PROBLEM WITH COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

PROBLEM WITH COMPARATIVES AND
SUPERLATIVES
Sentences with incorrect comparatives and superlatives can appear on TOEFL test. It is
therefore important for you to know how to do the following:
(1) Form the comparative and superlative correctly;

(2) Use the comparative and superlative correctly;
(3) Use the irregular -er, -er structure that has been appearing frequently on the TOEFL
test.
Skill (1): FORM THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY

The comparative is formed by adding -er or more to an adjective or adverb and than. The –er
is used with short adjective or adverb such as high, hot, big and quick. The more is used with
longer adjective or adverb such as, boring, interesting, and fluently etc.
For example: Jane’s grades are higher than his brother.

(Adj)
James can run quicker than George.

(Adv)
Room 331 in Zuri Express hotel is more comfortable than room 332.
(Adj)
He speaks Spanish more fluently than I.

(Adv)
The superlative is formed by adding the, est or most, to an adjective or adverb and sometimes
in, of, or that clause. In the superlative, -est is used with short adjectives or adverb such as
high hot, big and quick. The most is used with longer adjective or adverb such as, boring,
interesting, and handsome etc.
For Example: Jane’s grades are the highest in her class.

(Adj)
James is the quickest runner in his class.

(Adv)
Room 331 in Zuri Express hotel is the most comfortable of all rooms.
(Adj)
He is the most handsome man that I have ever seen.

(Adv)
In simple way this formula can be seen in the following chart:

THE FORM OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVE
COMPARATIVE (Short adjective or adverb) + er Than
More + (Long adjective ) Than
SUPERLATIVE The + (Short adjective or adverb) + est maybe in, of, that
The + most + (Long adjective )
Exercise 1: Each of the following sentences contains a comparative and superlative. Circle
the comparative or superlative. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
____ 1. Today is hotter than yesterday.
____ 2. His job is more importanter than his friend’s.
____ 3. This book is the most expensive book that I have ever bought.
____ 4. David is the most generous person that I have ever known.
____ 5. Martha is more talented than her cousin.
____ 6. Alaska is the most larger state in the united states.
____ 7. I am older than my two younger brothers.
____ 8. Dr. Lee’s tests are more difficult than Dr. Barton’s tests.
____ 9. My bedroom is the cleanest than all the bedrooms in my house.
____ 10. Turtle walks slower than the hare.
Skill 2: USE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY

The comparative and superlative have different uses; the comparative is used to compare two
equal things.
For Example: Encyclopedia is bigger than dictionary.
Jack is more handsome than Tristan.
In the first example encyclopedia is being compared with the dictionary. In the second
example Jack is being compared with Tristan.
The superlative is used when there are more than two items to compare and you want to show
the one is the best, the biggest, or in some way the most outstanding.
For Example: Encyclopedia is biggest of all books.
Jack is most handsome of all the students in the class.

In the first example encyclopedia is being compared with all the other books. And
encyclopedia is bigger than each of the other books. In the second example Jack is being
compared with all the other students in the class, and Jack is more handsome than each of the
other students.
THE USES OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVE
The COMPARATIVE is used to compare two equal things.
The SUPERLATIVE is used to show which one of many is in some way the most
outstanding
____ 1. The hare is smarter than the crocodile.
____ 2. Indonesia people are the most friendliest in the world.
____ 3. My older brother is busier of all brothers that I have.
____ 4. I have one sister and one brother. My sister is the younger in the family.
____ 5.Students in class A is more active than students in class B.
____ 6. Joko is the funniest man than all my friends.
____ 7. Ants walk more slowly than the Zebra.
____ 8. This are is the more dangerous of all areas in Indonesia.
____ 9. This task is most confusing than the yesterday’s task.
____ 10. This market is the cheapest of all in my city.
SKILL 3: USE THE IRREGULAR –ER, ER STRUCTURE CORRECTLY

An irregular comparative structure that has been appearing frequently on TOEFL test consists
of two parallel comparatives introduced by the.
For Example: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
The hotter it is, the more miserable I feel.

