Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

You have learned that adjectives are words that describe a noun, like pretty, handsome, ugly and others. When we compare things, we change the form and become comparative adjectives.

Comparative adjectives are words that compare two things. For example, we can compare the size of two objects using the adjectives smaller or bigger.

In order to make comparative adjectives, we need to know the following:

1. One syllable- add “er” example: clean – cleaner, cold-colder
2. One syllable ending in one vowel, then one consonant – double the last letter and add “er”. – example: big-bigger, hot - hotter, thin- thinner
3. Ending in y – change y to i and add “er”. Example dry – drier, pretty- prettier.
4. If the adjective ends in e, we just add “r”- Example: large-larger, nice-nicer, wide-wider.
5. Well, if the adjective is made up of only one syllable, you can still use “more” before it to form the comparatives. Native English speakers use this.
6. There are words though that you cannot add “er” to form the comparative degree like fun. We cannot say “funner”. We say more fun.
7. For words having more than three syllables, we really have to use more before it to form the comparative degree. Like intelligent-more intelligent, beautiful-more beautiful.

Forming the superlative degree follows the above rules. Superlative degree is used to compare three or more things denoting the other one having the highest/ lowest degree of description. We just need to add “est” instead of “er” and “most” instead of “more”.

Now you are ready for a quiz on comparative and superlative adjectives!