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Comparative Adjectives

The document discusses the three forms of adjectives used to compare nouns: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive form uses expressions like "as...as" to compare equal nouns. The comparative form, formed with "-er" or "more", compares two unequal nouns. The superlative form, formed with "-est" or "most", compares three or more nouns and requires "the". There are rules for forming comparatives based on the number of syllables in the adjective. Some adjectives are irregular and do not follow the typical patterns.

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165 views3 pages

Comparative Adjectives

The document discusses the three forms of adjectives used to compare nouns: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive form uses expressions like "as...as" to compare equal nouns. The comparative form, formed with "-er" or "more", compares two unequal nouns. The superlative form, formed with "-est" or "most", compares three or more nouns and requires "the". There are rules for forming comparatives based on the number of syllables in the adjective. Some adjectives are irregular and do not follow the typical patterns.

Uploaded by

Saqlain Ishtiaq
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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8/27/2018 2.

Comparative Adjectives
2. Comparative Adjectives

Adjectives have three forms which we can use when we compare two or more nouns: positive, comparative and superlative. The
positive form is used when comparing two equal persons or things, and the comparative and superlative forms when comparing
two or more unequal nouns.

The positive form


When we use the positive form of adjective to make comparison, we use such expressions: as . . . as; not as . . . as, etc. to
compare two equal things or persons.

Examples:
My uncle is bald.
My uncle is as bald as a cue ball.

His head is big.


His head is as big as my head.

His wife-to-be is very charming.


His ex-wife is not as charming as his wife-to-be.

The comparative form

We use adjectives to describe a noun. We can also use adjectives to compare two nouns in terms of size, length, quality and
others. The comparative form is used to compare two unequal persons or things. In using the comparative form of adjective to
describe how one person or thing is when compared to another person or thing, we add the letters -er to the end of the adjective
words (big – bigger; small – smaller) and the word than after the comparative adjective (longer than, taller than).
Examples:
A hen's egg is bigger than a pigeon's egg.
Our fingers are longer than our toes.
This basketball player is taller than that footballer.
She says her pet hen walks faster than her pet duck.
His head is bigger than my head.

Not all adjectives can end with -er. For some adjectives, we use the word more in front of them (careful – more careful; tired –
more tired). When using the word more, we also use the word than to follow the comparative adjective (more careful than;
more tired than).

Examples:
This morning, my grandmother appeared more cheerful than my grandfather.
Those little monkeys are more active than the old ones.
She is more skillful at drawing panda bears than her sister.

Some words cannot be used as comparative adjectives by adding "-er"


Examples:
No: foolish – foolisher / useful – usefuler
Yes: The right words to use are more foolish / more useful

Do not use “more” and “er” together for an adjective when making comparison
Examples:
No: A yard is more longer than a foot.
Yes: A yard is longer than a foot.
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8/27/2018No:These oranges are much sweeter than those. 2. Comparative Adjectives
Yes: These oranges are sweeter than those.

More than one comparative adjective may be used to make a comparison


Examples:
The paperback edition of the book is cheaper and lighter than the hardback copy.
Today’s weather is sunnier and warmer than yesterday’s.

The superlative form

We use the superlative adjective when we compare three or more nouns. It is formed by adding est to the end of the adjective or
adding the word most in front of it. The word the has to precede the superlative adjective.

Examples:
My great grandfather is the oldest one in the family.
She has the prettiest face in the whole school.
He talks the loudest in his circle of friends.
Bozo is the funniest clown in the circus.
Your sister is the most talkative person in class.
It is a small chair but the most comfortable chair in the house.
He was the most injured among the victims.

One syllable

To form a comparative adjective, we look at the number of syllables a regular adjective has. Regardless of the number of
syllables, the adjective itself does not change in form when used with more or most.
For adjectives of one syllable, we normally add -er to the end of the comparative adjective (high – higher, weak – weaker) and -
est in their superlative forms (highest, weakest).
If an adjective of one syllable ends with an e, just add an r (pale – paler; safe – safer).
If an adjective ends in a consonant, the consonant must be doubled (big – bigger; mad – madder)

Two syllables

Example of an adjective that has two syllables: funny has two syllables: fun-ny
If an adjective has two syllables and ends in y, drop the y and add –ier (early – earlier; happy – happier; pretty – prettier).
If an adjective has two syllables and does not end in y, add the word more before the adjective (more handsome, more helpful;
more purple).

Examples:
She felt happier than she had been for a long time.
The lifts are more helpful to the older patients.

Three syllables

Example of a three-syllable adjective: beautiful has three syllables: beau-ti-ful.


For an adjective with three or more syllables, use the word more in front of the adjective to form the comparative form and the
word most in front of the superlative form.

Examples:
She wears heavy make-up to make herself more beautiful.
The Town Clock Tower is the most beautiful building in the city.

The weather was more terrible when it got dark.


It must have been the most terrible experience for the survivors.
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8/27/2018Manis still more intelligent than the cleverest robot. 2. Comparative Adjectives
The eldest one is the most intelligent of the five sisters.

Irregular adjectives
Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

The following table shows adjectives that are not regular


as good as better than the best
as bad as worse than the worst
as little as less than the least
as much as more than the most
as many as more than the most
as far as farther than the farthest
as far as further than the furthest

List 17 - The Comparison of Adjectives (/lists/68-grammar-lessons/623-list-17-the-comparison-of-adjectives.html) shows the


comparison of adjectives for most common (and uncommon) words.

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