In the first example contains the two parallel comparatives the bigger and the harder. The
second example contains the two parallel comparatives the hotter and the more.
In this type of sentence, the and the comparison can be followed by a number of different
structures as long as the first and second sentences after the comparatives have the same
structures.
For Example: The more you study, the smarter you’ll become.
The higher we flew, the worse Edna felt.
The sooner you leave, the earlier you will arrive.
THE –ER, -ER STRUCTURE
The –er/more (same structure), the er/more (same structure)
This type of sentence may or may not include a verb.
Exercise 3: Each of the following sentences contains the irregular –er, -er structure. Circle the
two comparisons with the. Underline the parts that should be parallel. Then, indicate if the
sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
____ 1. The harder you study, the more you will learn.
____ 2. The older he got, quieter he became.
____ 3. The more she studied, the more she learned.
____ 4. The more he talked, the bored I became.
____ 5. The longer I waited, the angry I became.
____ 6. The older you are, the more understand you will be.
____ 7. The faster she drove, the more nervous I became.
____ 9. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
____ 10. The greater you polluted the earth, worst it became.
Exercise 4: Circle the comparatives and superlative in the following sentences. Then, indicate
if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
____ 1. I was on time. Jack was late. I got there earlier than he was.
____ 2. Ted is out the shape. I can run the faster and farther than he is.
____ 3. Alaska is largest state in the United States.
____ 4. English is the widest used language from the world.
____ 5. Mark’s knife is sharper than a razor blade.
____ 6. I like Chinese food more better than French food.
____ 7. My running shoes are the more comfortable shoes I own.
____ 8. To me, English is more interesting than Math.
____ 9. Staying in a room with full air conditioner is more refreshing than staying out of
the
room.
____ 10. Sunlight is more brighter than moonlight.
TOEFL EXERCISE (Skills 1-3): Choose the letter of the word or group of words that best
completes the sentence.
1. Peggy is thirteen, and she feels sad. She thinks most of the other girls in school are …
than she is.
a. popular
b. as popular as.
c. more popular.
d. most popular.
2. I have three books. The first book costs Rp.15.000, 00. The second book costs
Rp.20.000, 00. The third book costs Rp.25.000, 00. The third book costs the … of the
other two books.
a. expensive.
b. as expensive as.
c. more expensive.
d. most expensive.
3. … you do it, the better you get.
a. soon.
b. as soon as.
c. sooner.
d. the sooner.
Choose the letter of the underlined word or group of words that is not correct.
____ 4. The darker the sky, faster we ran to reach the house.
A B C D
____ 5. The weather is getting a hotter with each passing day.
A B C D
____ 6. Who is the most importantest political figure in your country?

A B C D
____ 7. South Pole are the coolest place at the world.

A C C D
____ 8. When you’re hot and tired, nothing is the more refreshing except drinking a glass
of
A B C
cool water.
D
____ 9. The more you think about your hard life, the more complex it become.
A B C D
____ 10. As the ambulance came closer to us, the siren became loudest.
A B C D
PROBLEMS WITH THE FORM OF THE VERB

It is common in the Written Expression part of the TOEFL test for the verbs to be formed incorrectly.
Therefore, you should check the form of the verb carefully. You should be familiar with the following
verb forms: the base form, the present tense, the present participle, and the past participle. The
following are examples of each of these verb forms as they are used in the text:
BASE FORM PRESENT PRESENT PAST PAT
PARTICIPLE PARTICIPLE
Eat Eat(s) Eating Ate Eaten
Do Do (es) Doing Did Done
Know Know(s) Knowing Knew Known
See See (s) Seeing Saw Seen
Swim Swim (s) Swimming Swam Swum
Skill 4: AFTER HAVE, USE THE PAST PARTICIPLE

Whenever you see the verb have in any of its forms (have, has, having, had), be sure that the
verbs that follows it is in the past participle form.
For Example:
We had eat* pempek. (Should be had eaten)
She has do* her homework. (Should be has done)
I have know* her since she was child . (Should be have known)
Having saw* the accident, she continued her journey. (Should be having seen)
They should have swam* at this time. (Should be should have swum)
In addition, you should be sure that if you have a subject and a past participle, you also have
the verb have. This problem is particularly common with those verbs (such as drink, drank,
drunk) that change from present to past to past participle by changing only the vowel.
For example:
My father drunk a cup of coffee. (Should be drank, or has drunk)
She swum in the river. (Should be swam, or has swum)
VERB FORMS AFTER HAVE HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Exercise 5: Each of the following sentences contains a verb in the past or a past participle.
Underline the verbs or past participle twice Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or
incorrect (I).
____ 1. We have written our reports.
____ 2. Gabriel read the entire book.
____ 3. The president hasn’t decide what to do.
____ 4. Sam recorded the results of the experiment.
____ 5. John has learn the material.
____ 6. He has stolen my heart.
____ 7. They have moved into a new apartment.
____ 8. Have you visit Mexico?
____ 9. We have had four tests so far.
____ 10. I have met many important people.
SKILL 5: AFTER BE, USE THE PRESENT PARTICIPLE OR THE PAST

