8/19/2020 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.

com

Instant Grammar Checker

Trusted by millions of students, faculty, and professionals worldwide. Try now

Grammarly DOWNLOAD

Advertisement.

EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site.

As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
Click here to learn more.

(Already a member? Click here.)

Today's featured page:

You might Comparatives #4 Comparatives #2 Comparatives Chart Comparatives #1 Comparatives Chart School-Related Books to
also like: Worksheet Printout Worksheet Printout #3 Worksheet Printout Worksheet Printout #2 Worksheet Printout Print

Our subscribers' grade-level estimate for this page: 2nd - 6th

EnchantedLearning.com
Little Explorers
Writing Activities
Picture Dictionary Grammar
Parts of Speech Nouns Verbs Pronouns Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections
Articles Abbreviations Compound Words Contractions Prefixes and Suffixes Punctuation

Adjectives
Adjectives List of Adjectives Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Adjective Worksheets

A comparative adjective is used to compare two things. A superlative adjective is

used when you compare three or more things. For example, looking at apples you
can compare their size, determining which is big, which is bigger, and which is
biggest. The comparative ending (suffix) for short, common adjectives is
generally "-er"; the superlative suffix is generally "-est." For most longer
adjectives, the comparative is made by adding the word "more" (for example,
more comfortable) and the superlative is made by adding the word "most" (for
example, most comfortable).

If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "e", the endings are "-r" and "-st", for example:
wise, wiser, wisest.

If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "y", the endings are "-er" and "-est", but the y is sometimes changed to an "i". For example: dry, drier, driest.

If a 1-syllable adjective ends in a consonant (with a single vowel preceding it), then the consonant is doubled and the endings "-er" and "-est"
are used, for example: big, bigger, biggest.

If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "e", the endings are "-r" and "-st", for example: gentle, gentler, gentlest.

If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "y", the endings are "-ier" and "-iest", for example: happy, happier,
happiest.

Some 2-syllable adjectives use the standard "-er" and "-est suffixes", including adjectives that end in
"er", "le", or "ow". For example: narrow, narrower, narrowest.

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/partsofspeech/adjectives/comparatives.shtml 1/5
8/19/2020 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.com

For most adjectives with two or more syllables, the comparative is formed by adding the word "more," and you form the superlative by adding
the word "most", for example: colorful, more colorful, most colorful.

Some comparative and superlative adjectives are irregular, including some very common ones such as good/better/best and bad/worse/worst.

Case Adjective Comparative Form Superlative Form

close closer closest
1-syllable adjectives huge huger hugest
large larger largest
ending in "e" strange stranger strangest
wise wiser wisest
big bigger biggest

1-syllable adjectives fat fatter fattest

red redder reddest
ending in a consonant with a single vowel preceding it sad sadder saddest
thin thinner thinnest
1-syllable adjectives dry drier driest
spry sprier/spryer spriest/spryest
ending in "y" wry wrier/wryer wriest/wryest
fast faster fastest
1-syllable adjectives, great greater greatest
quick quicker quickest
other cases short shorter shortest
tall taller tallest

2-syllable adjectives fickle fickler ficklest

handsome handsomer handsomest
ending in "e" polite politer politest
bumpy bumpier bumpiest
2-syllable adjectives heavy heavier heaviest
icy icier iciest
ending in "y" shiny shinier shiniest
tiny tinier tiniest
able abler ablest
gentle gentler gentlest
2-syllable adjectives hollow hollower hollowest
ending in "le", or "ow" narrow narrower narrowest
shallow shallower shallowest
simple simpler simplest
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
colorful more colorful most colorful
2 or more syllable adjectives, complete more complete most complete

other cases delicious more delicious most delicious

generous more generous most generous
important more important most important
Irregular and confusing adjectives bad worse worst
far (place) farther farthest
far (place or time) further furthest
good better best
late (time) later latest
late (order) latter last
little (size) littler littlest

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/partsofspeech/adjectives/comparatives.shtml 2/5
8/19/2020 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.com

little (amount) less least

many/much/some more most
old (people or things) older oldest
old (people) elder eldest

Related Activities and Worksheets:

Biggest Things: Draw and Smallest Things: Comparatives #1 Comparatives #2

Write 3 Things Draw and Write 3 Each adjective has a comparative and a Each adjective has a comparative and a
superlative form. In each row, write the superlative form. In each row, write the
Draw three of the biggest Things two missing words. Adjectives: big, tall, two missing words. Adjectives: few,
fast, light. Or go to the answers. short, wide, high. Or go to the
things you've ever seen and Draw three of the answers.
write about each of them. smallest things
Or go to a pdf of the you've ever seen and
worksheet. write about each of
them. Or go to a pdf
of the worksheet.

Comparatives #3 Comparatives #4 Comparatives Chart #1 Comparatives Chart #2

Each adjective has a comparative and a Each adjective has a Each of the following adjectives has a
superlative form. In each row, write the comparative and a superlative comparative and a superlative form. In
two missing words. Adjectives: young, form. In each row, write the each row, write the missing adjectives.
slow, small, long. Or go to the answers. two missing words. Adjectives: Adjectives: red, far, icy, bad, easy,
narrow, large, soft, sweet. Or friendly, funny, busy, smelly, pretty. Or
go to the answers. go to the answers.
Each of the following adjectives has a
comparative and a superlative form. In
each row, write the missing adjectives.
Adjectives: blue, old, sweet, happy,
shiny, clean, fine, high, nasty, rich. Or
go to the answers.

Comparatives Chart #3
Each of the following adjectives has a
comparative and a superlative form. In
each row, write the missing adjectives.

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/partsofspeech/adjectives/comparatives.shtml 3/5
8/19/2020 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.com

Adjectives: red, far, icy, bad, easy,

friendly, funny, busy, smelly, pretty. Or
go to the answers.

Enchanted Learning®
Over 35,000 Web Pages
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below

Overview of Site
What's New Languages
Enchanted Learning Home Dutch
Biology
Monthly Activity Calendar French
Animal Printouts
Books to Print German
Biology Label Printouts
Site Index Italian
Biomes
Japanese (Romaji)
Birds
K-3 Portuguese
Butterflies
Crafts Spanish
Dinosaurs
K-3 Themes Swedish
Food Chain
Little Explorers Human Anatomy
Picture dictionary Geography/History
Mammals
PreK/K Activities Explorers
Plants
Rebus Rhymes Flags
Rainforests
Stories Geography
Sharks
Inventors
Whales
Writing US History
Cloze Activities Physical Sciences: K-12
Essay Topics Other Topics
Astronomy
Newspaper Art and Artists
The Earth
Writing Activities Calendars
Geology
Parts of Speech College Finder
Hurricanes
Crafts
Landforms
Fiction Graphic Organizers
Oceans
The Test of Time Label Me! Printouts
Tsunami
Math
Volcano
iPhone app Music
TapQuiz Maps - free iPhone Geography Game Word Wheels

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail

Enchanted Learning Search

Search the Enchanted Learning website for:

search Search

Advertisement.

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/partsofspeech/adjectives/comparatives.shtml 4/5
8/19/2020 Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: EnchantedLearning.com

Advertisement.

Advertisement.

Copyright ©2012-2018 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page

https://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/partsofspeech/adjectives/comparatives.shtml 5/5