Comparative and Superlative Adjective
Comparative and Superlative Adjective
Comparative and Superlative Adjective
Adjective
BASICS
Adjectives can compare two things or more than two things. When we make
these comparisons, we use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.
Comparatives
One way to describe nouns (people, objects, animals, etc.) is by comparing them
to something else. When comparing two things, you’re likely to use adjectives
like smaller, bigger, taller, more interesting, and less expensive. Notice the -er
ending, and the words more and less. A mistake that both native speakers and
non-native speakers make is using incorrectly formed comparative adjectives.
See the sentences below for an illustration of this common error:
His cat is more large than my dog.
His cat is larger than my dog.
● For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change the -y to -i and add -er.
These simple rules make it easy to tell when you should add -er or -ier and when
you should use “more + adjective.”
Notice the spelling change for adjectives ending in -y: the comparative ends in
-ier.
This book is boringer than the last on
This book is more boring than the last one.
Advertising pressures women to be more thin .
Advertising pressures women to be thinner .
Superlatives
When comparing more than two things, you’ll likely use words and phrases like
smallest, biggest, tallest, most interesting, and least interesting. Notice the -est
ending and the words most and least. Make sure you use the proper ending or
superlative adjective when forming these superlatives. The examples below
illustrate the correct form:
Martha is the elder of the four sisters.
If there were only two sisters, we could use the comparative elder here. Because
there are four sisters, we need a superlative.
Martha is the eldest of the four sisters.
Remember that adjectives ending in -y change their spelling when -est is added.
To form these superlatives, change the y to an i before adding the -est ending, as
illustrated below:
That is the sleepyest puppy of the litter.
That is the sleepiest puppy of the litter.
Forming Comparative and Superlatives of Irregular
Adjectives
It’s important to note that there are irregular adjectives (and adverbs) that you
have to memorize because they don’t follow the rules above. They are:
Adjective/Adve Comparativ
Superlative
rb e
good/well Better Best
bad/badly Worse Worst
farther, the farthest, the
far
further furthest
little Less Least
Here are some examples of these irregular words as comparatives and
superlatives in context:
Today I had the best time touring the city.
I went farther than my friend when we walked around the park.
You dance better than I do.
You bought the least attractive pair of moccasins at the thrift store.
He can run the farthest of his classmates, but that’s only once around the track.
I do badly in math, but at least I’m not the worst .
ACTIVITY
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