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    Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

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    christideivi
    The document discusses how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in English. It explains that comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives compare one thing to a group. Regular adjectives form the comparative with -er and the superlative with -est, while some irregular adjectives have unique forms for the comparative and superlative degrees.

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    Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

    Uploaded by

    christideivi
    4 views5 pages
    The document discusses how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in English. It explains that comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives compare one thing to a group. Regular adjectives form the comparative with -er and the superlative with -est, while some irregular adjectives have unique forms for the comparative and superlative degrees.

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    Comparative and superlative adjectives

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    The document discusses how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in English. It explains that comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives compare one thing to a group. Regular adjectives form the comparative with -er and the superlative with -est, while some irregular adjectives have unique forms for the comparative and superlative degrees.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    4 views5 pages

    Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

    Uploaded by

    christideivi
    The document discusses how to form comparative and superlative adjectives in English. It explains that comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlative adjectives compare one thing to a group. Regular adjectives form the comparative with -er and the superlative with -est, while some irregular adjectives have unique forms for the comparative and superlative degrees.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 5

    COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE

    ADJECTIVES

    We use a comparative adjective to express how two people or things are different, and we
    use a superlative adjective to show how one person or thing is different to all the others
    of its kind.
    For example, Mick is taller than Jack. Mick is the tallest person in the family.

    Comparative adjectives
    Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between the two objects they
    modify (larger, smaller, faster, higher). They are used in sentences where two nouns are
    compared, in this pattern:

    Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

    The second item of comparison can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final example
    below).

    Examples:

    • My house is larger than hers.


    • This box is smaller than the one I lost.
    • Your dog runs faster than Jim's dog.
    • The rock flew higher than the roof.
    • Jim and Jack are both my friends, but I like Jack better. ("than Jim" is understood)

    Superlative adjectives
    Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit
    of a quality (the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences
    where a subject is compared to a group of objects.

    Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (object).

    The group that is being compared with can be omitted if it is clear from the context (final
    example below).

    Examples

    • My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.


    • This is the smallest box I've ever seen.
    • Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.

    Forming regular comparatives and superlatives


    Forming comparatives and superlatives is easy. The form depends on the number
    of syllables in the original adjective.

    One syllable adjectives


    Add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative. If the adjective has a
    consonant + single vowel + consonant spelling, the final consonant must be
    doubled before adding the ending.

    Adjective Comparative Superlative

    tall taller tallest

    fat fatter fattest

    big bigger biggest


    Adjective Comparative Superlative

    sad sadder saddest

    Two syllables
    Adjectives with two syllables can form the comparative either by adding -er or by
    preceeding the adjective with more. These adjectives form the superlative either by
    adding -est or by preceeding the adjective with most. In many cases, both forms are
    used, although one usage will be more common than the other. If you are not sure
    whether a two-syllable adjective can take a comparative or superlative ending,
    play it safe and use more and most instead. For adjectives ending in y, change the y
    to an i before adding the ending.

    Adjective Comparative Superlative

    happy happier happiest

    simple simpler simplest

    busy busier busiest

    tilted more tilted most tilted

    tangled more tangled most tangled

    Three or more syllables


    Adjectives with three or more syllables form the comparative by putting more in
    front of the adjective, and the superlative by putting most in front.
    Adjective Comparative Superlative

    important more important most important

    expensive more expensive most expensive

    Irregular comparatives and superlatives


    These very common adjectives have completely irregular comparative and
    superlative forms.

    Adjective Comparative Superlative

    good better best

    bad worse worst

    little less least

    much more most

    far further / farther furthest / farthest

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