Lesson 4: Comparatives and Superlatives Adjectives

Adjectives Comparative and Superlative

Comparative and superlative of adjectives is very similar to comparative and superlative of adverbs. In the same way, they have three forms of comparison: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative We can think of the Positive as the first degree. Then the Comparative is the second degree and the Superlative is the third degree. The principal difference between Comparative and Superlative is that you can only compare two things in Comparative but three or more things in Superlative. Look at the following rules:

Comparatives

Rules 1. For one-syllable adjectives, add er

Examples

*For short adjectives ending in consonant/vowel/consonant the last consonant must be doubled.

old --- older fat --- fatter

easy --- easier pretty --- prettier dirty --- dirtier

2. For two-syllable adjectives ending in y, replace the y with an "i" and then add er

3. For two or more-syllable adjectives put the word more or less before the adjective. * We can also use er with some two-syllable adjectives like: clever, quiet, simple, narrow 4. Exceptions The adjectives good and bad are exceptions and have a completely different word for the comparative

more nutritious less solid cleverer/ more clever quieter/ more quiet

good--- better bad --- worse

Tom is nicer than Mick Anne is less modern than Sue Bob is more friendly than Jim

We use than after the adjective when we mention the two things we are comparing.

LINGUAPUNCTURE

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Lesson 4: Comparatives and Superlatives Adjectives

Superlatives

Rules 1. For one syllable adjectives, add est

Examples

*For short adjectives ending in consonant/vowel/consonant the last consonant must be doubled.

rich - the richest clean the cleanest fat --- the fattest

angry --- the angriest heavy --- the heaviest famous the most famous

2. For two syllable adjectives ending in y, replace the y with an "i"and then add -iest

the most comfortable the least expensive the most stupid the narrowest/the most narrow the simplest/the most simple

3. For two or more syllable adjectives put the words the most or the least before the adjective. *We can also use est with some two-syllable adjectives, such as: clever, quiet, simple, narrow

good -------better good ------ (the)best bad---------worse bad ------- (the)worst

Exceptions The adjectives good and bad are exceptions and have a completely different word for the comparative and superlative

*Note: We usually put the before the adjective in superlative. Examples: John is the best player in the team. These are the most comfortable shoes I have

COMPARATIVE OF EQUALS
AS...AS/NOT AS...AS

The structure AS + adjective + AS is used to say that two things that are being compared are the same.

NOT AS + adjective + AS is used to say that the two things being compared are not the same. Ex.: Anne is AS elegant AS Cindy. (they are equally elegant) Bob is AS arrogant AS Mike. (they are equally arrogant ) Cindy is NOT AS careful AS Anne. (Cindy is less careful than Anne) Mike is NOT AS handsome AS Bob. (Mike is less handsome that Bob)

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