COMPARATIVE

VS
SUPERLATIVE
 COMPARATIVE VS SUPERLATIVE FORM

COMPARATIVES SUPERLATIVES
• WE USE COMPARATIVES TO COMPARE • WE USE SUPERLATIVES TO SHOW THE
TWO THINGS OR TWO PEOPLE. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MORE THAN TWO
THINGS OR MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE.

• A TIGGER IS FASTER THAN A TURTLE.

• DAVID IS THE SHORTEST.

 FORMING COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES ADJECTIVES

GROUP 1
COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
• IN GENERAL, IF THE ADJECTIVE HAS ONE • IN GENERAL, IF THE ADJECTIVE HAS ONE
SYLLABLE, THEN THE LETTERS -ER ARE ADDED: SYLLABLE, THEN THE LETTERS -EST ARE
ADDED:

fast faster than the fastest

 GROUP 2

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

• SOME ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES THAT • SOME ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES THAT

HAVE THE FOLLOWING PATTERN:
CONSONANT/VOWEL/CONSONANT (E.G.
BIG, WET, SAD, FAT) DOUBLE THE LAST
CONSONANT BEFORE ADDING -ER:
HAVE THE FOLLOWING PATTERN:
CONSONANT/VOWEL/CONSONANT (E.G.
BIG, WET, SAD, FAT) DOUBLE THE LAST
CONSONANT BEFORE ADDING OR -EST:

big bigger than the biggest

 GROUP 3

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

• IF THE ADJECTIVE HAS ONE SYLLABLE • OR -EST:

AND ENDS IN A SILENT E, DROP THE E
AND ADD –ER:

close closer than the closest

 GROUP 4

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

• IF THE ADJECTIVE ENDS IN Y (E.G. • OR -EST:

HAPPY, GREEDY, OR TIDY), REMOVE THE
Y TO AN I AND ADD -ER:

dry drier than the driest

 GROUP 5

• ADJECTIVES WITH TWO SYLLABLES CAN VARY. SOME ADD -ER/-EST OR ‘MORE’ / ‘MOST’:

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
• ADD –ER OR MORE. • -EST OR MOST.

simple simpler/ more simple than simplest/ the most simple

 GROUP 6

• SOME ADJECTIVES WITH TWO SYLLABLES ADD –ER/EST.

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
• ADD –ER. • -EST.

feeble feebler than the feeblest

 GROUP 7

• IF THE ADJECTIVE HAS THREE SYLLABLES OR MORE, THEN THE WORDS ‘MORE’ AND ‘MOST’ ARE USED.
(THOUGH THERE ARE SOME TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES WHICH ALSO FOLLOW THIS RULE LIKE
BORING, COMPLETE , CAREFUL, USELESS, GIFTED, CARING).
COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
• ADD MORE.
• ADD MOST.
beautiful more beautiful the most beautiful
 GROUP 8

SOME COMMON ADJECTIVES HAVE IRREGULAR COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS THAT YOU
JUST HAVE TO LEARN.

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

bad worse than the worst

good better than the best
far farther than the farthest
old (people or things) older than the oldest
old (people) elder than the eldest