Comparative

& Superlative
The third ingredient in Writing Task 1

IELTS PREPARATION COURSE 1

Adverbs vs Adjectives
Adverbs and adjectives both describe, but they’re used differently.

1. We use adjectives to describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives usually come before nouns
because they tell us about those nouns.
○ He dropped the hot plate.
○ I have a black cat.

2. We can also use adjectives after “to be” and linking verb.
○ She is gorgeous.
○ Please be quiet.

3. We also use adjectives after the verbs “look / feel /sound etc.”
○ Why do you look serious?
○ That idea sounds interesting.
○ Tom looked sad when I saw him.
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Adverbs vs Adjectives
Adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

5. An adverb tells us how somebody does something or how something happens.

o Tom drove carefully along the narrow road.
o We didn’t go out because it was raining heavily.
o Please speak quietly.
o I was disappointed that I did so badly in the exam.

6. We can also use adverb after the object of the sentence.

Verb + Object + Adverb
○ She speaks English quietly.

7. We also use adverbs before adjectives and other adverbs.

○ It’s a reasonably cheap restaurant. (adverb + adjective)
○ Oh, I am terribly sorry for what I have done. (adverb + adjective)
○ Maria learns languages incredibly quickly. (adverb + adverb)
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Adverbs vs Adjectives
In order to form adverbs, we need to follow the rules below.

5. Many adverb are made from an adjective + “-ly”.

o adjective: quick serious careful quiet bad
o adverb: quickly seriously carefully quietly badly

6. Not all words ending in “–ly” are adverbs. Some adjectives end in “–ly” too.
○ friendly lively elderly lonely silly lovely

7. If the adjective ends in “y”, we change “y” to “i” and add “ly”. If the adjective ends in “le”,
we drop “e” and add “y”.
o happy / gentle happily / gently

8. However, there are some exceptions

o adjective: fast early hard late
o adverb: fast early hard late
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Important Adjectives and Adverbs
Well
o “Well” can be confusing because it is both the adverb form of “good” and an adjective
that means “healthy and fine”.
o My mother is well. (Adjective: healthy and fine)
o He did the work well. (Adverb : in a good way)
Hard / Hardly
o “Hard” is both an adjective and adverb.
o The table is hard. (Adjective: not soft)
o She works hard. (Adverb : with a lot of effort)

o “Hardly” is also an adverb, but it means “almost nothing” or “almost none”.

o She hardly works. (=she does almost no work)
o I have hardly any money (=I have almost no money)
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Important Adjectives and Adverbs

Late / Lately
o “Late” is an adjective and an adverb. There is also an adverb “lately”, which means
“recently”.
o I’m late. (Adjective: “not on time”)
o He came late. (Adverb : “not on lime”)
o I’ve been working a lot lately. (Adverb : “recently”)

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 Comparative Adjectives
Comparative forms of adjectives compare two people, things, places or animals.

1. We use comparative adjective + “than”.

○ The blue car is newer than the gray car.
○ The blue car is more expensive than the gray car.

2. Add “–er” to the end of most one-syllable adjectives to form comparative. If the adjective
ends in “–e”, add “-r”.
○ small / low / nice smaller / lower / nicer

3. Use “more” before most long adjectives (adjectives that have two or more syllables)
○ Jack is more serious than Nikki.
○ Do you think math is more important than music?

4. Some two-syllable adjectives are used with either “–er” or more to form the comparative.
○ quiet / simple quieter / more quiet / simpler / more simple
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Comparative Adjectives

Comparative forms of adjectives compare two people, things, places or animals.

5. We need to double the consonant when we have one syllable adjective ends with a single
consonant with a vowel before it.
o big / fat / wet / hot bigger / fatter / wetter / hotter

6. Some adjectives have an irregular comparative form.

○ good / bad / far / old better / worse / farther, further / older, elder

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Comparative Adverb
Comparative forms of adverbs compare two people, things, places or animals.

1. We use comparative adverb + “than” to compare two actions.

○ Mark work harder than Jeff.
○ Carol drives more carefully than Peter.

