Main Points

 You add “-er” for the comparative and ‘-est’ for the
superlative of one-syllable adjectives and adverbs.

 You use ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ with some two-syllable

adjectives.

 You use ‘more’ for the comparative and ‘most’ for the
superlative of most two-syllable adjectives, all longer
adjectives, and adverbs ending in ‘-ly’.

 Some common adjectives and adverbs have

irregular forms.
 ‘-er’ or ‘-est’ for one-syllable
adjectives.
You add ‘-er’ for the comparative form and ‘-est’ for
the superlative form of one-syllable adjectives and
adverbs. If they end ‘-e’, you add ‘-r’ and ‘-st’.
For example:
cheap ---- cheaper--- cheapest
brave--- braver--- bravest
tall--- taller--- tallest
strong--- stronger--- strongest
young--- younger--- youngest
 close--- closer--- closest

Other examples...

 They worked harder

 I’ve found a nicer hospital

 This stronger man

 This colder ice-cream

o When an adjective ends in a single consonant
other than W---X--- or Y, following a single
stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled
before the ending ‘er’ is added.
For example:
big--- bigger--- biggest
hot--- hotter--- hottest
sad--- sadder--- sadest
fat--- fatter--- fattest
 Other examples...
 The day grew hotter
 Henry was the biggest of them

o Whe an adjective ends in W,X or Y, following a

single stressed vowel, the final consonant is not
doubled before the ending ‘er’ is added.
For example:
slow--- slower---slowest
lax--- laxer--- laxest
grey--- greyer---greyest
o With two-syllable adjectives ending in a
consonant followed by ‘-y’, you change the ‘-y’ to
‘-i’ and add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’.

For example:

happy---happier--- happiest
dry--- drier---driest
early--- earlier--- earliest
easy--- easier--- easiest
dirty--- dirtier--- dirtiest
busy--- busier--- busiest
 Other examples...
 It couldn’t be easier
 That is the funniest bit of the film

o You use ‘more’ for the comparative and ‘most’ for

the superlative of most two-syllable adjectives,all
longer adjectives, and adverbs ending in ‘-ly’
For example:
careful--- more careful--- most careful
beautiful--- more beautiful--- most beautiful
 seriously---more seriously--- most seriously
excitable-- more excitable--- most excitable

Other examples...

 She is more careful than I am

 He is the most intelligent student in the class
 They are the most beatiful gardens in the world
 Note that for ‘early’ as an adjective or adverb ,you use ‘earlier’
and ‘earliest’, not ‘more’ and ‘most’
 With some two-syllable adjectives and adverbs, you can
either add “-er” and “-est”, or use “more” and most”

This is one of the most common problems for

engineers

This is one of the commonest problems for

engineers
 You normally use “the” with superlative adjectives in front
of nouns, but you can omit “the” after a link verb.

She was the saddest when she knew the truth

 When “most”is used witout “the” in fron of the adjectives

and adverbs, it often means almost the same as “very”

The movie was most funny.

 A fewcommon adjectives and adverbs
have irregular comparative and superlative
form

The further place that I ever go

Adjectives Comparative Superlative
Regular Adjectives
High High er The High est
Low Low er The Low est
Big Bigg er The Bigg est
Thin Thinn er The Thinn est
Dry dri er The Dri est
Dirty Dirti er The Dirti est

Irregular adjectives

Good better The best

Bad worse The worst

Many/ much more The most

Far farther / further The farthest / furthest
Little less The least
Adjectives Comparative Superlative
expensive more expensive the most expensive
less expensive the least expensive

Expressions of comparison
….is more/less expensive than….
….is the most/least expensive city in the world…
 Adjective form Comparative Superlative
Only one syllable, ending in E.
Add -R: Add -ST:
Examples:
wider, finer, cuter widest, finest, cutest
wide, fine, cute
Only one syllable, with one
Double the consonant, and Double the consonant, and
vowel and one consonant
add -ER: add -EST:
at the end. Examples:
hotter, bigger, fatter hottest, biggest, fattest
hot, big, fat
Only one syllable, with more
than one vowel or more
Add -ER: Add -EST:
than one consonant at the
lighter, neater, faster lightest, neatest, fastest
end. Examples:
light, neat, fast
Change Y to I, then add -
Two syllables, ending in Y. Change Y to I, then add -
EST:
Examples: ER:
happiest, silliest,
happy, silly, lonely happier, sillier, lonelier
loneliest
Use MORE before the Use MOST before the
Two syllables or more, not
adjective: adjective:
ending in Y. Examples:
more modern, more most modern, most
modern, interesting,
interesting, more interesting, most
beautiful
beautiful beautifu