ComparativeandSuperlativeAdjectives

Weusecomparativeadjectivestocomparetwopeopleorthings.
Weusesuperlativeadjectivestocompareapersonorthingwithanumberofotherpeopleorthings.

Shortadjectives
(Onesyllableandmost
twosyllableadjectives)
Longadjectives
Irregularadjectives

Adjective
strong

Comparative(+than)
stronger

Superlative
thestrongest

severe
painful

moresevere
morepainful

good
bad

better
worse

themostsevere
themostpainful

thebest
theworst

Examples:
Mybackacheismorepainfultodaythanyesterday.
IfeelbetternowthanIdidthismorning.
Thesepainkillersaremilderthanthose.
Lastnightthepainwasmoreseverethanthismorning.

Tomakeacomparativestronger,weoftenusemuchoralot.
Example:Youlookmuchbettertoday.

Theoppositeofmoreisless.
Example:Itsmuchlesssorethanyesterday,thanks.

Theoppositeofthemostistheleast.
Example:Thisistheleastserioustypeoffracture.

Wecanusemoreandlesswithanountotalkaboutquantity.
Example:TheyhavemorebedsintheCityHospital.

Weusesuperlativestocomparesomethingtoallotherthingsofthesametype.
Example:Thisisthestrongestpainkilleravailablewithoutaprescription.

Wecanusemostwithanountotalkaboutalargeproportionofsomething.
Example:Mostwomenchoosetohavepainreliefwhengivingbirth.

I.
Usetheadjectivesinthetableabovetocompletethepatientsdescriptionsoftheirpain.

1. Italwaysbeginswithapainontheleftsideofmyhead,whichgetsstrongerand1_______________________
andthenIstarttofeelnauseous.Ihavetotakepainkillersandliedowninadarkenedroom.Istartto
feel2_______________________afteraboutanhourorsoandbythenextdayImgenerally3_________________.
Formethe4________________________caseeverlastedforseventytwohours.Onascaleofnoughttoten,
itsaten.Its5______________________painIknow.

2. Igetthispainallaroundmyforeheadandbehindmycheekbones.Theproblemis1_____________________
whenIhaveacold,soitsworseinthewinterthanthesummer,butthe2___________________________was
lastyearwhenIwaspregnant.Ifindthe3______________________treatmentisanasalspray,butIalsofeel
4________________________ifIuseawarmfacepack.

II.
Putthesewordsinordertomakesentencesthatpatientscanusetodescribehowtheir
painchanges.
1. pain/The/much/is/now/better
2. better/I/today/feel
3. than/worse/yesterday/Its
4. myleg/worse/in/is/The/much/pain

III.

Lookattheinformationaboutthesethreepainkillers.Completethesentences,thenwrite
threemoreofyourown.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Nuradeine
Ibroxen
Solpafen

Effective

Cost

Sideeffects

Nuradeineismuch_____________________________________(effective)thanIbroxen.
Ibroxenis_________________________________(cheap)thanNuradeine.
Ibroxenhas____________________________________(sideeffects)thanNuradeine.
Nuradeineis________________________________________(effective).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________.