ADJECTIVES: COMPARATIVES AND
SUPERLATIVES
We use adjectives to describe nouns. In english, most adjectives can be used
in front of a noun:
They have a beautiful house.
We saw a very exciting film last night.
Or after a link verb like be, look or feel:
Their house is beautiful.
That film looks interesting.
To make the comparative form of adjectives (like 'bigger' or 'more
expensive') and the superlative form (like 'biggest' or 'the most expensive'),
first we need to know how many syllables are in the adjective (short/long
adjectives).
1. COMPARATIVES
We use comparative adjectives to show change or make comparisons.
There are 3 types of comparatives: equality, inferiority and superiority.
1.1. EQUALITY:
It is formed with the adjective located between the construction "AS ... AS"
for affirmative and interrogative sentences and "NOT AS ... AS" for negative
sentences.
I'm as young as you (soy tan joven como tú)
Am I as young as you? (¿soy tan joven como tú?)
I'm not as young as you (no soy tan joven como tú)
1.2. INFERIORITY:
It is formed with the adjective located between the construction "LESS +
adjective + THAN".
He's less young than you / Él es menos joven que tú
They are less smart than you / Ellos son menos inteligentes que
tú
1.3. SUPERIORITY:
There are 3 different ways to build the comparative degree in English
depending on how many syllables are in the adjective:
- Adding "-er" to the adjective:
COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE (-ER) + THAN
- Preposing the particle "more" to the adjective:
MORE + ADJECTIVE + THAN
- With an irregular form: better than, worse than...
A) COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVE (-ER) + THAN
• ONE SYLLABLE ADJECTIVE:
- Generally, we add -er to the adjective:
Small – smaller
- If the adjective ends in -e, we add -R:
Large – larger
- If it ends in consonant+vowel+consonant and the strong syllable is the
last one, we double the last consonant before adding -er.
Big – bigger
• TWO SYLLABLES ADJECTIVES:
- If it ends in -er, -le and -ow we add -ER too.
Clever - cleverer
Narrow - narrower
- If it ends in consonant + y, we change “y” into “i” and we add -er.
Easy – easier
Happy – happier
B) MORE + ADJECTIVE + THAN
We use it with:
- Adjectives with more than 2 syllables.
My mom is more beautiful than me.
- Adjectives with 2 syllables not ending in -er, -le, -ow, -y.
I think you have to be more careful than your friend.
2. SUPERLATIVES
The superlative degree denotes the quality in the highest degree and as in
Spanish, "the" is used before the adjective.
- One syllable adjectives: -est is added to the adjective.
THE + ADJECTIVE+EST
- For adjectives of two or more syllables:
THE MOST + ADJECTIVE
- There are also irregular adjectives.
*The rules of application of one form or another of the superlative
degree (the doubling of consonants, etc.) match with those of the
comparative degree.
3. IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES
The following adjectives do not follow any specific rule. Just learn them by
heart!
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better the best
bueno mejor el mejor
bad worse the worst
malo peor el peor
little less the least
poco menos el menos
far farther/further the farthest/the furthest
lejos más lejos el más lejano
