Comparison

The comparative form of an adjective is commonly used to compare

two people, things, or states, when you want to say that one thing has a
larger or smaller amount of a quality than another.
If the second part of the comparison is mentioned it follows than.
 Anna is taller than Mary but Mary is older.
 Emma is much slimmer than when I last saw her.
 Online learning is less expensive than conventional college courses.

Comparison in which you are considering whether two people or
things are equal is shown by using as…as in the affirmative and not
as…as or not so…as in the negative.
 Helen is as tall as Linda, but not as strong.

The superlative form is used for more than two people, things, or
states, when one thing has qualities that exceed all the others.
Superlative adjectives have the in front of them, but it can be omitted
in predicative positions.
 That is the smallest camera I have ever seen.
 He gave the least expensive gift to his sister.
 I’ll have whichever is (the) ripest.

There are two ways in which the comparative and superlative forms of
adjectives are formed:
You add -er (comparative) or -est (superlative) to the adjective.
Adjectives with one syllable usually take these endings.

  comparative superlative

brig brighter the brightest

ht

long longer the longest

shar sharper the sharpest

p
If the word already ends in -e, the -e must be left off. If a word ends
in -y, it usually takes -er or -est, and the -y changes to -i.

  comparative superlative

wis wiser the wisest

 e

pret prettier the prettiest

ty

wea wearier the weariest

ry
You add the word more or most in front of the adjective. Adjectives
with three syllables or more use more or most in front of the adjective.

  comparative superlative

fortun more fortun the most fortunate

ate ate

releva more releva the most relevant

nt nt
Adjectives formed from participles use more or most as well.

  comparative superlative

provoki more provok the most provoking

ng ing

enthrall more enthra the most enthralled

ed lled
To indicate the opposite of both the -er/-est and the more/most forms of
comparison, less or least is always used.

  comparative superlative

sharp less sharp the least sharp

fortuna less fortunat the least fortunate

te e

interest less interesti the least interesting

ing ng

involve less involve the least involved

d d
Adjectives with two syllables (including those that already end in -er)
can follow either pattern or sometimes both patterns. If you are
doubtful about a two-syllable adjective, use the more/most pattern.

  comparative superlative

shallow shallower the shallowest

or more shallow the most shallow

polite politer the politest

or more polite the most polite

A small group of irregular adjectives have quite different forms for the
comparative and superlative forms.

  comparative superlative

go better the best
od

ba worse the worst
d

far further the furthest