Comparative or superlative

 We add -est to one-syllable adjectives to make the superlative form .

eg cold•¨ colder•¨coldest.

 If a one or two-syllable adjective ends in -y, we change the y to

an i before adding -est .
eg sunny•¨sunnier•¨sunniest

 If an adjective ends in -e, we just add -st.

eg large•¨larger•¨largest

 If a one-syllable adjective ends in a vowel + one consonant, we double

the final consonant before adding -est.
eg wet•¨wetter•¨wettest

 For most adjectives that have two syllables or more, we

add most before the adjective.
eg expensive•¨more expensive•¨most expensive

 Some adjectives are irregular.

eg bad•¨worse•¨worst,
good•¨better•¨best

LOS ADJETIVOS EN GRADO COMPARATIVO

El comparativo se usa en inglés para comparar diferencias entre los dos objetos a los que modifica (larger, smaller,
faster, higher). Se emplea en oraciones donde comparamos dos nombres, de la manera siguiente:

Nombre (sujeto) + verbo + adjetivo en grado comparativo + than + nombre (objeto).

El segundo término de la comparación puede omitirse si se entiende a partir del contexto. (ver el último ejemplo).

EJEMPLOS
 My house is larger than hers.
 This box is smaller than the one I lost.
 Your dog runs faster than Jim's dog.
 The rock flew higher than the roof.
 Jim and Jack are both my friends, but I like Jack better. ("than Jim" se sobreentiende)

LOS ADJETIVOS EN GRADO SUPERLATIVO

El superlativo se emplea para describir un objeto que se encuentra en el extremo superior o inferior de una cualidad
(the tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). Se utiliza en oraciones en las que comparamos un sujeto con un
grupo de objetos, como aquí:

Nombre (sujeto) + verbo + the + adjetivo en grado superlativo + nombre (objeto).

El grupo con el que se efectúa la comparación puede omitirse si se entiende a partir del contexto (ver el último
ejemplo).
EJEMPLOS
 My house is the largest one in our neighborhood.
 This is the smallest box I've ever seen.
 Your dog ran the fastest of any dog in the race.
 We all threw our rocks at the same time. My rock flew the highest. ("of all the rocks" está sobreentendido)

FORMACIÓN DE COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS

REGULARES
En inglés, es simple formar el comparativo y el superlativo de la mayoría de los adjetivos. La forma dependerá del
número de sílabas del adjetivo.

ADJETIVOS DE UNA SÍLABA

Añadir -er para el comparativo y -est para el superlativo. Si el adjetivo termina en consonante + vocal + consonante,
la última consonante debe repetirse antes de añadir la terminación.

Adjetivo Comparativo Superlativo

tall taller tallest

fat fatter fattest

big bigger biggest

sad sadder Saddest

ADJETIVOS DE DOS SÍLABAS

Los adjetivos de dos sílabas pueden formar el comparativo añadiendo -er, como los adjetivos de una sílaba, o bien
colocando more delante del adjetivo, como ocurre con los de tres sílabas. Igualmente, estos adjetivos pueden formar
el superlativo añadiendo la terminación -est o bien poniendo most delante el adjetivo. En muchos casos se utilizan las
dos formas, aunque uno de los usos será más habitual que el otro. Si no estamos seguros de que un adjetivo pueda
tomar las terminaciones de comparativo o superlativo, es mejor utilizar more y most. Cuando un adjetivo de dos
sílabas termina en y, hay que cambiarla por i antes de añadir la terminación.

Adjetivo Comparativo Superlativo

happy happier happiest

simple simpler simplest

busy busier busiest

Adjetivo Comparativo Superlativo

tilted more tilted most tilted

tangled more tangled most tangled

ADJETIVOS DE TRES SÍLABAS O MÁS

Los adjetivos de tres sílabas o más forman el comparativo colocando more antes del adjetivo y el superlativo
colocando most.

Adjetivo Comparativo Superlativo

important more important most important

expensive more expensive most expensive

COMPARATIVOS Y SUPERLATIVOS IRREGULARES

Algunos adjetivos muy corrientes tienen formas irregulares en los grados comparativo y superlativo.

Adjetivos Comparativos Superlativos

good Better Best

bad Worse Worst

little Less Least

much More Most

far further / farther furthest / farthest

EJEMPLOS:
 Today is the worst day I've had in a long time.
 You play tennis better than I do.
 This is the least expensive sweater in the store.
 This sweater is less expensive than that one.
 I ran pretty far yesterday, but I ran even farther today.
 Comparatives and Superlatives

Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

1. We use comparatives to compare two things or two people. (e.g She is taller than her husband.)
2. Superlatives are used, however, to compare to show the difference between more than two
things or more than two people. (e.g Paris is the biggest city in France)
3. To form comparatives and superlatives you need to know the number of syllables in the
adjective. Syllables are like "sound beats".

For instance:

 "find" contains one syllable,

 but "finding" contains two — find and ing.