PARTICIPLE
The verb be in any of its forms (am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being) can be followed by
other verb. This verb should be in the present participle or past participle form.
For Example:
We are study English. (Should be are studying)
The book was order on time. (Should be was ordered)
My mom is cook a cake. (Should be is cooking)
The flowers were give to that beautiful girl. (Should be were given)
VERB FORMS AFTER BE BE +(1) PRESENT PARTICIPLE

(2) PAST PARTICIPLE
Exercise 6: Each of the following sentences contains a verb formed with be. Underline the
verbs twice. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
____ 1. John and Mary are talk on the phone.
____ 2. A book was write by famous writer.
____ 3. The chef is tasting the sauce.
____ 4. The roof was fix by Dennis.
____ 5. My little brother is hiding under the table.
____ 6. A treasure was found by the traveler.
____ 7. The bill was pay by my boyfriend.
____ 8. They are call my name.
____ 9. Don’t disturb me, I am trying to concentrate.
____ 10. Most of my friends were invite to his birthday party.
SKILL 6: AFTER WILL, WOULD, OR OTHER MODALS, USE THE BASE

FORM OF THE VERB
Whenever you see a modal, such as will, would, shall, should, can, could, may, might, or
must, you should be sure that the verb that follows it is in its base form.
For example:
My uncle will coming at 7 a.m. (Should be will come)
I should arriving at the airport at 2 p.m. (Should be should arrive)
You must drinking the pills before 8. (Should be must drink)
VERBS FORMS AFTER MODALS

MODAL + MAIN FORM OF THE VERB (BASE FORM)
Exercise 7: Each of the following sentences contains a verb formed with a modal. Underline
the verbs twice. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
____ 1. Can you please pass the salt?
____ 2. She may borrowing my book.
____ 3. The chef may tasting the sauce.
____ 4. You should see the doctor soon.
____ 5. You must to take care of it by yourself.
____ 6. That is awesome, she can play the guitar.
____ 7. Could you helping me?
____ 8. I will go to Bali as soon they call me.
____ 9. Sometimes, life isn’t fair, you can’t get everything that you like and wish in a short
time.
____ 10. You can’t lie to me, I can see everything in your eyes.
Exercise 8: Underline the verbs twice in the following sentences. Then, indicate if the
____ 1. She has broken her arm in that terrific accident.
____ 2. His money was stole by the thief.
____ 3. Before he left, he had asked me to trust him.
____ 3. My private teacher taught me for more than 3 years.
____ 4. I am thinking about this task again and again.
____ 5. We have spend much time in finishing the work.
____ 6. The song was sung by the singer perfectly.
____ 7. We will meeting him as soon as possible.
____ 8. She doesn’t believe me to take care of her cat, therefore somebody was took her cat
when she left.

____ 9. I shall doing what I have to do before I ask to do that.
____ 10. Don’t trust him very much as your boyfriend, he can lie to you.
____ 1.Mr. Johnson has work in the same place for thirty-five years and he is not planning
to
A B C D
retire yet.
____ 2. We wish that you could coming to the party tonight.

A B C D
____ 3. Thirty houses was destroyed by the tornado.
A B C D
____ 4. The lectures had review the material before he gave the quiz.
A B C D
____ 5. The doctor had examine the patient thoroughly before he prescribed the medication.
A B C D
____ 6. Henry are walking to school, because he has nothing to ride.
A B C D
____ 7. I was calling by the committee to have the interview.
A B C D
____ 8. We are flown to Venezuela next month.
A B C D
____ 9. Alex! Stop! You must not running into the street when there’s traffic!
A B C D
____ 10. I was inviting to dinner by Ms. Hopkins.
A B C D
References:
Michael A.Pyle and Mary Ellen Munoz.1991. TOEFL PREPARATION GUIDE. Singapore:
John Wiley & Sons (SEA) Pte.Ltd. Comparison and form of the verb.
Azar, Betty Schrampfer. 1941. Fundamentals of English Grammar. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall. Comparison, pre
sent time, past time, and modal auxiliaries.
KEY ANSWER
__C__ 1. Today is hotter than yesterday.
__I__ 2. His job is more importanter than his friend’s.
__C__ 3. This book is the most expensive book that I have ever bought.
__C__ 4. David is the most generous person that I have ever known.
__C__ 5. Martha is more talented than her cousin.
__I__ 6. Alaska is the most larger state in the united states.
__C__ 7. I am older than my two younger brothers.
__C__ 8. Dr. Lee’s tests are more difficult than Dr. Barton’s tests.
__I__ 9. My bedroom is the cleanest than all the bedrooms in my house.
__C__ 10. Turtle walks slower than the hare.
__C__ 1. The hare is smarter than the crocodile.
__I__ 2. Indonesia people are the most friendliest in the world.
__I__ 3. My older brother is busier of all brothers that I have.
__I__ 4. I have one sister and one brother. My sister is the younger in the family.
__C__ 5.Students in class A is more active than students in class B.
__C__ 6. Joko is the funniest man than all my friends.
__C__ 7. Ants walk more slowly than the Zebra.
__C__ 8. This are is the more dangerous of all areas in Indonesia.
__I__ 9. This task is most confusing than the yesterday’s task.
__C__ 10. This market is the cheapest of all in my city.
Exercise 3: Each of the following sentences contains the irregular –er, -er structure. Circle the
two comparisons with the. Underline the parts that should be parallel. Then, indicate if the
__C__ 1. The harder you study, the more you will learn.
__I__ 2. The older he got, quieter he became.

