Comparative and superlative adjectives

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Comparative adjectives

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We use comparative adjectives to show change or make comparisons:

This car is certainly better, but it's much more expensive.�I'm feeling happier now.�We need a bigger garden.

We use than when we want to compare one thing with another:

She is two years older than me.�New York is much bigger than Boston.�He is a better player than Ronaldo.�France is a bigger country than Britain.

When we want to describe how something or someone changes we can use two comparatives with and:

The balloon got bigger and bigger.�

�

Everything is getting more and more expensive.�Grandfather is looking older and older. 

We often use the with comparative adjectives to show that one thing depends on another:

The faster you drive, the more dangerous it is. �(= When you drive faster, it is more dangerous.)

The higher they climbed, the colder it got. �(= When they climbed higher, it got colder.)

Superlative adjectives

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We use the with superlative adjectives:

It was the happiest day of my life.� Everest is the highest mountain in the world.� That’s the best film I have seen this year.� I have three sisters: Jan is the oldest and

Angela is the youngest. 

Superlative adjectives 1

How to form comparative and superlative adjectives

1.We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and superlatives:

Old older oldest

Long longer longest

2.If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:

Nice nicer nicest

Large larger largest

3.If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant:

Big bigger biggest

Flat fatter fattest

4.If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est:

happy happier happiest

Silly sillier silliest

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We use more and most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables:

careful more careful most careful

interesting more interesting most interesting

However, with these common two-syllable adjectives, you can either add –er/–r and –est/–st or use more and most:

He is certainly handsomer than his brother.� His brother is handsome, but he is more handsome.� She is one of the politest people I have ever met.� She is the most polite person I have ever met.

The adjectives good, bad and far have irregular comparatives and superlatives