Degrees of Comparison

Degrees of Comparison :


When you compare two people or things, use the comparative form of the adjective.

Lots of comparative adjectives end in -er.

Positive….Comparative

small….smaller
fast….faster
bright….brighter
cheap….cheaper
clear….clearer
loud….louder
new….newer
old….older
rich….richer
short….shorter
tall….taller
slow….slower
thick….thicker

The word than is often used with comparative adjectives.

For example, you might say….

Jack is taller than John.
A sports car is faster than a motorbike.


Use the superlative form of an adjective to compare three or more nouns. Lots of superlatives end in -est.

Positive….Comparative….Superlative

Dark…. darker…. darkest
Thick…. thicker…. thickest
long…. longer…. longest
clean…. cleaner…. cleanest
easy…. easier…. easiest
fat…. fatter…. fattest
flat…. flatter…. flattest
heavy heavier…. heaviest
hot hotter…. hottest
narrow…. narrower…. narrowest
noisy…. noisier…. noisiest
simple…. simpler…. simplest
thin…. thinner…. thinnest
wet…. wetter…. wettest

You often add the before the superlative form.

For example, you say :

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

Peter is the tallest boy in his class.


With adjectives that end in -e, add -r to form the comparative and -st to form the superlative.

For examples :

Positive…. Comparative…. Superlative

close…. closer…. closest
large…. larger…. largest
safe…. safer…. safest
wide…. wider…. widest


Some adjectives have only one syllable, end with a consonant, and have a single vowel before the consonant. With these adjectives, double the last letter before adding –er to form the comparative, and -est to form the superlative.

For examples :

Comparative….Superlative

big…. bigger…. biggest
dim…. dimmer…. dimmest
mad…. madder…. maddest
sad…. sadder…. saddest


Some adjectives have two syllables and end in -y. With these adjectives change the y to i. Then add -er to form the comparative, and -est to form the superlative.

For examples :

Comparative….Superlative

busy….busier….busiest
dirty….dirtier….dirtiest
happy….happier….happiest
pretty….prettier….prettiest


With some adjectives, you use more to make the comparative form and most to make the superlative form.

beautiful….more beautiful….most beautiful
active….more active….most active
charming….more charming….most charming
cheerful….more cheerful….most cheerful
comfortable….more comfortable….most comfortable
delicious….more delicious….most delicious


Adjectives that form their comparative and superlative with more and most are usually adjectives with two or more syllables or sounds.

For examples :

ac-tive
ex-pen-sive
beau-ti-ful
fa-mous
charm-ing
for-tu-nate
cheer-ful
in-tel-li-gent
com-fort-a-ble
pow-er-ful
de-li-cious
val-u-a-ble


The comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives are completely different words.


good….better….best
little….less….least
bad….worse….worst
few….less….least
many….more….most
much….more….most


With these adjectives, you don’t add -er or more to form the comparative or -est or most to form the superlative.

Degrees of Comparison :

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