__C__ 3. The more she studied, the more she learned.
__I__ 4. The more he talked, the bored I became.
__I__ 5. The longer I waited, the angry I became.
__C__ 6. The older you are, the more understand you will be.
__C__ 7. The faster she drove, the more nervous I became.
__C__ 9. The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.
__I__ 10. The greater you polluted the earth, worst it became.
Exercise 4: Circle the comparatives and superlative in the following sentences. Then, indicate
if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
__C__ 1. I was on time. Jack was late. I got there earlier than he was.
__I__ 2. Ted is out the shape. I can run the faster and farther than he is.
__I__ 3. Alaska is largest state in the United States.
__C__ 4. English is the widest used language from the world.
__C__ 5. Mark’s knife is sharper than a razor blade.
__I__ 6. I like Chinese food more better than French food.
__I__ 7. My running shoes are the more comfortable shoes I own.
__C__ 8. To me, English is more interesting than Math.
__C__ 9. Staying in a room with full air conditioner is more refreshing than staying out of
the
room.
__I__ 10. Sunlight is more brighter than moonlight.
4. C
5. D
6. D
Choose the letter of the underlined word or group of words that is not correct.
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. D
Exercise 5: Each of the following sentences contains a verb in the past or a past participle.
Underline the verbs or past participle twice Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or
incorrect (I).
__C__ 1. We have written our reports.
__I__ 2. Gabriel read the entire book.
__I__ 3. The president hasn’t decide what to do.
__I__ 4. Sam recorded the results of the experiment.
__I__ 5. John has learn the material.
__C__ 6. He has stolen my heart.
__C__ 7. They have moved into a new apartment.
__I__ 8. Have you visit Mexico?
__C__ 9. We have had four tests so far.
__C__ 10. I have met many important people.
Exercise 6: Each of the following sentences contains a verb formed with be. Underline the
verbs twice. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
__I__ 1. John and Mary are talk on the phone.
__I__ 2. A book was write by famous writer.
__C__ 3. The chef is tasting the sauce.
__I__ 4. The roof was fix by Dennis.
__C__ 5. My little brother is hiding under the table.
__C__ 6. A treasure was found by the traveler.

__I__ 7. The bill was pay by my boyfriend.
__I__ 8. They are call my name.
__C__ 9. Don’t disturb me, I am trying to concentrate.
__I__ 10. Most of my friends were invite to his birthday party.
Exercise 7: Each of the following sentences contains a verb formed with a modal. Underline
the verbs twice. Then, indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).
__C__ 1. Can you please pass the salt?
__I__ 2. She may borrowing my book.
__I__ 3. The chef may tasting the sauce.
__C__ 4. You should see the doctor soon.
__I__ 5. You must to take care of it by yourself.
__C__ 6. That is awesome, she can play the guitar.
__I__ 7. Could you helping me?
__C__ 8. I will go to Bali as soon they call me.
__C__ 9. Sometimes, life isn’t fair, you can’t get everything that you like and wish in a short
time.
__C__ 10. You can’t lie to me, I can see everything in your eyes.
Exercise 8: Underline the verbs twice in the following sentences. Then, indicate if the
__C__ 1. She has broken her arm in that terrific accident.
__I__ 2. His money was stole by the thief.
__C__ 3. Before he left, he had asked me to trust him.
__I__ 3. My private teacher taught me for more than 3 years.
__C__ 4. I am thinking about this task again and again.
__I__ 5. We have spend much time in finishing the work.
__C__ 6. The song was sung by the singer perfectly.

