Comparatives & Superlatives

Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
One-syllable adjectives.
Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.

One-Syllable Adjective: tall,old,long
Comparative Form: taller, older,longer
Superlative Form: tallest, oldest,longest

• Mary is taller than Max.
• Mary is the tallest of all the students.
• Max is older than John.
• Of the three students, Max is the oldest.
• My hair is longer than your hair.
• Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e: large,wise
Comparative Form:larger,wiser
Superlative Form:largest,wisest

• Mary's car is larger than Max's car.
• Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block.
• Max is wiser than his brother.
• Max is the wisest person I know.

If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form.

One-Syllable Adjective Ending with a Single Consonant with a Single Vowel before It
big,thin,fat
Comparative Form: bigger,thinner,fatter
Superlative Form: biggest,thinnest,fattest


• My dog is bigger than your dog.
• My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood.
• Max is thinner than John.
• Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest.
• My mother is fatter than your mother.
• Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.

Two-syllable adjectives.
With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective:peaceful,pleasant,careful,thoughtful
Comparative Form:more peaceful,more pleasant,more careful,more thoughtful
Superlative Form:most peaceful, most pleasant,most careful,most thoughtful


• This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.
• Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.
• Max is more careful than Mike.
• Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.
• Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.
• Mary is the most thoughtful person I've ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with –y, change the y to i and add –er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add –est.
Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y: happy,angry,busy
Comparative Form: happier,angrier,busier
Superlative Form:happiest,angriest,busiest


• John is happier today than he was yesterday.
• John is the happiest boy in the world.
• Max is angrier than Mary.
• Of all of John's victims, Max is the angriest.
• Mary is busier than Max.
• Mary is the busiest person I've ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er and –est to form the comparative and superlative forms.
Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow: narrow,gentle
Comparative Form:narrower,gentler
Superlative Form:narrowest,gentlest

• The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.
• This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
• Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.
For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
Adjective with Three or More Syllables:generous,important,intelligent
Comparative Form:more generous,more important,more intelligent
Superlative Form:most generous,most important,most intelligent


• John is more generous than Jack.
• John is the most generous of all the people I know.
• Health is more important than money.
• Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
• Women are more intelligent than men.
• Mary is the most intelligent person I've ever met.

Exceptions.
Irregular adjectives.
Irregular Adjective: good ,bad,far,little ,many
Comparative Form: better,worse,farther,less,more
Superlative Form: best,worst,farthest,least,most


• Italian food is better than American food.
• My dog is the best dog in the world.
• My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.
• Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.

Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules. These adjectives can be used with -er and -est and with more and most.
Two-Syllable Adjective:clever,gentle ,friendly, quiet ,simple
Comparative Form:cleverer, more clever, gentler,more gentle,friendlier,more friendly,quieter,more quiet,simpler, more simple
Superlative Form:cleverest, most clever, gentlest,most gentle,friendliest,most friendly, quietest, most quiet,simplest, most simple.

• Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.
• Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs.
• Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

Exercises