Form

One syllable adjectives Comparative: add er (cheaper) Superlative: add est (the cheapest) One syllable adjectives ending in 'e' Comparative: add r (nicer) Superlative: add st (the nicest) One syllable adjectives ending in consonant - vowel - consonant Comparative: add consonant + er (hotter) Superlative: add consonant + est (the hottest) Two syllable adjectives ending in 'y' Comparative: replace 'y' with ier (happier) Superlative: replace 'y' with iest (the happiest) Two or more syllable adjectives Comparative: add more / less (more / less beautiful) Superlative: add the most / the least (the most / least beautiful) Irregular adjectives good - better - the best bad - worse - the worst far - further - the furthest

Functions and examples

We use comparatives to compare two things. John is thinner than Bob. It's more expensive to travel by train than by bus. My house is smaller than my friend's house. We use superlatives to compare one thing with the rest of the group it belongs to. John is the tallest in the class. He's the best football player in the team. This is the most expensive hotel I've ever stayed in.

Important points
We do not use the with the superlative if there is a possessive. His strongest point is his ambition. We use as + adjective + as to say that two things are equal in some way. He's as tall as me. Jim's car is as fast as mine.

We use not as to say that two things are not equal in some way. He's not as tall as me. Jim's car is not as fast as mine. We can modify comparatives with much, a lot, far, a little, a bit, slightly. Bob is much richer than I am. My mother's hair is slightly longer than mine. We can modify superlative with by far, easily and nearly. Mario's is by far the best restaurant in town. I'm nearly the oldest in the class. If the second part of a comparative or superlative sentence is clear from what comes before or from the context, we can omit it. Going by bus is very fast, but the train is more comfortable. We can repeat comparatives to say that something is changing. These exams are getting worse and worse every year. She gets more and more beautiful every time I see her.

3. Activity: The people in the room

Using the people in the class is a logical place to start with comparatives. A simple activity is to put students into groups of four. Tell them to make as many true sentences as they can comparing each other using the following phrases. lives close to school; has big family; young has been learning English long; gets up early; goes to bed late Set a time limit. Then ask students to read out some of their sentences. E.g. Marta lives closer to the school than Juan and Pablo.
Comparatives and Superlatives Exercise 1: Read the sentences below and then give the comparative form for each of the adjectives listed.

Tennis is a more difficult sport than Rugby. I think John is happier now than a year ago. Could you open the window, please? It's getting hotter in this room by the minute. interesting ___________ weak ___________ funny ___________ important ___________ careful ___________ big ___________ small ___________ polluted ___________

boring ___________ angry ___________

Exercise 2: Read the sentences below and then give the superlative form for each of the adjectives listed.

New York has got to be the most exciting city in the world. His biggest desire is to return home. She is probably the angriest person I know. interesting ___________ weak ___________ funny ___________ important ___________ careful ___________ big ___________ small ___________ polluted ___________ boring ___________ angry ___________

Exercise three: Choose one of the topics below and think of three examples from that topic - for example: Sports - football, basketball and surfing. Compare the three objects. Cities Sports Writers Films Inventions Cars Back to less

Introduction
Comparatives and Superlatives are special forms of adjectives. They are used to compare two or more things. Generally, comparatives are formed using er and superlatives are formed using -est. This page will explain the rules for forming regular comparatives and superlatives, and also show some basic ways of using them.

1. Forming comparatives and superlatives

How these forms are created depends on how many syllables there are in the adjective. Syllables are like sound beats. For instance, sing contains one syllable, but singing contains two sing and ing. Here are the rules:

Adjective form

Comparative

Superlative

Only one syllable, ending in E. Examples: wide, fine, cute Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end. Examples: hot, big, fat Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end. Examples: light, neat, fast Two syllables, ending in Y. Examples: happy, silly, lonely Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. Examples: modern, interesting, beautiful

Add -r: wider, finer, cuter Double the consonant, and add er: hotter, bigger, fatter

Add -st: widest, finest, cutest Double the consonant, and add est: hottest, biggest, fattest

Add -er: lighter, neater, faster

Add -est: lightest, neatest, fastest

Change y to i, then add -er: happier, sillier, lonelier Use more before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful

Change y to i, then add -est: happiest, silliest, loneliest Use most before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful

2. How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things. You can use sentences with than, or you can use a conjunction like but. Jiro is taller than Yukio. Yukio is tall, but Jiro is taller. Superlatives are used to compare more than two things. Superlative sentences usually use the, because there is only one superlative. Superlatives Masami is the tallest in the class. Yukio is tall, and Jiro is taller, but Masami is the tallest.

