Comparisons of

adjectives
3rd Year – Miss Vane
Comparisons of adjectives
The comparative form of an adjective is commonly used to
compare two people, things, or states, when you want to say
that one thing has a larger or smaller amount of a quality than
another.
• If the second part of the comparison is mentioned it follows than.
Anna is taller than Mary but Mary is older.
Emma is much slimmer than when I last saw her.
Online learning is less expensive than conventional college courses.

• Comparison in which you are considering whether two people or things are
equal is shown by using as…as in the affirmative and not as…as or not
so…as in the negative.
Helen is as tall as Linda, but not as strong.
Superlative of adjectives
The superlative form is used for more than two people, things, or states,
when one thing has qualities that exceed all the others. Superlative
adjectives have the in front of them, but it can be omitted in predicative
positions.

That is the smallest camera I have ever seen.

He gave the least expensive gift to his sister.
I’ll have whichever is (the) ripest.
Spelling Rules
There are two ways in which the comparative and superlative
forms of adjectives are formed:
• You add -er (comparative) or -est (superlative) to the adjective.
Adjectives with one syllable usually take these endings.
comparative superlative
bright brighter the brightest
long longer the longest
sharp sharper the sharpest

• If the word already ends in -e, the -e must be left off. If a word ends in -y, it
usually takes -er or -est, and the -y changes to -i.
comparative superlative
wise wiser the wisest
pretty prettier the prettiest
weary wearier the weariest
 • You add the word more or most in front of the adjective. Adjectives with
three syllables or more use more or most in front of the adjective.
comparative superlative
fortunate more fortunate the most fortunate
relevant more relevant the most relevant

• Adjectives formed from participles use more or most as well.

comparative superlative
provoking more provoking the most provoking
enthralled more enthralled the most enthralled

• To indicate the opposite of both the -er/-est and the more/most forms of
comparison, less or least is always used.
comparative superlative
sharp less sharp the least sharp
fortunate less fortunate the least fortunate
interesting less interesting the least interesting
involved less involved the least involved
• Adjectives with two syllables (including those that already end in -er) can follow
either pattern or sometimes both patterns. If you are doubtful about a two-
syllable adjective, use the more/most pattern.

comparative superlative
shallower the shallowest
shallow
more shallow the most shallow
politer the politest
polite
more polite the most polite

• A small group of irregular adjectives have quite different forms for the
comparative and superlative forms.

comparative superlative
good better the best
bad worse the worst
far Further/farther the furthest/farthest
many/much more The most
few/little less The least