COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
What are comparatives?
Comparative adjectives are adjectives used to compare characteristics between two
nouns, highlighting their differences (these could be objects, people, or animals)
based on a shared characteristic (size, color, height, velocity, etc).
This is the structure that needs to be followed:
Noun (as a subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (as an object).
Example: The red ball is bigger than the yellow ball.
What are superlatives?
When more than two nouns are being compared, it’s time to use superlative
adjectives. These are adjectives that refer to the highest degree of difference
between the nouns that are being compared.
The structure to be used is this one:
noun (as a subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun (as an object)
Example: Jhon is the tallest in our 10th grade.
Rules for forming comparatives and superlatives
1. When the adjective has one syllable
In this case, the comparative is formed by adding the ending -er to the word, while the
superlative is formed by adding:
“the ” + -est to the end of the word.
Adjective: “small” Comparative: “smaller ” Superlative: “the smallest ”.
If the adjective already ends with an -e , then it’s just necessary to add -r for the
comparative and -st for the superlative.
Adjective: “large” Comparative: “larger ” Superlative: “the largest ”
2. the following structure:
Consonant + vowel + consonant (such as “big”), the last consonant has to be doubled
when forming both the comparative and the superlative adjective.
Adjective: “big” Comparative: “bigger ” Superlative: “the biggest ”
3. When the adjective ends with the letter -y then the comparative and
superlative is formed just as in the first case for adjectives with one syllable by
adding “the ” plus -er and -est respectively and changing the -y to an -i .
Adjective: “ugly” Comparative: “uglier ” Superlative: “the ugliest ”
When the adjective has two syllables
In these cases, the comparative is formed by using the word “more ” in front of the
adjective.
To form superlatives with two-syllable adjectives it must be used the words :
“the ” + “most ”. These words always go before the adjective in the sentence.
Adjective: “precious” Comparative: “more precious” Superlative: “the most
precious”
1.When the adjective has two syllables and ends with -er, -le or -ow
In this particular case, there are two options.
In the first one, the comparative adjectives can be formed just as in the one syllable
case: by adding:
er for comparatives or “the ” + -est for superlatives at the end of the word.
However, there is a second option, which is to add “more ” or “the ” + “most ” in front
of the adjective to form the comparative and superlative respectively. Usually, the
second option is more common but both are correct.
Adjective: “tender” Comparative: “tenderer ” or “more tender” Superlative:
“tenderest ” or “the most tender”
2. When the adjective has three syllables or more
In this case, the only option to form the comparative is adding the word:
“more ” for comparatives and “the ” + “most ” for superlatives.
Adjective: “important” Comparative: “more important” Superlative: “the most
important”
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
Adjective – Comparative – Superlative
Bad worse → the worst
Badly worse → the worst
Far farther → the farthest (distance)
Good better → the best
Late later → the latest/last
Less lesser → the least
Little less → the least (amount)
Many more → most
Much more → most
Well better → best
Expressing similarities in English
To talk about things that share similar characteristics in English, this is the structure to
be followed:
as + adjective + as Example: My house is as big as yours. / Lisa is as tall as Elliot.
When you are going to complete the format use the appropriate adjective form
depending on the facts. In case you do not know the answers you can look for
information on internet and write the comparisons, and if you would like to
go deeper click here. Two sites to learn.
https://www.curso-ingles.com/aprender/cursos/nivel-intermedio/comparative-
superlative/comparatives-and-superlatives
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/comparisons
A dolphin is more intelligent than a gorilla
a. Chimpanzee
b. Gorilla intelligent
The chimpanzee is the most intelligent
c. Dolphin
animal.
1. a. Kilimanjaro Everest is the highest mountain.
b. Everest high Mont blanc is higher than Kilimanjaro.
c. Mont Blanc
2. a. Amazon The Nile river is the longest.
b. Mississippi long The amazon is longer than Mississippi.
c. Nile
Leonor Londoño Loaiza
Virtual Instructor
Industrial Biotechnology Center
Palmira Valle.
