KINDS OF DEGREE

OF COMPARISON
POSITIVE DEGREE
COMPARATIVE
DEGREE
SUPERLATIVE
DEGREE

POSITIVE
DEGREE

S+ V+ the+
most+ adj+ N
Oxford is the
most expensive
book.
She is the most
beautiful girl in

S+ V+ the+
Irregular adj+

He is the best
lecturer in this
COMPARATIV
university.

E DEGREE

SUPERLATIVE
DEGREE

Degree of Comparison

1. Adjectives of one syllable

Adjectives of one syllable
add -er and -est.
Adjectives ending on 'e' just
add -r and -st.
Some adjectives double the
final consonant.

Comparat Superla
Adjective
ive
tive
small
smaller smallest
warm
warmer warmest
old
older
oldest
nice
nicer
nicest
big
bigger
biggest

2. Adjectives of two
syllables
Some adjectives of two syllables add
-er and -est.
For adjectives ending in 'y cut y
then add -ier and -iest.
Adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -ing,
-ed use more and most.
Some other adjectives of two syllables
use more and most (modern, famous,
normal, correct, ...).

Adjecti
Comparative Super
ve
narrow
narrower
narro
happy
happier
happ
useful
more useful
most u
boring more boring
most b
modern more modern most m

3. Adjectives of three or
more syllables

Adjectives of three or more syllables

use more and most.

Adjecti
Comparative Super
ve
beautifu
mo
more beautiful
l
beau
more
dangero
mo
dangerous
us
dange
more exciting
exciting
most e

Appearance

Condition

Feelings (B

Adjectives

Adjectives

Adjectives

adorable
beautiful
clean
elegant
glamorous
handsome
long
magnificent
old-fashioned
sparkling
ugly

alive
better
careful
clever
dead
easy
famous

angry
helpless
jealous

mysterious
nervous
worried

helpful
important
powerful
rich
wrong

Appearance

Condition

Feelings (B

Adjectives

Adjectives

Adjectives

adorable

alive

angry

beautiful

better

helpless

clean

careful

jealous

elegant

clever

mysterious

glamorous

dead

nervous

handsome

easy

worried

long

famous

magnificent

helpful

old-fashioned

important

sparkling

powerful

ugly

rich
wrong

Feelings (Good)

Shape Adjectives Size Adjectives Sound Adje

Adjectives

broad

big

cooing

agreeable

chubby

colossal

deafening

brave

crooked

fat

faint

calm

curved

gigantic

hissing

delightful

deep

great

loud

eager

flat

huge

melodic

faithful

high

immense

noisy

gentle

hollow

large

purring

happy

low

little

quiet

jolly

narrow

mammoth

raspy

kind

round

massive

screeching

lively

shallow

miniature

thundering

nice

skinny

petite

voiceless

obedient

square

puny

whispering

proud

steep

scrawny

relieved

straight

short

silly

wide

small

thankful

tall

victorious

teeny

witty

teeny-tiny

zealous

tiny

Time Adjectives

Taste/Touch

cold

Quantity

ancient

Adjectives

cool

Adjectives

brief

bitter

creepy

abundant

early

delicious

crooked

empty

fast

fresh

cuddly

few

late

greasy

curly

full

long

juicy

damaged

heavy

modern

hot

damp

light

old

icy

dirty

many

old-fashioned

loose

dry

numerous

quick

melted

dusty

sparse

rapid

nutritious

filthy

substantial

short

prickly

flaky

slow

rainy

fluffy

swift

rotten

freezing

young

salty

hot

sticky

warm

strong

wet

sweet
tart
tasteless
uneven
weak
wet

4. Irregular adjectives
You will have to memorize these.
Adjective

Comparative

Sup

good (well)
better
b
bad
worse
w
little
less
le
much,
more
m
many
farther,
far
far
further
last,
late
later
older,
old
older, elder