It’s fun to learn Comparatives Superlatives of Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe people, animals or things.

Comparatives

We use the comparative form of adjectives to compare two people, animals or things.

Susie is younger than Kate. Planes are faster than cars. Tigers are stronger than cats.

We use than after the comparative.

James is taller than his dad. Lions are faster than bears.

Spelling rules

To form the comparative we usually add -er to the end of short adjectives:

tall → taller, small → smaller, clean → cleaner, slow → slower

For short adjectives ending in -e we add -r:

nice → nicer, fine → finer, wide → wider

For short adjectives ending in -y we change -y to -i  and then add -er:

happy → happier, friendly → friendlier, lazy → lazier

For short adjectives ending in vowel + consonant we double the final consonant:

big → bigger, fat → fatter, wet → wetter

We form the comparative of long adjectives with more + adjective:

beuatiful → more beautiful, expensive → more expensive, comfortable → more comfortable

Some adjectives have an irregular comparative form:

good → better

bad → worse

little → less

far → farther / further

Superlatives

To form the superlative we usually add -est to the end of short vowels.

We use the before the superlative:

warm → the warmest, young → the youngest, fast → the fastest

For short adjectives ending in -e we add -st:

nice → nicest, fine → the finest, wide → the widest

For short adjectives ending in -y we change -y to -i  and then add -est.

happy → the happiest, friendly → the friendliest, lazy → the laziest

For short adjectives ending in vowel + consonant we double the final consonant.

big → biggest, fat → fattest, wet → wettest

We form the comparative of long adjectives with most + adjective:

beautiful → the most beautiful, expensive → the most expensive, comfortable → the most comfortable

We add -er in comparatives and -est in superlatives if:

• an adjective has got one syllable: big – bigger – the biggest
• adjectives of two syllables end in -y, -er, -ow: happy – happier – the happiest; clever – cleverer – the cleverest; yellow – yellower – the yellowest
• adjectives of two syllables have stress on the second syllable: polite – politer – the politest

Some adjectives have an irregular comparative form:

good → better → the best

bad → worse → the worst

little → less → the least

far → farther / further → the farthest / the furthest

Now you know how to use Comparatives Superlatives of Adjectives.

Form Comparatives Superlatives of Adjectives. Compare as in the model:

Model: happy – happier – the happiest; important – more important – the most important

warm – _______________________________________________________________________

clean – _______________________________________________________________________

thick – _______________________________________________________________________

old –    _______________________________________________________________________

cold –  _______________________________________________________________________

clever – ______________________________________________________________________

yellow – ______________________________________________________________________

easy –  _______________________________________________________________________

lazy –  _______________________________________________________________________

noisy – _______________________________________________________________________

busy – _______________________________________________________________________

funny – _______________________________________________________________________

hot –     _______________________________________________________________________

big –     _______________________________________________________________________

red –     _______________________________________________________________________

thin –   _______________________________________________________________________

sad –    _______________________________________________________________________

nice –    _______________________________________________________________________

fine –    _______________________________________________________________________

simple – _______________________________________________________________________

wide –    _______________________________________________________________________

beautiful – more beautiful – the most beautiful

interesting – ____________________________________________________________________

favourite – _____________________________________________________________________

wonderful – ____________________________________________________________________

comfortable – ___________________________________________________________________

good – _________________________________________________________________

bad – __________________________________________________________________

little – ________________________________________________________________________