Menu

Table of Contents

7ESL » Grammar » Comparison of Adjectives: Comparative and Superlative

Comparison of Adjectives: Comparative

and Superlative
Last updated on November 28, 2023 by Jim Manheim

Comparison of adjectives is a fundamental aspect of language that enables us to

express degrees of comparison between two or more things. Whether we want to
compare the size of two animals or the intelligence of two people, comparison of
adjectives helps us to convey the differences and similarities between them.

In this article, we will explore the different types of comparison of adjectives. We will
also examine the rules and exceptions that govern the use of comparison of adjectives
in English. So, let’s delve into the world of comparison of adjectives and discover how
they can enrich our language.

Understanding Comparison of Adjectives

Table of Contents
Adjectives are words used to describe or modify nouns, and they play a significant role
in making sentences more informative and accurate. The comparison of adjectives
Table
involves of Contents
three degrees, which are essential in making distinctions between qualities,
quantities, or other characteristics. The three degrees are the positive, comparative,
and superlative degree.

Positive Degree
The positive degree simply describes a noun without making any comparison. It is the
basic form of an adjective, and it typically does not require any additional change or
modification. Examples of positive degree adjectives include: big, fast, clever, colorful,
and loud. For instance:

The dog is big.

She has a colorful dress.

Comparative Degree
The comparative degree is used to compare two nouns or pronouns. This often involves
adding the suffix “-er” to short adjectives or using the word “more” before long
adjectives. Examples of comparative degree adjectives include: bigger, faster, cleverer,
more colorful, and louder. For instance:

This dog is bigger than that one.

Her dress is more colorful than mine.

When comparing two things with a similar characteristic, the construction “as…as” can
be used. For example:

He is as fast as his brother.

She is as tall as the lamp.

Superlative Degree
To compare the qualities of three or more things, the superlative degree is used. This
involves adding the suffix “-est” to short adjectives or using the word “most” before
long adjectives. Examples of superlative degree adjectives include: biggest, fastest,
cleverest, most colorful, and loudest. For instance:

She is the fastest runner in the race.

 This is the most colorful painting in the gallery.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative Degrees

Table of Contents

One-Syllable Adjectives
For most one-syllable adjectives, forming the comparative and superlative degrees is
quite straightforward. Simply add -er to the adjective for the comparative form, and -
est for the superlative form.

Examples:

Tall: taller, tallest

Small: smaller, smallest

There are some exceptions, like final consonant doubling (to double the number of
final consonants) and changing the final -y to -i before adding -er or -est:

Big: bigger, biggest

Sad: sadder, saddest
Dry: drier, driest

Two-Syllable Adjectives
For two-syllable adjectives, the rules depend on the adjective’s ending. If the adjective
ends in -y, -le, or -er, add -er or -est to form the comparative and superlative degrees:

Easy: easier, easiest

Noble: nobler, noblest
Clever: cleverer, cleverest

For other two-syllable adjectives, use more or most before the adjective:

Active: more active, most active

Peaceful: more peaceful, most peaceful

Adjectives with Three or More Syllables

For adjectives with three or more syllables, use more for the comparative form
and most for the superlative form. Do not add -er or -est to these adjectives.
Examples:

Beautiful: more beautiful, most beautiful

Table of Contents
Respectful: more respectful, most respectful
Fascinating: more fascinating, most fascinating

Comparison with As…As

In English grammar, the “as…as” structure is used to compare equal qualities or
characteristics of two people, things, or places. This structure is formed by placing an
adjective or adverb between the two “as” words. Here are a few examples to illustrate
this comparison.

John is as tall as Mike.

The cake is as delicious as the pie.
She can run as fast as her brother.

When making negative comparisons, the structure “not as…as” can also be used. This is
to indicate that the qualities or characteristics being compared are not equal.

Lucy is not as patient as her sister.

The new car is not as expensive as the old one.

The “as…as” structure can also be used with adverbs. Here are a couple of examples to
demonstrate this.

Tom works as hard as Mary.

The baby sleeps as peacefully as a kitten.

It’s important to note that when using “as…as” for comparisons, the adjective or adverb
being used should not be in its comparative or superlative form. The structure itself
implies that the comparison is equal, so there is no need to modify the adjective or
adverb.

Irregular Comparisons
Irregular comparisons occur when adjectives do not follow the standard pattern of
adding -er or -est for comparative and superlative forms. Instead, they have unique and
distinct forms that must be memorized. These irregular adjectives are essential to
master for proper English grammar.
Some common irregular adjectives include:

Good: better, best

Table of Contents
Bad: worse, worst
Far: further/farther, furthest/farthest
Little: less, least
Old: older, elder, oldest, eldest

One interesting aspect of irregular comparisons is that some adjectives have two forms
with slight differences in meaning. For example, the adjective far has two comparative
forms: further and farther. Generally, further is used when referring to abstract or
figurative distances, while farther is more appropriate for physical distances.

