COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES
SOME RULES ABOUT FORMING COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES • One sy syll llab able le ad adje jecti ctive vess ge gener neral ally ly fo form rm th the e comparative by adding -er and the superlative by adding -est -est,, e.g.:
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Soft
Softer
The softest
Cheap
Cheaper
The ch chea eappest
Sweet
Sweeter
The sweet ete est
Thin
Thinner
The thinnes estt
SPELLING RULES • Note Note th that at if a one one sy syll llab able le ad adje ject ctiv ive e end endss in in a single vowel letter followed by a single consonant letter, the consonant letter is doubled, e.g.: thin thinner, big biggest. →
→
• If an adj adjec ecti tive ve end endss in in -e, -e, thi thiss is is rem remov oved ed wh when en adding -er/-est, e.g.: wide wider/widest. →
• If an adj adjec ecti tive ve end endss in in a con conso sona nant nt fol follo lowe wed d by by -y, -y, -y is replaced by -i when adding -er/-est, e.g.: dry drier/driest. →
TWO SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES • two two syl sylla labl ble e ad adje ject ctiv ives es wh whic ich h end end in -y usually form the compar comparative ative by adding adding -er -er and the the superlative by adding -est, (note the change of y to -i in the comparative/ comparative/superlative) superlative) e.g.:
Adjective
Comparative
superlative
Lucky
luckier
The Th e lu luck ckie iesst
Pretty
Prettier
The Th e pr pret ettties estt
Tidy
Tidier
The tidiest
TWO SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES • two two syl sylla labl ble e adj adjec ecti tive vess en endi ding ng in -ed, ing, -ful, or -less always form the comparative with more and the superlative with the most, most, e.g.: Adjective
Comparative superlative
Worried
More worried
The most worried
Boring
More boring
The most boring
Careful
More careful
The most careful
Useless
More useless
The most useless
THREE SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES •
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Adject Adje ctiv ives es whi which ch hav have e thre three e or mo more re syl sylla labl bles es alw alway ayss form form the the comparative and superlative with MORE and THE MOST , e.g.: Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
Dangerous
More dangerous
The Th e mos ostt da danngero rous us
Difficult
More difficult
The Th e mos ostt di difffic icul ultt
The onl onlyy exce excepti ptions ons are som some e thre three e syll syllabl able e adje adjecti ctives ves whic which h have have been formed by adding the prefix -un to another adjective, especially those formed from an adjective ending in -y. These adjectives can form comparatives and superlatives by using more/most or adding -er/-est, e.g.: unhapp unh appyy – un unhap happie pierr – the unhapp unhappies iest/ t/ the the most most unhappy unhappy
IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
Good
Better
The best
Bad
Worse
The worst
Far
Farther/further
The farthest/furthest
USE OF COMPARATIVES • Compa Comparat rativ ives es ar are e very very co comm mmon only ly fo foll llow owed ed by than and a pronoun or noun group, in order to describe who the other person or thing involved in the comparison is, e.g.: • John is ta tallle lerr than me. • I thi think nk th that at sh she’ e’ss mor more e inte intell llig igen entt tha thann her her sister.
OTHER USES OF COMPARATIVES •
Comp Co mpara arati tive vess are are oft often en qu quali alifi fied ed by usi using ng wor words ds and and ph phra rase sess such such as mu much ch,, a lot, far, a bit/little, slightly etc., e.g.: You should go by train, it would be much cheaper. Could you be a bit quieter? I’m feeling a lot better.
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Do you have one that’s slightly bigger? Twoo com Tw compa para rati tive vess can can be co cont ntra rast sted ed by pl plac acin ingg the before them, indicating that a change in one quality is linked to a change in another, e.g.:
The smaller the gift, the easier it is to send. The more stressed you are, the worse it is for your health. •
Two com compara parative tivess can can als alsoo be be link linked ed wit with h and and to to show show a cont continu inuing ing inc increas rease e in a particular quality, e.g.: – Th The e se seaa wa wass ge getti tting ng ro roug ughe herr and ro roug ughe her. r. – He Herr ill illne ness ss wa wass bec becom omin ingg wor worse se an and d wor worse se.. – He bec becam ame e more more an and d more more tir tired ed as as the the week weekss wen wentt by
USE OF SUPERLATIVES •
Like comp Like compara arativ tives, es, sup superl erlati atives ves can be pl place aced d befo before re nou nouns ns in the attributive position, or occur after be and other link verbs, e.g.: – the mo most st del delic iciou iouss choc chocola olate te cake cake I’ I’ve ve eve everr eate eatenn – Ann nnab abel el wa wass th the e yo youung nge est – Thi hiss re rest stau aura rannt is is the the best
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As sho shown wn in the sec second ond two exa exampl mples, es, sup superl erlati atives ves are of often ten use used d on their own if it is clear what or who is being compared. If you want to be specific about what you are comparing, you can do this with a noun, or a phrase beginning with in or of, e.g.: – Anna Annabe bell wa wass th the e yo youn unge gest st ch chil ild d – An Anna nabe bell was was th the e yo youn unge gest st of th the e ch chil ildre drenn – Th This is re rest stau aura rant nt is th the e bes bestt in in to town wn..
THE OPPOSITES OF COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVES • we use the forms less (the opposite of comp co mpar arat ativ ive e mo more re), ), and the least (the opposite of sup uper erla lati tivve the most). • Less is used to indicate that something or someone s omeone does not have as much of a particular par ticular quality as someone or something else, e.g.:
– This This so sofa fa is le less ss co comf mfor orta tabl ble. e. – I’ I’ve ve aalw lway ayss been been les lesss pati patien entt than than my my sist sister er.. • The least is used to indicate that something or someone has less of a quality than any other person or thing of its kind, e.g.:
– It’s It’s th the e lea least st ex expe pens nsiv ive e way way to to tra trave vel. l. – She was the le least ast int intel ellig ligen entt of the thr three ee sist sisters ers..
