Comparative and Superlative Adjectives for Beginners

Hello! My name is Reggie and I'll be your guide!

This guide is designed for pre-intermediate (A1/A2) secondary school students.

In it, you could find definitions, grammar rules explanations, examples, activities and a final quizz, to help you practice the use of comparatives and superlatives.

How to usetheguide?

Also, there are some icons who will tell you what to do.

Read Write / complete Reflect Search

Speak

Psst! Listen to your teacher's instructions and ask him/her if you have any questions.

Comparative adjectives

Read to learn more about the concept and its rules.

Comparative adjectives, as its name state, are used to compare people, objects, animals, etc. and also to describe changes in them.

Use

1. To compare one person, thing, or action with another

Ex. He's taller than me.

2. To describe how something or someone changes. Ex. I'm happier now.

Psst! The form of the comparative depends on the number of syllables of the adjective.

Sentence Formula

Noun (subject) verb comparative adjective than noun (object)

Examples

Glossary

Adjective: a word that describes a noun or a pronoun.

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

Comparative adjectives

Read to learn more about the concept and its rules.

Types of comparatives and their use

Comparatives of equality

Used to say that things are equal or the same As .... As

Peter is as fast as Mary.

Not as ... As Shows that something isn't the same.

This book isn't as good as that one

Comparatives of superiority

Used to that someone or something is superior

The weights I lift are heavier than yours. Micheal Phelps is more talented than that swimmer.

Comparatives of inferiority

Used to say that someone or something is inferior

Less The least

Hamburgers are less healthy than vegetables.

Cleaning the floor is my least favourite type of housework

Other uses of comparatives

Comparatives with 'and' Used to describe how something or someone changes.

The balloon got bigger and bigger. Everything is getting more and more expensive.

'The' with comparatives

Used to show that one thing depends on another

The faster you drive, the more dangerous it is The higher they climbed, the colder it got

Superlative adjectives

Read to learn more about the concept and its rules.

Superlative adjectives express the extreme or highest degree of quality. We use a superlative adjective to describe the extreme quality of one thing in a group of things

This means that we use superlative adjectives when we have three or more things.

Uses

1 To describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of quality. Ex. The tallest, the smallest.

2 They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a group of objects.

Glossary

Degree: (an) amount or level of something.

Sentence Formula

Noun (subject) verb the adjective noun

Examples

Psst! The form of the superlative depends on the number of syllables of the adjective

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.

How to form comparative and superlative adjectives

Read the following chart.

Type of adjective

Rules

Example Comparative Superlative

Short / Onesyllable adjectives

* For short adjectives with one vowel + one consonant, double the consonant

Cold Small Tall Cheap *Big *Hot

Short / Onesyllable adjectives

Short / Onesyllable adjectives ending in e

Adjectives that end in y

Few exceptions that AREN'T add '-er' or ' est'

Fun Real Right Wrong

Colder Smaller Taller Cheaper Bigger Hotter

More fun More real More right More wrong

Only r or st are added. Nice Strange Nicer Stranger

Coldest Smallest Tallest Cheapest Biggest Hottest

Most fun Most real Most right Most wrong

The nicest The strangest

'y' changes to 'i' and ' er' and '-est' are added

Funny Early Heavy Happy Dry

Adjectives with two or more syllables

Irregular adjectives

'More' or 'Most' are used before the adjective

We just need to learn these forms.

Funnier Earlier Heavier Happier Drier

Careful Normal Expensive Interesting More careful More normal More expensive More interesting

Funniest Earliest Heaviest Happiest Driest

Most careful Most normal Most expensive Most interesting

Good Bad Far Little Better Worse Further Less Best Worst Furthest Least

Psst! Never combine -er with the word more. Neither combine -est with the word most.

Let's practice

For each sentence, write the correct form of the adjective in comparative

My sister thinks she is than me, but I don't agree. (INTELLIGENT)

John is the person that I know. (NICE)

Betty seems __________ than ever since she moved to Boston (HAPPY)

My neighbor has the pool in the neighborhood, it's huge! (LARGE)

Could you speak more ___________, please? I can't understand you (SLOW)

This is the place I have ever travelled to. (FAR)

My new computer is a bit than the old one. (GOOD)

Almost any day in Merida is that any in Valladolid (HOT)

Now, it's time to share your answers with a partner. And create 2 new sentences that are true for both of you!

Look at the photos!

Look carefully at the photos, write sentences comparing them. the comparative or superlative form can use the hints to guess the correct adjective. a the a

Psst! Hint: the adjective is related to

This one or that one?

Highlight the correct option to complete the text.

