TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES

Degrees / Comparison
of Adjective
 Generally adj. have three degrees:
1. simple / positive degree
2. comparative degree
3. superlative degree
 Simple Degree
 When an adj. is used to modify a single N.
or to show the quality of a N. individually,
it’s said to be in simple or positive D.
 is used when no comparison is needed.
e.g. - nice - good - cold
- hot - tall - old
- beautiful …
- Jenifer is a good girl.
- An old car is in the garage.
 Comparative Degree
 denotes a higher D. of quality and is
used to compare two items (people,
places, things …) with each other.

e.g. - nicer - better - colder

- hotter - taller - older
- more beautiful …
- A river is shallower than a lake (is).
- She is older than Omid (is).
 Superlative Degree
 is used to single out one item out of (in
comparison with) more than 2 items or
compare one N. with a group of N.
E.g. - nicest - best - coldest
- hottest - tallest - oldest
- most beautiful …

- Ahmad is the tallest person in our family.

- You are the sweetest person in the world.
 Formation of Comparative &
Superlative Degrees
1. Add (-er) to form the comparative
of some one-syllable (short) adj.

e.g. - old => older - fast => faster

- young => younger - tall => taller
- hard => harder - new => newer
- short => shorter - kind => kinder
- smart => smarter - small => smaller
- great => greater
1. For 1-syllable adj. add (the) before
the adj.& add –est after them to form
the superlative.

e.g. - hard => the hardest

- old => the oldest

- tall => the tallest

2. (comparative) Add only (-r) if
the adj. ends in (-e).
e.g. - large => larger - nice => nicer
- wise => wiser - true = truer
- free => freer - fine => finer
- nice => nicer - late => later
- feeble => feebler
2. (superlative) Add only (-st) if
the adj. ends in (-e).
e.g. - large => largest - nice => nicest
- wise => wisest - true = truest
- free => freest - fine => finest
- nice => nicest - late => latest
- feeble => feeblest
3. When one-syllable adj. end
in (vowel + consonant) =>
double the consonant & add
(-er).
- thin => thinner - hot => hotter
- fat => fatter - big => bigger
- sad => sadder - mad => madder
3. When one-syllable adj. end
in (vowel + consonant) =>
double the consonant & add
(-est).
- thin => thinnest - hot => hottest
- fat => fattest - big => biggest
- sad => saddest - mad => maddest
4. When an adj. is consisted of 2
syllables: Some of them can take either
(–er) or (more):
- common => commoner / more common
- deadly => deadlier / more deadly
- friendly => friendlier / more friendly
- handsome => handsomer / more handsome
- stupid => Stupider / more stupid
- lively => livelier / more lively
- lovely => lovelier / more lovely
cont…
Cont…
- cruel => crueler / more cruel
- gentle => gentler / more gentle
- narrow => narrower / more narrow
- pleasant => pleasanter/ more pleasant
- stupid => Stupider / more stupid
- quiet => quieter / more quite
- clever => cleverer / more clever
- polite => politer / more polite
- quiet => quieter / more quite
- shallow => shallower / more shallow
- sincere => sincerer / more sincere
- simple =>simpler / more simple
4. When an adj. is consisted of 2
syllables: Some of them can take either
(–est) or (most):

(The same examples apply for this one too.)

5. For 2 & 1-syllable adj. ending in (consonant
+ y) => change the (–y) to (i) & add (–er)
- happy = happier - pretty => prettier
- funny => funnier - healthy => healthier
- busy => busier - heavy => heavier
- easy => easier - sunny => sunnier
- dirty => dirtier - ugly => uglier
- clumsy => clumsier - rainy => rainier
- windy => windier - lazy => lazier
- crazy => crazier - dry => drier
- wealthy => wealthier
5. For 1- or 2-syllable adj.
that end in –y => add the
before the adj. & change (–y)
to (i) then add –est.
- funny => the funniest

- healthy => the healthiest

- happy => the happiest

6. If an adj. ends in (vowel + y) => only
add (–er).
- gray => grayer
- gay => gayer
When we compare 2 qualities of the
same person / thing, then we use
more & not –er; even if it’s a 1-syllable
adj.
- He’s more good than bad. (Also: He is good
than bad.)(NOT He’s better than worse.)

- Fatemah is more pretty than tall. (NOT She

is prettier than taller.)

- Our boss is more bossy than kind.

Use the structure as + adj. / adv. + as
to express equality.
- Jennifer is as tall as Cristina. (= They are
the same height.)

- I am as rich as Ahmad.

- Neelab is as intelligent as Kabeer.

- As + adj. / adv. + possible

The structure get + ing + (comparative
degree) is used to show the progress
of a gradual change.
- They are getting richer day by day.

- His health condition is getting worse. He

should be taken to a better hospital.

- Fighting the terrorism is getting more

complicated after their new leader has been
appointed.
 Repeating Comparative
structure 1: (get) + comparative D. + comp. D.

- The weather is getting hotter and hotter.

- The pain in my back gets worse and worse.
- The situations are getting better and better in
the region.
- She is getting fatter and fatter day by day.
- The weather is getting hotter and hotter day
by day.
 Repeating Comparative
structure 2: (get) + more + more + adj. / adv.

- He is speaking more and more slowly. (correct)

- He is speaking more slowly and more slowly.
(incorrect)
- Our speaking club is getting more and more
interesting after the new teacher came.
- Life gets more and more complicated.
 Double Comparative / Comparison
structure 1: The + comparative D. + subj. + V.
(+obj.) + , + (Repeat the same structure.)

- The more you study, the easier you can pass the
test.
- The more you know, the more you understand
that you know nothing.
- The faster you run, the sooner you will get there.
- The more the children, the more the problems.
- The higher you go, the colder it is.
- The better the joke is, the louder is laugh is.
- The older he got, the weaker he became.
 Double Comparative / Comparison
- structure 2: The + comparative D. + , + The +
comparative D.

- The more, the better.

- The more expensive, the higher quality.
- The more, the merrier.
- The sooner, the better.
 Double Comparative / Comparison
- Some practical examples:

- A: Can I attend your dinner party? B: Sure. The more, the merrier.
- A: How would you like your drink? B: The colder, the better.
- A: How much should I give you? B: The more, the better.
- A: How would you like your tea? B: The stronger, the better.
- How many children would you like to have? B: The less, The better.
Any Q’s?