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent 'e' — nice

 Comparative — add 'r' — nicer

 Superlative — add 'st' — nicest

2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonant — big

 Comparative — the consonant is doubled and 'er' is added —bigger

 Superlative — the consonant is doubled and 'est' is added—biggest

3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a vowel — high, cheap

 Comparative — 'er' is added — higher, cheaper

 Superlative — 'est is added — highest, cheapest

4. A two syllable adjective ending in 'y' — happy

 Comparative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'er' is added — happier

 Superlative — 'y' becomes 'i' and 'est' is added — happiest

5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without 'y' at the end — exciting

 Comparative — more + the adjective + than — more exciting than

 Superlative — more + the adjective + than — the most exciting

Examples:

 The Nile River is longer and more famous than the Thames.
 Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
 Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
 This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.
 Peter (6 years old) Charley (5 months old)

Peter is older than Charley.

Charley is younger than Peter.

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Adjectives Comparatives Superlatives

bad worse worst

far(distance) farther farthest

far(extent) further furthest

good better best

little less least

many more most

much more most

How to use comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives Superlatives

Comparatives are used to compare Superlatives are used to compare more than two things or
two things or two people: two people. Superlative sentences usually use 'the':
Alan is taller than John. Alan is the most intelligent.

Similarities

To express similarities use the following ... as + adjective + as ... structure:

Examples:

 Mike is as intelligent as Nancy.

 Larry is as popular as Oprah.
 Lights, camera, action
Exercise 1 - Comparatives and superlatives
Complete the sentences with the present simple form
of the verbs in brackets. Use contractions where possible.
1. My sister thinks she's (intelligent) than me, but I don't agree!
2. Avatar is probably (bad) film I've seen!
3. What is (wet) month of the year in England?
4. Do you think the Harry Potter films are (good) than the books?
5. Who is (powerful) person in your country?
6. I think Men in Black 1 was (funny) than Men in Black 3.
7. Is Angelina Jolie (old) than Sandra Bullock?
8. John is (nice) person that I know.

Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets (comparative or superlative).

1. My house is (big) than yours.

2. This flower is (beautiful) than that one.

3. This is the (interesting) book I have ever read.

4. Non-smokers usually live (long) than smokers.

5. Which is the (dangerous) animal in the world?

6. A holiday by the sea is (good) than a holiday in the mountains.

7. It is strange but often a coke is (expensive) than a beer.

8. Who is the (rich) woman on earth?

9. The weather this summer is even (bad) than last summer.

10. He was the (clever) thief of all.

English exercise "Comparative or superlative"

1. Greenland is the (large) island in the world.

2. Travelling by plane is (fast) than travelling by train.

3. Boracay Island in the Philippines has (good) beaches I have

ever seen.

4. Jamaica is (sunny) than Norway.

5. Fjordland in New Zealand is (wet) place in the world.

6. Rain in the wet season is (heavy) than during the rest of the
year.

7. Easter Island is (interesting) island I have ever visited.

8. A holiday in Thailand is (exciting) than a holiday in Spain.

9. Santa Cruz is the second (large) island in the Galapagos.

10. The Galapagos are one of the (expensive) places in the

world to visit.

ut the adjectives between brackets in the correct form

1. My brother has a (tidy) room than me.

2. Australia is (big) than England.
3. I'm (good) now than yesterday.
4. She's got (little) money than you, but she doesn't care.
5. He thinks Chinese is (difficult) language in the world
6. Valencia played (bad) than Real Madrid yesterday.
7. Cats are not (intelligent) as dogs.
8. Show me (good) restaurant downtown.
9. (hot) desert of all is the Sahara and it's in Africa.
10. Who is (talkative) person in your family?

COMPLETE THE ADJECTIVES USING THE COMPARATIVE FORM

1. It´s too noisy here. Can we go to a (quiet) place?

2. The hotel was (big) than that in which we stayed last year.
3. Your work is (good) than mine.
4. The accident could have been (bad) than it was.
5. I was (nervous) in my exam yesterday than Mark.
6. I´d like to have a (fast) car. The one I have now is really old.
7. Last week it was really hot. Today is (cold) than then.
 WHICH IS CORRECT?

1. We have an brother who lives in Miami.

2. Her illness is than what the doctors expected.
3. I like warm weather. If the weather is , I will get sick.
4. This dress is than that one.
5. He is than Arthur.
6. This road is than the motorway.
7. Was the TV programme than the film?

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE SUPERLATIVE FORM OF THE

ADJECTIVES

1. It´s a very nice house. It´s house in the street.

2. This is a cheap restaurant. It´s I´ve ever been.
3. It was a very valuable painting. I´m sure it was painting in the
gallery.
4. She´s a very good tennis player. Her trainer says she is .
5. He´s a very dangerous criminal. The police says he is in the
country.
6. We should buy him a beautiful present. Last year we gave
him gift of all in his birthday.

4. WRITE THE COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE FORM OF THE ADJECTIVES

IN THESE SENTENCES

1. She was a very intelligent student. She was girl in her class.
2. It´s a very old castle. Experts argued it is in Britain.
3. I´m going to sleep on the sofa. The floor is (uncomfortable)
than it.
4. This new job is (important) for me than the last I had.
5. Living in the countryside is (healthy) than leaving in town.
6. These instructions were (difficult) ones I have ever read.