Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

A2 · ElementaryAdjectives

Comparatives compare two things (bigger, more interesting); superlatives pick out the extreme of a group (the biggest, the most interesting).

What you'll learn

  • Short adjectives (1 syllable, most 2-syllable): add -er / -est
  • Longer adjectives: use more / most before the adjective
  • Spelling changes: big → bigger, happy → happier, large → larger
  • Irregular forms: good/better/best, bad/worse/worst, far/farther/farthest

Comparative vs superlative

A comparative compares exactly two things: 'This book is more interesting than that one.' A superlative picks the extreme — the biggest, smallest, best — out of three or more, usually with 'the': 'This is the most interesting book I've read this year.'

Short adjectives: -er / -est

For most one-syllable adjectives (and some two-syllable ones ending in -y), add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative: tall → taller → the tallest.

Spelling rules: double the final consonant after a short vowel (big → bigger → the biggest, hot → hotter → the hottest); change -y to -i after a consonant (happy → happier → the happiest); just add -r/-st after a silent -e (large → larger → the largest).

"This road is longer than that one."
"Today is hotter than yesterday."
"She's the happiest person I know."

Longer adjectives: more / most

For adjectives with two or more syllables (that don't end in -y), use more for the comparative and the most for the superlative instead of adding an ending: interesting → more interesting → the most interesting.

Never combine both forms — 'more bigger' or 'most biggest' are always wrong.

"This book is more interesting than that one."
"It's the most expensive restaurant in the city."

Irregular forms to memorize

A small set of very common adjectives don't follow either pattern: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst; far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest.

"This is the best pizza I've ever had."
"My grades this year are worse than last year."

Real English

"This neighborhood is quieter than the one I used to live in."
"It's the most beautiful sunset I've seen all year."
"He's a better cook than his brother."
"This is by far the worst movie I've seen this year."

Watch out

✗He is more taller than his dad.
✓He is taller than his dad.

Never combine more with an -er ending — choose one form, not both.

✗This is the most easy question.
✓This is the easiest question.

Short adjectives like easy take -est, not most — 'most easy' isn't standard English.

✗Today is hoter than yesterday.
✓Today is hotter than yesterday.

Short adjectives ending in one vowel + one consonant double the final consonant before -er/-est: hot → hotter.

✗This is the goodest movie I've ever seen.
✓This is the best movie I've ever seen.

Good, bad and far have irregular comparative/superlative forms — they don't take -est at all.

Real life — Comparing two apartments

"So which apartment did you like more?"

"Honestly, the second one was smaller, but it was much cheaper."

"Was it in a better location, though?"

"Yeah, actually — it was the closest one to the subway."

Practice

Exercise 1 · Choose the correct form

This book is ___ than that one.

Exercise 2 · Choose the correct form

She is the ___ girl in the class.

Exercise 3 · Choose the correct spelling

Today is ___ than yesterday.

Exercise 4 · Choose the correct form

This is the ___ movie I've ever seen.

Exercise 5 · Choose the correct form

He runs ___ than his brother.

Exercise 6 · Fix the mistake

Fix the mistake:

Exercise 7 · Complete the sentence

Complete: happy → comparative form (one word)

Exercise 8 · Complete the sentence

Complete: expensive → superlative form, without 'the'

Exercise 9 · Build the sentence

???????

Exercise 10 · Choose the correct form

Which is correct?

Exercise 11 · Choose the correct form

My car is ___ than my neighbor's.

Quick challenge

Five quick questions to check what stuck.

Question 1 / 5

Score: 0/0

She's ___ than me.

You learned

  • Comparatives compare two things; superlatives pick the extreme out of three or more.
  • Short adjectives take -er/-est; longer adjectives use more/most instead.
  • Watch spelling: bigger (double consonant), happier (-y → -i), larger (just add -r).
  • Good, bad and far have irregular forms — better/best, worse/worst, farther/farthest.
  • Never combine more with -er, or most with -est — pick one form only.

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