21/4

Comparative and Superlative

There are three different types of comparative structures in English: INFERIORITY, EQUALITY AND
SUPERIORITY
 
1) EQUALITY COMPARATIVE:
 
Structure: [as + as] 
 
Example: He is as intelligent as you. 

2) INFERIORITY COMPARATIVE:
 
Structure 1: [not as ........ as……]  
Example: He is not as intelligent as you.

Structure 2: [less + than]

Example: He is less intelligent than you.

("Less" is usually used for uncountables and "fewer" for countables).

 
 
3) SUPERIORITY COMPARATIVE
 
This type of comparative has two different structures depending on the lenght of the adjective:
 
SHORT ADJECTIVES [-er + than]
 
Example: He is taller than me 
 
LONG ADJECTIVES [more + than] 
 
Example: He is more intelligent than me 

SPECIAL SPELLING
 
 
Pretty - Prettier (La "y" se sustituye por "i", y después se añade -er.
Large - Larger (Se añade solo una "r" porque ya acabe en "e".
Big - Bigger (Si un adjetivo acaba en consonante+vocal+consonante, se le dobla la última consonante y se añade er.
21/4

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES IN COMPARATIVE

 
 Good  - Better 
 Bad -    Worse
 Far -     Further 

oun
 f urt h e r  before a n
er) her. We u
se
u rth e r ( b ut not farth th e r  b ut not fart
F we can use
 f u r
e o cc asi ons when higher level’:
som nal’ or ‘a
There are ’, ‘additio nother
to me an ‘e x tr a
g 0 9 5 -6 710090. e b ath ro om, and a
r in th
n, please ing her to
fu rt h er  i nformatio a ti le d p assage tak g-room.
For  e right, w
ith ly the din
in age 17)
r  d o o r le d off to th which was probab c ti c a l su bjects from
A furthe t the end, ra
re room a to study p
large squa d uc a ti o n . (a place
e
of further 
g o n e to a college
She’s ore’:
fu rt h e r to mean ‘m
s e 
We also u rther.
dis c uss it any fu ttle furthe
r.
d o no t p ropose to
, le t m e e xplain a li
I e
programm
y o u lo ok at your
Before

 
21/4

SUPERLATIVE
 
 In English, the superlative also has two different structures depending on the adjective length:

SHORT ADJECTIVES 
Structure: [the + -est]

Example: He is the tallest boy in the classroom 

LONG ADJECTIVES
Structure: [ the most + adjective]

Example: He is the most intelligent boy in the classroom 

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES IN SUPERLATIVE

Good - The best 

Bad -    The worst 

Far -     The furthest // the farthest (No difference)