__I__ 7. We will meeting him as soon as possible.
__I__ 8. She doesn’t believe me to take care of her cat, therefore somebody was took her cat
when she left.
__I__ 9. I shall doing what I have to do before I ask to do that.
__C__ 10. Don’t trust him very much as your boyfriend, he can lie to you.
1. A
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. B
8. B
9. C
10. B

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PROBLEM WITH COMPARATIVES AND

(1) Form the comparative and superlative correctly;

Skill (1): FORM THE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY

For example: Jane’s grades are higher than his brother.

James can run quicker than George.

He speaks Spanish more fluently than I.

For Example: Jane’s grades are the highest in her class.

James is the quickest runner in his class.

He is the most handsome man that I have ever seen.

In simple way this formula can be seen in the following chart:

____ 1. Today is hotter than yesterday.

____ 2. His job is more importanter than his friend’s.

____ 5. Martha is more talented than her cousin.

____ 6. Alaska is the most larger state in the united states.

____ 7. I am older than my two younger brothers.

____ 9. My bedroom is the cleanest than all the bedrooms in my house.

____ 10. Turtle walks slower than the hare.

Skill 2: USE COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY

For Example: Encyclopedia is bigger than dictionary.

Jack is more handsome than Tristan.

For Example: Encyclopedia is biggest of all books.

Jack is most handsome of all the students in the class.

In simple way this formula can be seen in the following chart:

THE USES OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVE

The COMPARATIVE is used to compare two equal things.

____ 1. The hare is smarter than the crocodile.

____ 2. Indonesia people are the most friendliest in the world.

____ 3. My older brother is busier of all brothers that I have.

____ 5.Students in class A is more active than students in class B.

____ 6. Joko is the funniest man than all my friends.

____ 7. Ants walk more slowly than the Zebra.

____ 8. This are is the more dangerous of all areas in Indonesia.

____ 9. This task is most confusing than the yesterday’s task.

____ 10. This market is the cheapest of all in my city.

SKILL 3: USE THE IRREGULAR –ER, ER STRUCTURE CORRECTLY

The hotter it is, the more miserable I feel.

The higher we flew, the worse Edna felt.

The sooner you leave, the earlier you will arrive.

In simple way this formula can be seen in the following chart:

THE –ER, -ER STRUCTURE

The –er/more (same structure), the er/more (same structure)

This type of sentence may or may not include a verb.

____ 2. The older he got, quieter he became.

____ 3. The more she studied, the more she learned.

____ 4. The more he talked, the bored I became.

____ 5. The longer I waited, the angry I became.

____ 7. The faster she drove, the more nervous I became.

____ 3. Alaska is largest state in the United States.

____ 4. English is the widest used language from the world.

____ 5. Mark’s knife is sharper than a razor blade.

____ 6. I like Chinese food more better than French food.

____ 7. My running shoes are the more comfortable shoes I own.

____ 8. To me, English is more interesting than Math.

____ 10. Sunlight is more brighter than moonlight.

____ 6. Who is the most importantest political figure in your country?

____ 7. South Pole are the coolest place at the world.

PROBLEMS WITH THE FORM OF THE VERB

Skill 4: AFTER HAVE, USE THE PAST PARTICIPLE

In simple way this formula can be seen in the following chart:

VERB FORMS AFTER HAVE HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

I 2. His job is more importanter than his friend’s.

C 5. Martha is more talented than her cousin.

I 6. Alaska is the most larger state in the united states.

C 7. I am older than my two younger brothers.

I 9. My bedroom is the cleanest than all the bedrooms in my house.

C 10. Turtle walks slower than the hare.

C 1. The hare is smarter than the crocodile.

I 2. Indonesia people are the most friendliest in the world.

I 3. My older brother is busier of all brothers that I have.

C 5.Students in class A is more active than students in class B.

C 6. Joko is the funniest man than all my friends.

C 7. Ants walk more slowly than the Zebra.

C 8. This are is the more dangerous of all areas in Indonesia.

I 9. This task is most confusing than the yesterday’s task.

C 10. This market is the cheapest of all in my city.

I 2. The older he got, quieter he became.

I 4. The more he talked, the bored I became.

I 5. The longer I waited, the angry I became.

C 7. The faster she drove, the more nervous I became.

I 3. Alaska is largest state in the United States.

C 4. English is the widest used language from the world.

C 5. Mark’s knife is sharper than a razor blade.

I 6. I like Chinese food more better than French food.

I 7. My running shoes are the more comfortable shoes I own.

C 8. To me, English is more interesting than Math.

I 10. Sunlight is more brighter than moonlight.