Comparatives and Superlatives

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

1. We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is

taller than her husband.)
2. Superlatives are used, however, to compare to show the difference
between more than two things or more than two people. (e.g Paris is the
biggest city in France)
3. To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number
of syllables in the adjective.  Syllables are like "sound beats".

For instance:

 "find" contains one syllable,

 but "finding" contains two — find  and ing.

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent 'e' — nice

 Comparative — add 'r' — nicer

 Superlative — add 'st' — nicest

2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonant — big

 Comparative — the consonant is doubled and 'er' is added

—bigger
 Superlative — the consonant is doubled and 'est' is added—
biggest

3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a
vowel — high, cheap

 Comparative — 'er' is added — higher, cheaper

 Superlative — 'est is added — highest, cheapest

4. A two syllable adjective ending in 'y' — happy

 Comparative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'er' is added — happier

 Superlative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'est' is added — happiest
5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without 'y' at the end — exciting

 Comparative — more + the adjective + than — more

exciting than
 Superlative — more + the adjective + than — the most
exciting 

Examples:

 The Nile River is longer and more famous than the

Thames.
 Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
 Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
 This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.

Peter (6 years old) Charley (5 months old)

Peter is older than Charley.
Charley is younger than Peter.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Adjectives Comparatives Superlatives

bad worse worst
far(distance) farther farthest
far(extent) further furthest
good better best
little   less least
many more most
much more most

How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives Superlatives
Comparatives are used to Superlatives are used to compare more
compare two things or two than two things or two people. Superlative
people: sentences usually use 'the':
Alan is taller than John. Alan is the most intelligent.
Similarities

To express similarities use the following structure:

... as + adjective + as ...
EXERCISES

 Write the comparative:

Ex. small - smaller

1. good 

2. intelligent 

3. old 

4. dark 

5. bad 

6. large 

7. narrow 

8. new 

9. easy 

10. funny 

-Complete the sentences using the comparative form.

Ex. My flat isn’t very big.- I want a bigger flat.

1. My motorbike isn’t very fast. I’d like  .

2. My husband isn’t very rich. I need  .

3. Your computer is getting old now. You need  .

4. His camera isn’t very good. He needs  .

5. It isn’t very hot today. It was   yesterday.

6. I’m not very interested in football. I’m   in tennis.

- Write similar sentences using ‘as………as’.

Ex. A Porsche is faster than a Skoda. – A Skoda isn’t as fast as a Porsche.

1. Football is more popular than cricket in Spain. 

Cricket isn’t 
2. I work harder than you.

3. My car’s newer than yours.

4. His watch is more expensive than hers.

5. Your flat’s nicer than ours.

6. Paris is colder than Casablanca.

- Complete the sentences with the Superlative form.

Ex. He’s a very good footballer. He’s the best footballer in Europe at the
moment.
1. She’s a pretty girl. She’s  girl in my class.
2. There are many exciting cities in North America, but I think New York

is  .

3. August is a hot month in Spain. It’s usually   month of the year.

4. I was so happy when I got married. My wedding day was  day

of my life.

5. It’s such an expensive restaurant. I think it’s the   restaurant in

Madrid.

6. It’s a very interesting book. It’s one of the   books I’ve ever
read.