Comparative and superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs

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Comparative and superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs

Definition:  Adjective: It is used to express attributes to something or someone. These appear before the noun, modify it and follow an order of determiners, observation, size and shape, age, color, origin, material and qualifier.  Adverb: It can modify a verb, an adjective, a phrase or clause and another adverb. Adverbs can be identified quickly by their commonly used suffix “ly” and can be found in various places of the sentence.  You should use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb to compare exactly two things. The superlative form is for comparing three or more.

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 1: Only one syllable, ending in E. E.g.: wide, fine, cute Comparative Add -R: wider, finer, cuter

Superlative Add -ST: widest, finest, cutest

ď Ż Comparative: Mary is cuter than Jenny. ď Ż Superlative: Mary is the cutest girl of the classroom.

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 2: Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end.

E.g.: hot, big, fat Comparative

Superlative

Double the consonant, and add -ER: hotter, bigger, fatter

Double the consonant, and add -EST: hottest, biggest, fattest

ď Ż Comparative: This summer is hotter than last year’s summer. ď Ż Superlative: This is the hottest summer ever.

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 3: Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end.

E.g.: light, neat, fast Comparative Add -ER: lighter, neater, faster

Superlative Add -EST: lightest, neatest, fastest

ď Ż Comparative: This car is faster than my last car. ď Ż Superlative: This car is the fastest I ever had.

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 4: Two syllables, ending in Y. E.g.: happy, silly, lonely

Comparative Change Y to I, then add -ER: happier, sillier, lonelier

Superlative Change Y to I, then add -EST: happiest, silliest, loneliest

ď Ż Comparative: I feel happier than ever. ď Ż Superlative: I am the happiest person of the world.

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 5: Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. E.g.: modern, interesting, beautiful

Comparative Use MORE before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful

Superlative Use MOST before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful

 Comparative: “The Da Vinci Code” book is more interesting than the movie.  Superlative: “The Da Vinci Code” is the most interesting book ever written.

Comparative & superlative: Irregular adjectives Irregular adjective

Comparative form

Superlative form

Good

Better

Best

Bad

Worse

Worst

Far

Farther

Farthest

Little

Less

Least

Many

More

Most

Interesting fact‌ ď Ż The rules applied on the comparative and superlative adjectives are very similar to the rules of the comparative and superlative adverbs. You can play with the rules and have fun‌

Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 1: One syllable adverbs add –er and/or –est.

E.g.: fast, hard

Comparative Add -ER: faster, harder, cuter

Superlative Add -EST: fastest, hardest, cutest

 Comparative: John works harder than me.  Superlative: John works the hardest.

Rules: comparative and superlative adverbs Rule # 2: Adverbs with 2 or more syllables, use MORE and MOST with: E.g.: carefully, quickly Comparative

With two or more syllables, use MORE and THAN: more carefully than, more quickly than

Superlative

Use THE MOST: the most carefully, the most quickly

ď Ż Comparative: He ran more quickly than me. ď Ż Superlative: Of all the athletes, he ran the most quickly.

Comparative & superlative: Irregular adverbs Irregular adjective

Comparative form

Superlative form

Good

Better than

The best

Bad

Worse than

The worst

Far

Farther than/Further than

The farthest/The furthest

Well

Better than

The best

References:  University of Victoria English Language Centre. (1998).

Comparatives and Superlatives. Retrieved from University of Victoria English Language Centre: https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/r egcom.htm  Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives. (n.d.).

Retrieved from Eflnet: http://www.eflnet.com/tutorials/adjcompsup.php  Mastin, K. (n.d.). Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs.

Retrieved from English-Zone: http://www.englishzone.com/teach/crules3a.html

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Prepared by:  Cristabel R. Ocasio Ilarraza  Nirazette L. González Abella