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by Kenneth Beare
Updated March 30, 2017
The comparative and superlative forms in English compare and contrast different objects in English.
COMPARATIVE FORM
Use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects.
Examples:
Comparative Form
1 syllable adjective + -er She is faster than Mary.
2 + syllables more + adjective Jack is more handsome than Jerry.
2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-ier That joke was funnier than mine.
Add '-er' to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if preceded by a vowel) remove the 'y' from
the adjective and add 'ier'
Drop '-y' and add '-ier' to two syllable adjectives ending in '-y'. Note adjectives ending in '-y' that are three
syllables or more take 'more' rather than '-ier'.
SUPERLATIVE FORM
Use the superlative form when speaking about three or more objects to show which object is 'the most' of
something.
Examples:
Superlative Form
1 syllable the + adjective + add -est That's the tallest building in New York.
2+ syllables the most + adjective Alice is the most interesting woman I've ever met.
2 syllables ending in -y drop -y from adjective +-iest Peter is the funniest guy in my class.
Place 'the' before the adjective and add '-est' to end of the adjective (Note: double the final consonant if
preceded by a vowel)
Example: cheap - the cheapest / hot - the hottest / high - the highest
Two Syllable Adjectives Ending in '-y' place 'the' before the adjective and remove the 'y' from the adjective and
add 'iest'
IMPORTANT EXCEPTIONS
There are some important exceptions to these rules! Here are two of the most important exceptions:
good
good - adjective
better - comparative
the best - superlative
This book is better than that one.
This is the best school in the city.
bad
bad - adjective
worse - comparative
the worst - superlative
Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/comparative-and-superlatives-for-beginners-1208966