COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

When you compare two people or things, use the comparative form of the adjective.

Lots of comparative adjectives end in -er.

cheap cheaper

clear clearer

loud louder

new newer

old older

rich richer

short shorter

tall taller

slow slower

thick thicker

The word than is often used with comparative adjectives. For example, you might say:

Jack is taller than John.

A sports car is faster than a motorbike.

Use the superlative form of an adjective to compare three or more nouns. Lots of superlatives end in -est.

clean - cleaner - cleanest

easy - easier - easiest

fat fatter fattest

flat - flatter - flattest

heavy - heavier - heaviest

hot - hotter - hottest

narrow - narrower - narrowest

noisy - noisier - noisiest

simple - simpler - simplest

thin - thinner - thinnest

wet - wetter - wettest

You often add the before the superlative form. For example, you say:

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

Peter is the tallest boy in his class.

With adjectives that end in -e, add -r to form the comparative, and -st to form the superlative. For example:

Comparative Superlative

close - closer - closest

large - larger - largest

safe - safer - safest

wide - wider - widest

Some adjectives have only one syllable, end with a consonant, and have a single vowel before the consonant. With these adjectives, double the last letter before adding –er to form the comparative, and -est to form the superlative. For example:

Comparative Superlative

big bigger biggest

dim - dimmer - dimmest

mad - madder - maddest

sad - sadder - saddest

Some adjectives have two syllables and end in -y. With these adjectives change the y to i. Then add -er to form the comparative, and -est to form the superlative. For example:

Comparative Superlative

busy busier busiest

dirty dirtier dirtiest

happy happier happiest

pretty prettier prettiest

With some adjectives, you use more to make the comparative form, and most to make the superlative form.

active - more active - most active

charming - more charming - most charming

cheerful - more cheerful - most cheerful

comfortable - more comfortable - most comfortable

delicious - more delicious - most delicious

Adjectives that form their comparative and superlative with more and most are usually adjectives with two or more syllables, or sounds. For example:

ac-tive

ex-pen-sive

beau-ti-ful

fa-mous

charm-ing

for-tu-nate

cheer-ful

in-tel-li-gent

com-fort-a-ble

pow-er-ful

de-li-cious

val-u-a-ble

The comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives are completely different words.

good - better - best

little - less - least

bad - worse - worst

few - less - least

many more most

much more most

With these adjectives, you don’t add -er or more to form the comparative, or -est or most to form the superlative.