EMPOWER B1

Unit 7
Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative

Salah is Neymar is Messi is

GOOD BETTER THE BEST
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 What is an adjective?
It is a word that describes a quality or characteristic of a person, a thing, an animal or a place. Many
adjectives can be used to describe all nouns.

patien
t places peace noisy
h o ne s t b eau tiful ful
a n
us woma breat
genero htaki
ng a bea
utifu
e rs ta nding magn
if l city
und icent
people
Adjectives things
g g re ssive g e rous
a bea
utifu
a da n lc ar
loyal elega
n t inter
estin
g
tiny ea u tiful incre
ab t expen dible
insec animals sive

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 When do we use comparative and superlative adjectives?
We use comparative adjectives to compare two
items of the same category.
We highlight a specific quality of one of them.
For example, we might compare the size of two
countries, Spain and Portugal.
Spain is bigger than Portugal.
Another example. We can compare the
popularity of two film characters, Harry Potter
and Groot.
Harry Potter is more famous than Groot.
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We use superlative adjectives when we compare
three or more items of the same category. We
highlight only the one that outstands the others.
In this case, we might compare the size of three
Ecuadorian cities, Loja, Cuenca and Guayaquil.
Guayaquil is the biggest city.
Also, we can compare the popularity of three
female singers, Maddona, Beyonce and Adelle.
Maddona is the most famous singer.
 How do we make the comparative and superlative forms
of the adjectives?
So we understand that, let’s organize adjective into 5 categories.

RULES ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

1. With 1-syllable adjectives, old older oldest

we add –ER for the comparative and young younger youngest
-EST for the superlative form. big bigger biggest

2. With 3 or more-syllable
adjectives, we write MORE before beautiful more beautiful the most beautiful
the adjective for the comparative
form. difficult more difficult the most difficult
And for the superlative, we write expensive more expensive the most expensive
THE MOST before the adjective.

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 How do we make the comparative and superlative forms
of the adjectives?
Now, let’s check 2-syllable adjectives.

RULES ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

3. With 2-syllable adjectives ended
in ‘Y’ we replace y→i and add –ER happy happier happiest
for the comparative. easy easier easiest
Similar action with the superlative: lazy lazier laziest
we replace y→i and add –EST

4. With 2-syllable adjectives not

ended in ‘Y’ we just write MORE serious more serious the most serious
before the adjective for the
comparative form. boring more boring the most boring
And for the superlative, we write honest more honest the most honest
THE MOST before the adjective.

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 How do we make the comparative and superlative forms
of the adjectives?
Now look at the exceptions.

RULES ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

5. With irregular adjectives or good better the best

exceptions, we write different and bad worse the worst
specific words for each case. far farther/further the farthest/furthest

IMPORTANT: Remember to double consonants with CVC (ended) words. (consonant-vowel-consonant).

For example: C V C C V C
big b→ bigger
i g →biggest thin →
t thinner
h i n → thinnest

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 Practice
Classify the following adjectives in the corresponding groups according to syllable rules seen.

bossy bad high dirty complex colorful dark anxious good amazing

1 syllable 3 or more syllables 2 syllables 2 syllables Irregular adjectives

ended in ‘Y’ not ended in ‘Y’ or exceptions
* * * * *
* * * * *

Now, let’s check answers:

1 syllable 3 or more syllables 2 syllables 2 syllables Irregular adjectives

ended in ‘Y’ not ended in ‘Y’ or exceptions
high colorful bossy complex good
dark amazing dirty anxious bad

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 Practice
Now, write the corresponding forms of comparative and superlative adjectives.

ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

high
dark
colorful
amazing
bossy
dirty
complex
anxious
good
bad

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 Answers
Let’s check…

ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

Oh! I get it now…
high higher the highest
dark darker the darkest
colorful more colorful the most colorful
amazing more amazing the most amazing
bossy bossier the bossiest
dirty dirtier the dirtiest
complex more complex the most complex
anxious more anxious the most anxious
good better the best
bad worse The worst

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 Let’s write sentences in context.
Look at the examples and write sentences according to the clues.

1. DANGEROUS animals: snakes / wolves / lions:

Snakes are dangerous animals. Wolves are more dangerous than snakes, but lions are the most dangerous animals.

2. BIG countries: Canada / China / Russia:

Canada is a big country. China is bigger than Canada, but Russia is the biggest country.

3. EXPENSIVE cars: Ferrari / Mercedes Benz / Rolls-Royce

Ferraris are expensive cars. Mercedes Benz are more expensive than Ferraris, but Rolls-Royce are the most expensive cars.
Sentence writing
4. FAST animals: ostriches / deer / cheetahs
Ostriches are fast animals. Deer are faster than ostriches, but cheetahs are the fastest animals.

5. GOOD footballers: Salah / Neymar / Messi

Salah is a good footballer. Neymar is better than Salah, but Messi is the best footballer.

Get ready to check answers…

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 For extra practice, click on the following links.

• http://www.eflnet.com/grammar/compsupadj1.php

• https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/grammar/4g2-the-the-comparatives.php

• https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=comparative-superlative-q
uiz&q=1

• https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/adjectives_adverbs/adjectives_compariso
n_sentences.htm

• https://www.grammarbank.com/comparative-superlative-quiz.html
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