UNIVERSIDAD METROPOLITANA VICERRECTORÍA ASOCIADA DE DESARROLLO Y RETENCIÓN
Programa de Tutorías
Comparative and superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs
Definition: Adjective: It is used to express attributes to something or someone. These appear before the noun, modify it and follow an order of determiners, observation, size and shape, age, color, origin, material and qualifier. Adverb: It can modify a verb, an adjective, a phrase or clause and another adverb. Adverbs can be identified quickly by their commonly used suffix “ly” and can be found in various places of the sentence. You should use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb to compare exactly two things. The superlative form is for comparing three or more.
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 1: Only one syllable, ending in E. E.g.: wide, fine, cute Comparative Add -R: wider, finer, cuter
Superlative Add -ST: widest, finest, cutest
ď Ż Comparative: Mary is cuter than Jenny. ď Ż Superlative: Mary is the cutest girl of the classroom.
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 2: Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end. E.g.: hot, big, fat Comparative
Superlative
Double the consonant, and add -ER: hotter, bigger, fatter
Double the consonant, and add -EST: hottest, biggest, fattest
ď Ż Comparative: This summer is hotter than last year’s summer. ď Ż Superlative: This is the hottest summer ever.
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 3: Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end. E.g.: light, neat, fast Comparative Add -ER: lighter, neater, faster
Superlative Add -EST: lightest, neatest, fastest
ď Ż Comparative: This car is faster than my last car. ď Ż Superlative: This car is the fastest I ever had.
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 4: Two syllables, ending in Y. E.g.: happy, silly, lonely
Comparative Change Y to I, then add -ER: happier, sillier, lonelier
Superlative Change Y to I, then add -EST: happiest, silliest, loneliest
ď Ż Comparative: I feel happier than ever. ď Ż Superlative: I am the happiest person of the world.
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 5: Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. E.g.: modern, interesting, beautiful
Comparative Use MORE before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful
Superlative Use MOST before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful
Comparative: “The Da Vinci Code” book is more interesting than the movie. Superlative: “The Da Vinci Code” is the most interesting book ever written.
Comparative & superlative: Irregular adjectives Irregular adjective
Comparative form
Superlative form
Good
Better
Best
Bad
Worse
Worst
Far
Farther
Farthest
Little
Less
Least
Many
More
Most
Interesting fact‌ ď Ż The rules applied on the comparative and superlative adjectives are very similar to the rules of the comparative and superlative adverbs. You can play with the rules and have fun‌
Rules: comparative and superlative adjectives Rule # 1: One syllable adverbs add –er and/or –est. E.g.: fast, hard
Comparative Add -ER: faster, harder, cuter
Superlative Add -EST: fastest, hardest, cutest
Comparative: John works harder than me. Superlative: John works the hardest.
Rules: comparative and superlative adverbs Rule # 2: Adverbs with 2 or more syllables, use MORE and MOST with: E.g.: carefully, quickly Comparative
With two or more syllables, use MORE and THAN: more carefully than, more quickly than
Superlative
Use THE MOST: the most carefully, the most quickly
ď Ż Comparative: He ran more quickly than me. ď Ż Superlative: Of all the athletes, he ran the most quickly.
Comparative & superlative: Irregular adverbs Irregular adjective
Comparative form
Superlative form
Good
Better than
The best
Bad
Worse than
The worst
Far
Farther than/Further than
The farthest/The furthest
Well
Better than
The best
References: University of Victoria English Language Centre. (1998). Comparatives and Superlatives. Retrieved from University of Victoria English Language Centre: https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/r egcom.htm Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives. (n.d.). Retrieved from Eflnet: http://www.eflnet.com/tutorials/adjcompsup.php Mastin, K. (n.d.). Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs. Retrieved from English-Zone: http://www.englishzone.com/teach/crules3a.html
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Prepared by: Cristabel R. Ocasio Ilarraza Nirazette L. González Abella