To ensure correct usage, it is advisable to learn and practice these irregular comparative
and superlative forms. To reinforce one’s understanding and retention of these irregular
forms, the following are some examples of sentences that utilize them:

John is a good student, but Sarah is better than him, and Jane is
the best student in their class.
The weather today is bad, yesterday’s weather was even worse, but the storm
last week had the worst weather we’ve experienced all year.
The library is far from my house; the grocery store is even farther, but the
airport is the farthest of all.

Comparison with Quantifiers

What are Quantifiers?
Quantifiers help to express the degree of difference between the two elements, whether
it is a small or large difference. They can be applied to demonstrate both “more” and
“less” differences in a comparison.

For instance, some commonly used quantifiers include words like a bit, slightly, much,
far, way, a lot, and a little. These quantifiers can modify the adjectives in a comparative
sentence, providing more depth and clarity about the extent of the difference between
the two compared items.

Comparison Using Quantifiers

Consider the following examples:
 This car is a bit more expensive than that motorcycle.
The red dress is slightly less appealing than the blue one.
Tom’s cake was much tastier than Jane’s.
Table of Contents
The novel’s ending was far more satisfying than the movie’s version.

With the inclusion of quantifiers, the reader or listener gains a better understanding of
the level of distinction in the comparison. It is important to use the appropriate
quantifier based on context, as they can change the meaning of the comparison.

Quantifiers can also be used with comparative adverbs, which modify verbs. Like
comparative adjectives, these adverbs help to compare the actions or states of two
subjects. For example:

The puppy runs much faster than the older dog.

Sarah speaks a little more quietly than her sister.

Forming Equative, Comparative and Superlative

Adjectives
Table of Contents
 Table of Contents

Comparison of Adjectives | Video

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the rules for forming comparative and superlative adjectives?

For one-syllable adjectives, add -er to form the comparative and -est to form the
superlative. For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change the -y to -ier for the
comparative and -iest for the superlative. For other adjectives with two or more
syllables, place “more” before the adjective to form the comparative and “most” before
the adjective to form the superlative. Some adjectives have irregular comparative and
superlative forms.

How do you identify the comparative form of an adjective?

The comparative form of an adjective generally has the suffix -er or is preceded by
“more.” For example, “faster” or “more expensive” are comparative forms of the
adjectives “fast” and “expensive,” respectively.
Table of Contents
Can you provide examples of comparative and superlative adjectives?

Here are some examples:

Old: older (comparative) and oldest (superlative)

Happy: happier (comparative) and happiest (superlative)
Beautiful: more beautiful (comparative) and most beautiful (superlative)
Bad: worse (comparative), and worst (superlative)

What are the types of comparison in adjectives?

There are three degrees of comparison in adjectives: positive, comparative, and

superlative. The positive degree refers to the base form of the adjective, the
comparative degree is used to compare two things, and the superlative degree is used
to indicate which item is the best among three or more items.

What is the grammar for comparing adjectives?

To compare adjectives, use the comparative form of the adjective followed by “than”
and the object of comparison. For example, “She is taller than him” or “His car is more
expensive than mine.”

What is the comparative and superlative form of the adjective ‘good’?

The comparative form of ‘good’ is ‘better’, and the superlative form is ‘best’. These
forms are irregular and don’t follow the standard rules for forming comparative and
superlative adjectives.
Last Updated on November 28, 2023

About Latest Posts

Jim Manheim 

Jim Manheim is a highly skilled writer, editor, and teacher from Michigan, with a wealth
of experience and expertise in the English language, including slang and idioms. He is
 widely recognized as a word geek and a music enthusiast, as well as a grammar and
writing expert, with a passion for language that shines through in his work.

Table of Contents

Grammar

7 thoughts on “Comparison of Adjectives: Comparative

and Superlative”

Andrea Wolff
March 14, 2021 at 3:46 pm

Great overview, thanks a lot.

Reply

Salina
November 13, 2020 at 9:27 am

Comparison of adjectives

Reply

javaughn NLE CHoppa

November 10, 2020 at 7:01 pm

gfvvb9ushdbvgbu bus is tow come

Reply

Table of Contents
Kristina
May 28, 2020 at 3:37 pm

This is great! Where can I find the posters?

Reply

:/ Nobody
April 28, 2020 at 11:33 am

salamaleco

Reply

Julio Cesar
March 2, 2020 at 5:01 pm

THANKS A LOT 11

Reply

Tijo varghese
April 20, 2018 at 7:59 pm

Your site is so excellent.I lked this site.i read some grammar portions.
 Reply

Table of Contents

Leave a Comment

Name

Email

Post Comment

Parts of Speech 

Adjectives 

Adverbs 

Nouns 

Verbs 

Verb Tenses 

Pronouns 

Prepositions 

Articles 
Conjunctions 

Conditionals 
Table of Contents
Reported Speech 

Collective Nouns 

Determiners 

Grammatical Errors 

Grammar Rules 

Sentence 

Phrase 

Clause 

Active vs Passive Voice 

Company

About
Privacy Policy
Terms
Editorial Process
Contact Us

Follow Us
 7ESL, a ThinkLab Media Co., Ltd business

Table of Contents