COMPARATIVES

AND
SUPERLATIVES
 WHEN AND HOW DO WE USE
THEM?
Comparative adjectives are
used to compare differences
between the two objects they
modify
EXAMPLES
o My house is larger than
hers.
o This box is smaller than
the one I lost.
o Your dog runs faster than
Jim's dog.
Superlative adjectives are
used to describe an object
which is at the upper or lower
limit of a quality.
EXAMPLES
o My house is
the largest one in our
neighborhood.
o This is the smallest box
I've ever seen.
o Your dog ran 2
COMPLETE!

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 RULES
 If is one syllable adjective, we add -er for the comparative
and -est for the superlative.
 If the adjective has a consonant + single vowel + consonant
spelling, the final consonant must be doubled before adding
the ending.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Tall Tall ____ Tall ____
Fat Fat ____ Fat ____
Big Big ____ Big ____
Sad Sad ____ Sad ____ 4
 If the comparative adjective has two syllables it can be
formed either by adding -er or by preceeding the adjective
with more.
 If the superlative adjective has two syllables it can be
formed either by adding -est or by preceeding the adjective
with most.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
happy happier happiest
simple Simpler simplest
tilted more tilted most tilted
tangled more tangled most tangled 5
 Adjectives with three or more syllables form the
comparative by putting more in front of the adjective, and
the superlative by putting most in front.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

important more important most important

expensive more expensive most expensive

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IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES AND
SUPERLATIVES
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good better best
bad worse worst
little less least
much more most
far further / farther furthest / farthest
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 As … as
We use as + adjective/adverb + as to make
comparisons when the things we are comparing are
equal in some way:

 The world’s biggest bull is as big as a small

elephant.

 The weather this summer is as bad as last year. It

hasn’t stopped raining for weeks.

 You have to unwrap it as carefully as you can. It’s 8

 Not as… as
We use not as … as to make comparisons between
things which aren’t equal:

 It’s not as heavy as I thought it would be,

actually.

 Rory hasn’t grown as tall as Tommy yet.

 She’s not singing as loudly as she can.

 They didn’t play as well as they usually do.

Questions?

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