Adjectives

Comparatives and superlatives

Comparative sentences compare two things.

• Moon Rock is smaller than Pittsville.
• The train is more expensive than the bus.
• I like the train, but the bus is cheaper.
• Jill is better than Wendy at languages.
• Jill is the better learner of the two. (Sometimes we use the in comparative sentences when it is understood which two people or things are being compared: the + comparative + noun)

Superlative sentences compare more than two things.

• Sydney is the biggest city. (= of all the other cities)
• The plane is the most expensive way to travel.
• Of all the forms of transport, the plane is the most expensive.
• Alison is the best swimmer.

Different adjectives form comparatives and superlatives in different ways.

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
small	smaller than	the smallest
big	bigger than	the biggest
nice	nicer than	the nicest
dirty	dirtier than	the dirtiest
beautiful	more beautiful than	the most beautiful
good bad far	better than worse than further/farther than	the best the worst the furthest/farthest

This is how we make the comparative and superlative forms:

-short adjectives (one syllable):

adjective + -er, -est
small smaller smallest

-short adjectives that end in consonant + vowel + consonant (e.g., b + i + g):

adjective (double last letter) + -er, -est
big bigger biggest

-short adjectives that end in e:

adjective + -r, -st
nice nicer nicest

-two-syllable adjectives that end in y:

adjective (change y to i) + -er, -est
dirty dirtier dirtiest

-other two-syllable adjectives and longer adjectives:

more, most + adjective
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

-irregular adjectives:

comparative and superlative forms are irregular
good better best