COMPARATIVE & SUPERLATIVE RULES
Rule: Adjective: Comparative: Superlative:
For adjectives with one tall taller the tallest
syllable, add -er for the light lighter the lightest
comparative and -est for neat neater the neatest
the superlative. Her writing is neater than mine. He’s the tallest boy in my class.
For adjectives ending with nice nicer the nicest
‘e’, add -r for the cute cuter the cutest
comparative and -st for wide wider the widest
the superlative. My dog is cuter than your dog. Max is the nicest person I know.
For adjectives ending big bigger the biggest
consonant-vowel- hot hotter the hottest
consonant, double the fat fatter the fattest
consonant and add -er for Spain is hotter than France. Whales are the biggest mammals.
the comparative and -est
for the superlative.
For adjectives ending with happy happier the happiest
‘y’ drop the ‘y’ and add -ier silly sillier the silliest
for the comparative and - lonely lonelier the loneliest
iest for the superlative. I’m happier now than I was then. That’s the silliest joke I’ve heard.
For adjectives with two modern more modern the most modern
syllables or more (not interesting more interesting the most interesting
ending in ‘y’), use more beautiful more beautiful the most beautiful
before the adjective for Rap is more modern than jazz. Paris is the most beautiful city.
the comparative and most
before the superlative.
There are some irregular good better the best
adjectives which have bad worse the worst
very different comparative far further/farther the furthest/farthest
little less the least
and superlative forms.
many more the most
They are very common, so
make sure you study My result is worse than your one. Caroline is my best friend.
them.
There are a small group of clever cleverer / more clever the cleverest / most clever
adjectives which have two gentle gentler / more gentle the gentlest / most gentle
possible comparative and friendly friendlier / more friendly the friendliest / most friendly
quiet quieter / more quiet the quietest / most quiet
superlative forms. Make
simple simpler / more simple the simplest / most simple
sure you study them.
Dave is friendlier /more friendly Dave is the cleverest / most clever
than John. boy in the class.
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Using Comparatives: Using Superlatives:
We usually use ‘than’ with comparatives. We use ‘the’ before superlatives because there can only
be one tallest, smallest, cheapest, etc.
Dave is taller than John.
Dave is tall but John is taller. We can also use a possessive adjective instead of ‘the’.
Ben is more intelligent than Frank. Tom is the tallest boy in the class.
Josie is my best friend.
Less & Least: Making Comparisons using ‘as + adjective + as’:
‘Less’ is the opposite of ‘more’. We use ‘as + adjective + as’ to say two things are the
same. We don’t change the form of the adjective here.
There are less students in the class today than there
were yesterday. Mark is as old as Ross.
(There were more students in the class yesterday than (Mark and Ross are the same age)
today)
We can also use the ‘not as + adjective + as’
‘Least’ is the opposite of ‘most’.
John is not as old as Michael.
History was my least favourite subject in school.
(John is younger than Michael)
(I preferred all the other subjects that I studied)
T ry ou r o ther Study A ids!
• Irregular Verbs Charts
• Tenses Charts
• Articles Rules: a, an & the
• 50 Common Phrasal Verbs
• Pronunciation: -ed endings
• Pronunciation: Silent Letters
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