Hi Peanut, I'm having a wonderful time in Los Angeles. The weather is 1 ___ and drier 2 ___ in England and Americans are friendlier than 3 ___ . The food is better here; it's not the same 4 the food in England at all! From all the countries I've been to, I think English food is the 5 ___ pleasant. It's awful. Yesterday I had the best hamburger I’ve 6 eaten! The hotel is beautiful. I think it’s not as 7 ___ the hotel we stayed in New York, but it's 8 comfortable. They say that Los Angeles is one of the most expensive cities 9 the world, but actually, I'm not spending 10 money as I thought. I’ll phone you when I get back. Love, Honey.

a) hotter b) hoter c) hottest a) that b) as c) than a) our b) us c) we a) than b) as c) that a) less b) more c) least a) ever b) before c) never a) nice as b) nicer than c) nicer as a) most b) much more c) lot more a) in b) of c) from a) as much b) more c) as many 1. 2. 3 4. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 Choose wisely!

Writing a Post Card

Choose a place you know well. Write a post card convincing someone either to visit or to avoid it Use positive, comparative and superlative adjectives.

Glossary

Before you write, search what are the characteristics and the parts of a post card.

Post card: A card, often with a picture on one side, which you can write on and send to people without using an envelope.

Quiz Time!

In this section you have to show what you have learn, is the last step Good luck!

To compare two things, we add -er to many adjectives. We add est to make the superlative form of many adjectives.

We never change the spelling of the adjective before adding -er / -est.

We often use 'than' after a comparative We often use 'the' before a superlative. With longer adjectives, we use 'more' + adjective or 'most' + adjective.

1. Complete the following activity. Are the sentences true or false? F T F T F T F T F T F T F

There are a lot of irregular comparatives and superlatives.

2. Underline the correct sentence.

A My syster is taller than me.

My sister is more taller than me.

My sister is more tall than me.

B

The River Nile is longer than the Mississippi.

The River Nile is more long than the Mississippi.

The River Nile is the most longer than the Mississippi

I think English homework is the easiest than history homework

C

I think English homework is more easy than history homework. I think English homework is easier than history homework.

The most intelligentest animal is the chimpanzee.

D

The intelligentest animal is the chimpanzee

The most intelligent animal is the chimpanzee.

3 Put the words in the correct order, the sentences make sense, following the structure of the comparative or superlative.

idea / good / the / four / of / Ivan's / is / the will/ guests / than / we / have / last / few / time party / is / my / than / plans / list / yours / long / of barn / the / party / life / bad / of / held / my / was / a / in invitations / will / good / than / calls / written / phone / be tacos / of / the / all / tasty / treats / party / Sophie's / are / the than / fall / is / exciting / summer / more / time

I'll see you next time, with other topics and fun activities! Bye-bye! Reggie out!

Well, this is the end of the journey. I hope you learned everything about the comparative and superlatives!

Reference Page

Beckwith, S (n d ) Superlative and Comparative Adjectives Perfect English Grammar. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.perfect english grammar com/adjectives-comparative-and-superlative html British Council. (2010, March 11). Comparative and superlative adjectives. LearnEnglish. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://learnenglish britishcouncil org/grammar/english-grammarreference/comparative-and-superlative-adjectives

British Council. (n.d.). Comparatives and superlatives. Learn English Kids. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/grammar-practice/comparativesand superlatives

British Council (n d ) Comparative and superlative adjectives LearnEnglish Teens. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar/a1 a2 grammar/comparative-superlative-adjectives+ Cambridge Dictionary. (2022, September 21). Adjective. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/adjective Cambridge Dictionary. (2022, September 21). Degree. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/degree Collins Dictionary. (n.d.). Postcard. In Collins Dictionary. Retrieved September 23, 2022, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/postcard

Reference Page

EF Education First. (n.d.). The comparative and the superlative. EF. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.ef.com/wwen/englishresources/english-grammar/comparative-andsuperlative/#:~:text=Superlative%20adjectives%20are%20used%20to,to%20a %20group%20of%20objects. Houghton Mifflin. (2001). Comparing with Adjectives. In Houghton Mifflin English (pp. 186–189). Soars, L., Soars, J., & Hancock, P. (2018, December 12). New Headway 5th Edition Pre-Intermediate. Student’s Book with Student’s Resource center and Online Practice Access (5th ed.). Oxford University Press España, S.A. UNAM. (n.d.). Comparatives and Superlatives. Ambiente Virtual De Idiomas. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://avi.cuaed.unam.mx/repositorio/moodle/pluginfile.php/3908/mod_res ource/content/1/Contenido/index.html+

Wall Street English. (2021, July 5). The Comparative and the Superlative. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.wallstreetenglish.com/exercises/comparative-superlative