UNIT II: COMPARATIVE AND

SUPERLATIVE.
OBJECTIVES

 To distinguish the rhetorical function of comparison –contrast, the type

of paragraph, and comparative and superlatives, considering the
connective elements of the rhetorical function, which are necessary to
understand text regarding their degree course.
 To apply the function of comparison contrast, types of paragraphs,
comparative and superlative forms in order to analyze text related to
their career

Theme: Comparative and Superlative

Concepts
Rules
WHAT ARE COMPARATIVES?

1. Comparative adjectives are used to

compare one noun to another noun. One
way to describe nouns (people, objects, 3. A mistake that both native speakers and
animals, etc.) is by comparing them to non-native speakers make is using
something else.
incorrectly formed comparative
2. When comparing two things, you’re likely to adjectives. See the sentences below for an
use adjectives like smaller, bigger, taller, more illustration of this common error:
interesting, and less expensive. Notice the -er
ending, and the words more and less.
 Comparative Structures: one thing or person
is more than another thing or person.

Incorrect ------His dog is more large than my cat.

Correct---------His dog is larger than my cat.

When you mention what you are comparing something to, use “than”.
“There are more people in the supermarket today than yesterday.”
“We have less money for shopping this week than last week.”
“I’m sure he loves me more than before!”
“My sister is older than me.”
“He is happier than me.”
“Rome is more beautiful than Paris, in my opinion.”
“She is cleverer than her sister.”
“Olive oil is better than sunflower oil.” “Dave is worse than Jack at Math.”
6 rules for using comparative adjectives.
When you are comparing two different things, you
need to change the ending of the adjective you
use.
Here are some examples:
• Cats are small.
• Cats are smaller than dogs. (comparing cats to dogs)
• Learning grammar is difficult.
• Learning grammar is more difficult than learning
vocabulary. (comparing learning grammar to learning vocabulary)

• I have to get up early because I live far from school.

• I have to get up earlier than my classmates because I live
far from school.
To understand the rules for using comparative adjectives,
you will
first need to know the meaning of a syllable. A
syllable is a single sound. For example, ‘goodbye’
has two syllables – ‘good’ and ‘bye’. Here are some
more examples:
Rule 1. With adjectives with one syllable, simply add
+er than. For example:
• tall > taller than
• fast > faster tan
• high > higher than
Rule 2: With adjectives ends in +y, remove the -y
and add +ier than. For example:
• happy > happier than
• angry > angrier than
busy > busier than

Rule 3 : With adjectives that already end in +e, simply

add +r than. For example:
• nice > nicer than
• safe > safer than
• late > later than
Rule 4 : With adjectives with three syllables
or more, simply add +more…than. For
example: • Some 2-syllable adjectives have more… than
• honest > more honest than
• intelligent > more intelligent than
• modern > more modern than
• beautiful > more beautiful than
• Other 2 syllable adjectives can use either of
interesting > more interesting than these options
• clever > more clever than OR cleverer than
Rule 5 : With adjectives with two syllables, there are •
gentle > more gentle than OR gentler than
TWO possible options.
• Some 2-syllable adjectives have +er than
(especially adjectives that end in -y, le, and -er)
• happy > happier than
• bright > brighter than
Rule 6 : Adjectives that end with a consonant,
then a vowel, then a consonant need the
consonant doubled. For example:
• big > bigger than (not biger than)

• hot > hotter than (not hoter than)

• fat > fatter than (not fater than)
 ❖ We can compare by using as... as .
As … as

❖ We use as + adjective/adverb + as to make

comparisons when the things we are comparing
are equal in some way:
Not as … as
We use not as … as to make comparisons
between things which aren’t equal:
When we want to make comparisons referring to quantity, we use as much as with uncountable nouns and as many as
with plural nouns:
Greg makes as much money as Mick but not as much as Neil.
They try to give them as much freedom as they can.
There weren’t as many people there as I expected. .
Superlative
Adjectives
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 What are Superlative Adjectives?

Superlative adjectives are words used to compare the difference

between 3 or more things.
Example

biggest
 Making Superlative Adjectives

Example

To make a superlative small

adjective word you must
smaller
change the adjective to the
superlative form. smallest

superlative

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S U P E R L AT V I E A D J E C T I V E S

Rules
 1
Example

With regular one syllable fast - faster

adjectives, we add -est to
make the superlative form.

fastest
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 2
Example
With regular one and two syllable
adjectives that end in y, we happy - happier
remove the y and add -iest to
make the superlative form.
happiest
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 3
Example
With adjectives that end with a
single vowel followed by a single
big - bigger
consonant, the consonant is
doubled and
-est is added. biggest
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 4
Example
With two syllable adjectives that
beautiful - more beautiful
don't end in -y, and all three
syllable adjectives we add the
most before the adjective.
the most beautiful

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S U P E R L AT I V E A D J E C T I V E S

Irregular
 Irregular Adjectives

good better best

Irregular adjectives don't bad worse worst
follow these rules. far further furthest
So, you must memorize them. well better best
much more most
many more most

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 S U P E R L AT I V E A D J E C T I V E S

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