2. Add “–er” to the end of most one-syllable adverbs to form comparative.

○ fast / long / hard faster / longer / harder

3. Use more before adverbs that end with “-ly”

○ quickly / frequently more quickly / more frequently

4. Some adverbs have an irregular comparative form.

○ well / badly / far better / worse / farther, further

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Completing Comparisons
1. You can use an object pronoun to complete a comparison. But in more formal speaking
and writing, use a subject pronoun + “an auxiliary verb”.
○ Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than him.
○ Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than he is

2. Use an auxiliary verb after “than”. Do not repeat the main verb.
○ Ana runs faster than Pat does. (NOT Ana runs faster than Pat runs)

3. A possessive noun or possessive pronoun can be used after “than”.

○ My car was more expensive than Ellen’s.
○ My car was more expensive than hers.

4. If the comparison is clear, than and the second part of the comparison are not necessary.
○ Nowadays, smart phones are cheaper.

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Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
1. We use superlative adjective compare three or more people, places or things.
○ Ali is the tallest student in our class.
○ Prague is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen.
○ What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

2. Use a superlative adverb to compare the action of three or more people or things.
○ Of all my friends, Alicia calls the most frequently.
○ My red shoes fit the most comfortably of all the shoes.

3. Add “–est” to the end of most one-syllable adjectives or adverbs to form the superlative.
Use the before superlative adjectives. It is not as common before adverbs.
○ I bought the longest sofa in the store. (Adjective)
○ Steve works hardest of all the students. (Adverb)

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Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
5. We use “the most” before most adjectives that have two or more syllables and adverbs
ending in “–ly”.
o Maria is the most careful climber of the group.
o The Grand Canyon is the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen.
o Of all the girls, Brenda sings the most beautifully.

6. We use either “–est” or the most to form superlative for some two syllable adjectives and
adverbs.
o stupid the stupidest / the most stupid
o cruel the cruelest / the most cruel

7. Some superlative are irregular.

o good / well the best
o bad / badly the worst

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More on Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
1. The opposite of the most is “the least”.
○ This is the the least expensive phone in the store. All of the other phones cost a lot
more.
○ She drives the the least carefully of all my friends. All of other friends drive much
more carefully.

2. A prepositional phrase with “in” or “of” is often used to complete a superlative.

○ The Nile is the longest river in the world.
○ The hat is the prettiest of the three.
3. Remember: If the comparison is clear, it is not necessary to complete it.
o She won because she ran the fastest.

4. One of the comes before a superlative adjective. The superlative adjective is followed by
a plural noun
○ China is one of the biggest countries in the world.
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Comparisons with As…As
1. Use “as + adjective / adverb + as” to compare two people, places, or things that are
the same or equal in some way.
○ Your car is as old as my car.
○ I drive as well / carefully as you do.

2. To complete a comparison with as…as, you can use

A. A noun (+ verb)
○ I dance as well as my brother. (dances)
B. A subject pronoun + verb or an auxiliary verb
○ I dance as well as he dances.
○ I dance as well as he does.
C. A possessive noun or possessive pronoun
○ My computer is as old as Rita’s.
○ My computer is as old as hers.
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Comparisons with Less and Not As…As
1. The opposite of more is “less”. Not as…as and less have the same meaning.
○ My old car was less efficient than my new car.
○ My old car was not as efficient as my new car.

2. Use not as…as with one-syllable adjectives or adverbs.

○ My apartment is not as big as yours.
○ Tom doesn’t run as fast as Steven.

3. Use less…than or not as…as with adjectives or adverbs that have two or more
syllables. The meaning is the same.
○ My son visits less frequently than my daughter.
○ My son doesn’t visit as frequently as my daughter.

4. Remember: If the comparison is clear, the second part of the comparison is not
necessary.
○ The food at Joe’s café isn’t as good as the food at D’s, but it’s less expensive. 15
Other Forms of Comparison
1. We use “the …. , the…” (with two comparatives) to say that one thing depends on
another thing.
○ The warmer the weather, the better I feel. (=If the weather is warmer, I feel better)
○ The sooner we leave, the sooner we arrive.
○ The more expensive hotel is, the better the service.

2. We can also use “much / a lot/ far / a little/ a bit” before comparatives.
○ Let’s go by car. It’s much cheaper.
○ Don’t go by train. It’s a lot more expensive. (or It’s much more expensive)
○ Her illness was far more serious than we thought.

3. We can also use “any” or “no” with comparatives.

○ I’ve waited long enough. I’m not waiting any longer. (=not even a little longer)
○ We expected their house to be very big, but it’s no bigger than ours.

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