UNIVERSITY OF CARTAGENA

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IX
ENGLISH IX. NINETH SEMESTER 4
PLACE PIEDRA DE BOLIVAR DATE ____/____/20____

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

The same spelling rules for adjectives and adverbs ending in -er and -est are used to form comparatives and superlatives.
When to use -er or -est versus more and most is explained below. Irregular forms are also listed.

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

- cheap – cheaper, the cheapest

- fast – faster, the fastest

2. If 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. If 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

(Compare two vowels + consonant: cheap – cheaper, the cheapest.)

(Compare final consonants: hard – harder, the hardest.)

Do not double the final consonants x, w and y:

- low – lower, the lowest

4. If 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

5. for two-syllable adjective 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

1 PRINCIPAL reading. unit TWO.

 UNIVERSITY OF CARTAGENA
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IX
ENGLISH IX. NINETH SEMESTER 4
PLACE PIEDRA DE BOLIVAR DATE ____/____/20____

6. For the most adverbs of two or more syllable 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

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

8. Use either -er or more for adjectives ending in -ly, -ow, -er, -some, -ite:

- lonely – lonelier/ more lonely, the loneliest/ the most lonely

- shallow - shallower/ more shallow, the shallowest/ the most shallow

- clever - cleverer/ more clever, the cleverest/ the most clever

- handsome - handsomer/ more handsome, the handsomest/ the most handsome

- polite – politer/ more polite, the politest/ the most polite

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.

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
(a) little (a) little Less The least
much much more The most
many more more The most
a lot a lot more The most

2 PRINCIPAL reading. unit TWO.