COMPARISONS

COMPARISON DEGREES:
shallow

shallower / more shallow

the shallowest / the most shallow

I. The Comparison of Adjectives

To form the comparative degree of an adjective you need to add .. to the adjective or use the
word .. before the adjective.
Examples: clever /
quiet /
To form the superlative degree of an adjective you need to add .. to the adjective or use the
word .. before the adjective. Normally you also need to add the definite article
(..).
Examples: clever /
quiet /

-er or more? est or the most

Add -est

use more

Add -er

use the most

or to short adjectives.
or before long adjectives.

afraid
beautiful
boring
careful
cheap
clever
cruel
expensive
famous
Two-syllable adjectives
feeble
Two-syllable adjectives either have the er/-est ending or have
great
more/(the) most or both.
kind
Two-syllable adjectives ending in y have the
known
ending.
modern
e.g. happy happier (the) happiest
mysterious
Two-syllable adjectives ending in ful or less have
narrow
.
pleased
e.g. useful more useful (the) most useful
quiet
careless more careless (the) most careless
Two-syllable adjectives ending in (past/present simple
slow
participles) have more or (the) most.
surprised
e.g. annoyed more annoyed (the) most annoyed
thoughtless
striking more striking (the) most striking
unreliable
Many other adjectives have more or (the) most, e.g. afraid,
certain, correct, exact, famous, foolish, frequent, modern,
nervous, normal, recent, etc.
e.g. callous more callous (the) most callous
One-syllable adjectives
One-syllable adjectives usually have the or ending.
e.g. small smaller (the) smallest
But not words ending in or in
general.
e.g. feared more feared (the) most feared
drunk more drunk (the) most drunk

Some two-syllable adjectives have both forms, e.g. clever, quiet, simple, narrow,
common, gentle, polite, pleasant, etc.
e.g. cruel crueler / more cruel (the) cruelest / most cruel.
Three-syllable adjectives or adjectives of more than three syllables
Three-syllable or adjectives of more than three syllables have more or (the) most.
e.g. elegant more elegant (the) most elegant
Spelling
When you add the er or est ending to an adjective
ending in e, do not add another .
e.g. large larger (the) largest
ending in y, add ier or iest and drop the .
e.g. happy happier (the) happiest
But: shy shyer
ending in a single consonant before which there is a single vowel, the last
consonant and then add er or est.
e.g. fat fatter the fattest
I. The Comparison of Adverbs
Adverbs having the same form as an adjective
Adverbs like fast, hard, high, near, long, late, early, etc. form the comparative and
superlative in ...
e.g. hard harder (the) hardest
Adverbs ending in ly
They form the comparative and superlative with ...
Irregular comparative and superlative adjective and adverb forms
POSITIVE
much/many
little
far

COMPARATIVE

SUPERLATIVE

good / well
bad/ badly

Comparative and superlative patterns

We use more, most and their opposites ...... to compare quantities.
e.g.
I havent got much money. Youve got more than I have.
I havent got much money. Ive got less than you have.
The least reliable worker is Burns.
We use ... in a positive sentence to say that things are equal.
e.g.
Im as old as my sister. Were twins
We use ... or ... in a negative sentence.
e.g.
It isnt as/so cold as yesterday
comparative + and + comparative
We use this type of pattern to say that something is increasing all the time.
e.g.
The car was going ...... (fast)
The crowd are getting ........ (excited)
the + comparative + the + comparative
We use this type of pattern to say that a change in one thing goes with a change in another.