Adjectives describe nouns, but sometimes we want to compare things. That’s where comparative and superlative adjectives come in. Comparative and superlative adjectives are used to compare and contrast qualities of different people, places, or things. Comparative adjectives compare two things, showing how one differs from the other in a specific quality. On the other hand, Superlative adjectives indicate the highest degree of a quality among three or more things.
Comparative adjectives
1- Structure
A- One-Syllable Adjectives
Add “-er” to the end of the adjective
tall —-> taller
big —-> bigger
fast —-> faster
- Sara is taller than Lily
- My book is bigger than yours
B- Two-syllable adjectives ending in “-y”
Change the -y to -i and add “-er”
happy —-> happier
funny —-> funnier
easy —-> easier
- She is happier today than yesterday
- the previous exam was easier than this one
C- Two-syllable adjectives not ending in “-y” and three or more syllables
Use “more” before the adjective.
beautiful —-> more beautiful
interesting —-> more interesting
angry —-> more angry
- This book is more interesting than that one
- He was more angry than her
2- Irregular Comparatives
Some adjectives don’t follow the rules
- Good → better
- Bad → worse
- Far → farther/further
He is a better singer than I expected
My new phone is worse than my old one
Superlative Adjectives
1- Structure
A- One-Syllable Adjectives
Add “-est” to the end of the adjective
tall —-> tallest
big —-> biggest
fast —-> fastest
- Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world
- This is the biggest house in the neighborhood
B- Two-syllable adjectives ending in “-y”
Change the -y to -i and add “-est”
happy —-> happiest
funny —-> funniest
easy —-> easiest
- She is the happiest person I know
- this is the easiest question
C- Two-syllable adjectives not ending in “-y” and three or more syllables
Use “most” before the adjective.
beautiful —-> most beautiful
interesting —-> most interesting
angry —-> most angry
- It’s the most interesting story I’ve ever read
- This is the most beautiful garden in the city
2- Irregular Comparatives
Some adjectives have irregular forms
- Good → best
- Bad → worst
- Far → farthest/furthest
This is the best pizza I’ve ever tasted
This is the worst mistake you’ve made
Using Comparatives and Superlatives in Sentences
Comparatives: Use comparatives for two items or groups. Comparative adjectives are often followed by “than” when comparing two things.
- Example: This book is longer than that one.
Superlatives: Use superlatives for three or more items or groups. Use “the” before the superlative.
- Example: He is the smartest student in the class.