EXPRESSING DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES:

EQUATIVES, COMPARATIVES,
SUPERLATIVES.

We can make comparisons using adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.

1. EQUATIVES ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS

1.1. Equality:
Subject + Verb+As + Adjective/ Adverb + As+ noun/ pronoun

Example:
Sue is tall. I am tall.
Sue is as tall as I am
Joe runs fast. Mark runs fast.
Joe runs as fast as Mark does.

- As….as can be used with adjectives and adverbs.

- A subject noun or pronoun follows the final as. The verb can be omitted:
Sue is as tall as I.
- If the verb is omitted, an object pronoun can replace the subject pronoun after the final as:
Sue is as tall as me.
- An auxiliary verb can replace the final verb, or the first verb can be repeated:
Joe runs as fast as Mark does.
Joe runs as fast as Mark runs.

*** As…as is also used in making promises:

I’ll be there as soon as I can.
I’ll work as fast as I can.

1.2 Inequality:
Subject + verb + not so/ as + adjective/ adverb + as + Noun/ pronoun

Example:
Sharon is 1.6 meter tall. George is 1.7 meter tall.
Sharon is not as tall as George.

- Sometimes it may be better to use not as…as instead of the comparative because not as…as
is more indirect and polite. Compare these two sentences:
Sharon is not as tall as George.
Sharon is shorter than George.
2. COMPARATIVES ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS:

ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS + -ER More + ADJECTIVES/ADVERBS

My sister is taller than I
My sister is taller than I am
My sister is taller than me
I run faster than he
I run faster than he does
I run faster than him
She is more patient than I
She is more patient than I am
She is more patient than me
He speaks more clearly than I
He speaks more clearly than I do
He speaks more clearly than me.

***Spelling rules for adjectives ending in –er, for irregular forms, and for when to use –er
or more (3.1-3.10)
- Than often follows comparative adjectives. If than is not used, it is still implied.
I’m older than my sister. I’m also taller, and my hair is straighter.
- Than can be followed by a subject noun or pronoun + an optional verb:
I’m older than my sister (is)
I’m older than she (is)
- If the verb in the than clause is omitted, an object pronoun can replace the subject pronoun:
I’m older than her.
- Less is also used before an adjective:
I’m less patient than my sister.
- An auxiliary verb can replace the final verb, or the first verb can be repeated when using
comparative adverbs
I run faster than he does.
I run faster than he runs

3. SUPERLATIVES ADJECTIVES and ADVERBS

THE + ADJECTIVE/ADVERB +-EST THE MOST+ ADJECTIVE/ADVERB

It’s the hardest game of all. It’s the most difficult game of all.
He works the hardest of all He works the most quickly of all

***Spelling rules for adjectives ending in –er, for irregular forms, and for when to use –er
or more (3.1-3.10)
- The definite article “the” comes before superlative adjectives or adverbs.
- Possessives can also come before superlatives:
My happiest moments
John’s funniest story
The world’s deepest lake

3.1. Add –er or –est to one-syllable adjectives and adverbs:

cheap- cheaper, the cheapest
fast- faster- the fastest.
3.2. If a one-syllable adjective or adverb ends in –e or a two-syllable adjective ends in –le, just
add –r or –st:
late-later, the latest
Simple- simpler, the simplest.
3.3. If a one-syllable adjective or adverb ends with a single vowel + consonant, double the final
consonant and add –er or –est”
big- bigger, the biggest
fat- fatter, the fattest
Do not double the final consonants x, w, and y:
low- lower, the lowest
3.4. If a two-syllable adjective ends in a consonant + y, change y to I and add –er or –est:
happy- happier, the happiest
easy- easier, the easiest
3.5. For two-syllable adjectives ending in –ous, -ish, -ful, -ed, -nt, -st, -ing, use more or the
most:
Famous- more famous, the most famous
Ticklish- more ticklish, the most ticklish
Painful- more painful, the most painful
Frightened- more frightened, the most frightened
Patient- more patient, the most patient
Honest- more honest, the most honest
Boring- more boring, the most boring
3.6. For most adverbs of two or more syllables ending in –ly, use more and most instead of –er
and –est:
Quickly- more quickly, the most quickly
Clearly- more clearly, the most clearly
Exception: early- earlier, the earliest
3.7. Add more or the most to adjectives of three or more syllables:
Beautiful- more beautiful- the most beautiful
Expensive- more expensive- the most expensive
3.8. Use either –er or more for adjectives ending in –ly, -ow, -er, -some, -ite:
Lonely- Shallow-Clever-Handsome-Polite

3.9. If you are not sure whether to use –er or more with words of two or more syllables, it is
usually correct to use more.
3.10. Some irregular comparative and superlative forms include:
 Adjective Adverb Comparative Superlative
Good Well Better The best
Bad Badly Worse The worst
Far Far Farther (distance) The farthest
Further The furthest
Little Little Less The least
Much Much More The most
Many More More The most
A lot A lot more The most

4. COMPARATIVE NOUNS, SUPERLATIVE NOUNS, The Same…AS

4.1. Comparative Nouns

This course has more students than that one does.

This course has more homework than that one does.

This course has fewer students than that one does.

This course has less homework than that one does.

- More is used with comparative count and noncount nouns.

- Fewer is used with count nouns; less is used with noncount nouns/
- Than can be followed by a subject noun or pronoun + an optional verb. If the verb is
omitted, an object pronoun can replace the subject pronoun:
Matt has more homework than Lisa (does)
Matt has more homework than she (does)
Matt has more homework than her.
- An auxiliary can replace the final verb, or the first verb can be repeated:
He reads more books than I do.
He reads more books than I read.
4.2. Superlative Nouns
This course has the most students.
This course has the most homework.

This course has the fewest students.

This course has the least homework.
- The most is used with superlative count and noncount nouns.
- The fewest is used with superlative count nouns; the least is used with superlative noncount
nouns.

The Same….As
This course has the same students as that one.
This course has the same homework as that one.
 -The same…as is used with count and noncount nouns.
-The final as can be followed by a subject pronoun or pronoun + an optional verb. If the verb
is omitted, an object pronoun can replace the subject pronoun:
Scott is the same height as Mary (is)
Scott is the same height as she (is)
Scott is the same height as her.
5. MULTIPLE COMPARATIVES

Multiple as much/many as
- Fresh fruit costs twice as much as canned fruit.
- They have half as many as they need.
- He found a job that paid three times as much as he made working at
the library

6. DOUBLE COMPARATIVES

The + Comparative + S +V, the + Comparative + S + V

The hotter is is, the more miserable I feel.

The more popular TV programs become, the worse they seem to get.