Master Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
1. Regular Adjectives with One Syllable
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| tall | taller | the tallest |
| large | larger | the largest |
| big | bigger | the biggest |
Spelling Notes
- A: For adjectives ending in two consonants or two vowels and one consonant, add -er or -est (e.g., long, short, bright, smooth, cool, clean, great).
- B: For adjectives ending in -e, add -r or -st (e.g., nice, late, safe, strange, rude, wide).
- C: For adjectives ending in one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant and add -er or -est (e.g., fat, thin, flat, sad, wet).
2. Regular Adjectives with Two or More Syllables
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| heavy | heavier | the heaviest |
| modern | more modern | the most modern |
| important | more important | the most important |
| common | more common / commoner | the most common / the commonest |
Usage Notes
- A: For adjectives ending in -y, change y to i and add -er or -est (e.g., happy, dirty, funny, tidy, busy, early, empty, dry).
- B: Most longer adjectives use more and the most (e.g., comfortable, independent, insignificant, uninteresting).
- C: Some two-syllable adjectives can form their comparatives and superlatives in two ways: by adding -er/-est or using more/most (e.g., clever, pleasant, gentle, narrow, shallow, simple, tired).
3. Irregular Adjectives
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| old* | elder / older | the eldest / the oldest |
| far | further / farther | the furthest / the farthest |
*Note: "Elder" and "eldest" are used only for people, especially within a family. Example: "I have three brothers. The eldest, Tom, is a musician."
4. Adjectives in Context
A. Using "More / -er + Than"
I’m taller than my brother.
My brother’s more serious than me.
I’m more intelligent than he is / him.
Grammar Note
If the pronoun after than is not followed by a verb, use the object pronoun form (me, him, us, them, etc.). If the pronoun after than is followed by a verb, use the subject pronoun form (I, he, we, they, etc.).
B. Using "The Most / -est"
I’m the tallest student in the class.
My sister’s the most intelligent student in her school.
C. Using "Less Than" and "The Least"
That film was less interesting than the last one I saw. It was the least interesting film I’ve seen all year.