English Grammar and Exercises for ESL learners.

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used to

compare two things or people to each other.
A bus is bigger than a car.
Bill is older than Harry.

Superlative adjectives are used to compare

one member of a group to the whole group.
We use the with a superlative adjective.
The Nile is the longest river in the world.
In our class Maria is the oldest and Charlie
is the youngest.

FORMATION

Adject Comparativ
Form Superlative
ive e
One syllable : long longer than the longest
(add : -er / nice nicer than the nicest
-est) hot hotter than the hottest

Two or more famou more famou the most fa

syllables : s s than mous
(add: more- interes less interest the least int
less/most- ting ing than eresting
least
practic more practic the most pr
before the
al al than actical
adjective)

Two syllables
funny funnier than the funniest
ending in -y :
(the 'y' bec easy easier than the easiest
omes 'i'
happier the
before -er/- happy
than happiest
est)

Irregular
good better than the best
Adjectives :
bad worse than the worst
much/ more than the most
 many
little less than the least
the
farther/furth
far farthest/furt
er than
hest

N.B. : Adjectives ending with a vowel and a

consonant double the consonant
big - bigger - biggest
except when the consonant is 'w' or 'y' :
new - newer - newest.