2. 2.

    What did Cassie do after she heard the bad news?

  3. 3.

    Where was Ed Sheeran's concert?

  4. 4.

    How many shows were cancelled?

View answers for the comprehension questions
  1. 1.The concerts were cancelled because of storm warnings. The strong storms made the concerts too dangerous.
  2. 2.Cassie called her friend and talked for a long time.
  3. 3.The concert was in Massachusetts.
  4. 4.Two shows were cancelled — the Friday show and the Saturday show.

Test your knowledge

Question 1Fill-in-the-blank

She showed her ____ at the door and walked into the cinema.

Question 2Fill-in-the-blank

The meeting was moved because they had to ____ it to next week.

Question 3Fill-in-the-blank

The school had to ____ the outdoor sports day because of heavy rain.

Question 4Fill-in-the-blank

She was very ____ when her favourite team lost the game.

View answers for test your knowledge
  1. 1.ticket
  2. 2.reschedule
  3. 3.cancel
  4. 4.disappointed

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