Comparative s

Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

One-syllable adjectives.
Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding er for the comparative form and est for the superlative.

One-Syllable Adjective tall old long

Comparative Form taller older longer

Superlative Form tallest oldest longest

Mary is taller than Max. Mary is the tallest of all the students. Max is older than John. Of the three students, Max is the oldest. My hair is longer than your hair. Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add r for the comparative form and st for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e large wise

Comparative Form larger wiser

Superlative Form largest wisest

Mary's car is larger than Max's car. Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block. Max is wiser than his brother. Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add est for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It big thin fat

Comparative Form bigger thinner fatter

Superlative Form biggest thinnest fattest

My dog is bigger than your dog. My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood. Max is thinner than John. Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest. My mother is fatter than your mother. Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

Two-syllable adjectives.
With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective peaceful pleasant careful thoughtful

Comparative Form more peaceful more pleasant more careful more thoughtful

Superlative Form most peaceful most pleasant most careful most thoughtful

This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning. Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world. Max is more careful than Mike. Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful. Jill is more thoughtful than your sister. Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with y, change the y to i and add er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add est.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending Comparative Form with -y happy angry busy

Superlative Form happiest angriest busiest

happier angrier busier

John is happier today than he was yesterday. John is the happiest boy in the world. Max is angrier than Mary. Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest. Mary is busier than Max. Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in er, -le, or ow take er and est to form the comparative and superlative forms.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow narrow gentle

Comparative Form narrower gentler

Superlative Form narrowest gentlest

The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city. This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California. Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Adjective with Three or More Syllables generous important intelligent

Comparative Form more generous more important more intelligent

Superlative Form most generous most important most intelligent

John is more generous than Jack. John is the most generous of all the people I know. Health is more important than money. Of all the people I know, Max is the most important. Women are more intelligent than men. Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.

Exceptions.
Irregular adjectives.

Irregular Adjective good bad far little many

Comparative Form better worse farther less more

Superlative Form best worst farthest least most

Italian food is better than American food. My dog is the best dog in the world. My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking. Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and with more and most.

Two-Syllable Adjective clever clever gentle gentle friendly friendly quiet quiet simple simple

Comparative Form cleverer more clever gentler more gentle friendlier more friendly quieter more quiet simpler more simple

Superlative Form cleverest most clever gentlest most gentle friendliest most friendly quietest most quiet simplest most simple

Big dogs are gentler than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest. Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs. Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

Learn English - Grammar

Degree modifiers with comparatives and superlatives
We cannot use very with comparatives. Instead we use other degree modifiers like much, far, very much, a lot, lots, any, no, rather, a little, a bit and even. She is much older than her husband. (NOT very older than ...) Is he any better? Russian is much/far more difficult than Spanish. You are no better than him. Grammar Notes Note that any, no, a bit and a lot are not normally used to modify comparatives before nouns.

There are much better shops in the city. (NOT a bit/a lot better )

Quite is not normally used with comparatives, but it is possible in the expression quite better, meaning recovered from an illness. Superlatives can be modified by much and by far, and by other adverbs of degree such as quite and almost. She is by far the oldest in the firm. He is quite the most stupid person I have ever met.

When more modifies a plural noun, it is modified by many. many more opportunities

When more modifies a singular/uncountable noun, it is modified bymuch. much more money

Posted on: 23 Apr, 2011, Post Subject: WORDS MODIFYING COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES There are some words modifying comparative and superlative forms of the adjectives and adverbs. We use these words to strenghten the meaning. Here are the ones modifying the comparatives: FAR / MUCH / MANY / A LOT / RATHER / EVEN / ANY / A BIT / A LITTLE / A FEW / SOME / CONSIDERABLY / REMARKABLY / SLIGHTLY Here are the ones modifying the superlative forms: BY FAR / QUITE / FAR AND AWAY EXAMPLES: You said to me that your handwriting is a lot / much / far / rather better than mine, but it isn't any better. It'seven worse than mine. Could you please speak a bit / a little more loudly? I have difficulty hearing you. This restaurant is slightly more expensive than that one, but its service is remarkably / considerably better. We need some more chairs for the party. I think a few more people than we expected will come. He is by far the most knowledgable man I have ever met. She is far and away the most successful sales manageress in this firm. This task is quite the hardest task I have ever taken over. PS : Some sources say "fairly" modifies the comparatives, and some say it doesn't. I wonder which one is true. PS : I wonder if there are some more modifiers for comparatives and superlatives. Thanks a lot in advance:)