COMPARISONS

COMPARATIVES, SUPERLATIVES AND EQUATIVES

A ADJECTIVES USAGE + BASIC RULES

ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

When you compare three or

When you compare two things/ more things/ people. To say
USAGE
people. that one person or thing in a
group is unique.
one syllable or
SHORT

er est
two syllables ending in y * Adjective + + (than) The + Adjective +
ier iest

More
LONG

+ Adjective + (than) most

Two syllables or more Less The + + Adjective
least

EXAMPLES:

Number of syllables ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

cheap cheaper than the cheapest

one syllable *
old older than the oldest

two syllables ending in happy happier than the happiest

y * easy easier than the easiest
expensive more expensive than the most expensive
two syllables or more
modern less modern than the least modern
*See spelling rules next page (PART B)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES:

COMPARATIVE
New York is larger than Boston.
Chicago is colder than Miami.
Bob is taller than John.
A Mercedes is more expensive than a
Volkswagen.
SUPERLATIVE
New York is the largest city in the U.S.
Chicago is the coldest city I know.
Bob is the tallest person in my family.
The Rolls Royce is the most expensive car.
B * SPELLING RULES

1) One-syllable adjectives simply add er or est

2) C + V + C ending double the last consonant and add er or est

(Or ending in a short vowel followed by a single consonant)

Ex: hot = hoTTer (than), (the) hoTTest

big = biGGer (than), (the) biGGest

3) e ending just add r or st

Ex: nice = niceR (than), (the) niceST

wide = wideR (than), (the) wideST

4) a) C + Y ending drop the y and add ier or iest

Ex: lucky = luckIER (than), (the) luckIEST

healthy = healthIER (than), (the) healthIEST

b) V + Y ending just add er or est

Ex: coy* = coyER (than), (the) coyEST

gray = grayER (than), (the) grayEST

VOCABULARY: COY* = someone who pretends to be timid.

C IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

good better than the best
bad worse than the worst
little less than the least
much/many more than the most
far farther / further than the farthest / furthest

EXAMPLE SENTENCES:

COMPARATIVES SUPERLATIVES
- Steak is better than fish. - The steak I had last night was the best Ive ever
had.
- This book is worse than that book. - The book I read last month was the worst Ive
ever read.