BCN Languages Grammar File

New Inside Out/Pre-Intermediate/Unit 5/comparative and superlative

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE

Why do we use the comparative and superlative?

We use the comparative and superlative form to compare and contrast different
objects in English.
We use the comparative form to show the difference between two objects e.g.
my house is bigger than your house. We use the superlative form when
comparing two or more objects to show that one thing is the has the highest
quality of something shared between the objects.

How is the comparative formed?

Form

Rule

For example

Words of one syllable ending in 'e'.

Add -r to the end of the word.

wide - wider

Words of one syllable, with one vowel

and one consonant at the end.

Words of one syllable, with more than

one vowel or more than one
consonant at the end.

Words of two syllables, ending in 'y'.

Double the consonant and

add -er to the end of the

big - bigger

word.

Add - er to the end of the

word.

Change 'y' to 'i', and add -er

to the end of the word.

cold - colder

scary - scarier

Words of two syllables or more, not

Place 'more' before the

interesting - more

ending in 'y'.

adjective.

interesting

How to use the comparative.

When we use a comparative adjective we put a than between the adjective and
the thing being compared.

Im taller than my sister.

My friends cat is fatter than mine.

Be careful of the following irregular comparatives:

Good Better
Bad Worse
Far - Further

How is the superlative formed?

Short adjectives
1-syllable adjectives
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y

old, fast
happy, easy

Normal rule: add "-est"

old the oldest

Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -st

late the latest

Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant,

vowel, consonant, double the last consonant

big the biggest

Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y

to i

happy the
happiest

Long adjectives
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y

modern, pleasant

all adjectives of 3 or more syllables

expensive,
intellectual

Normal rule: use "most"

modern the most

modern
expensive the
most expensive

How is the superlative used?

The superlative is always preceded by the definite article (the) e.g.
The most beautiful woman in the room is standing beside me.

The happiest man on earth has entered the room.

Be careful of the following irregular superlatives:

Good Best
Worse Worst
Far - Furthest