Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

1. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives Grammar Guide mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas PWSZ Konin

2. Quick Introduction

3. We use comparative adjectives to compare two (or more) things or people. • We usesuperlative adjectives to distinguish one thing or person from a number of others.

4. Comparatives Short adjectives – adjectives with one syllable: • +er cheap cheaper • ending in –e: +r safesafer

5. Comparatives Short adjectives – adjectives with one syllable: • ending in –y: change y into i and +er drydrier • ending in a single vowel and a single consonant: double the final consonantand +er bigbigger

6. Comparatives Long adjectives – with two or more syllables: • more + adjective expensivemore expensive But: • ending in –y: change y into i and +er happy happier • ending in –ow, –le, –er : +er narrow narrower gentle gentler clever  cleverer

7. Comparative + than • We can use than to introduce a clause after a comparative adjective: Los Angeles is bigger than I expected it to be. • If the object of the comparison is a pronoun without a verb we usually use an object pronoun: I'm taller thanhim. • If there is a verb we use a subject pronoun and an auxiliary: I'm taller thanhe is.

8. Superlatives We usually use the with superlatives because there is only onesuperlative. Short adjectives – adjectives with one syllable: • +est cheap  the cheapest • ending in –e: +st safe thesafest

9. Superlatives Short adjectives – adjectives with one syllable: • ending in –y: change y into i and +est drythedriest • ending in a single vowel and a single consonant: double the final consonant and +est big thebiggest

10. Superlatives Long adjectives – with two or more syllables: • the most + adjective expensivethe most expensive But: • ending in –y: change y into i and +est happy thehappiest • ending in –ow, –le, –er : +er narrow thenarrowest gentle thegentlest clever thecleverest

11. Superlatives • When we refer to a place or group we use in not of after superlatives. New York is one of the largest cities in the world. He's by far the cleverest student in his class. • But in formal English we can put an of phrase at the beginning of the sentence, before the superlative. Of the students in his class, he is the cleverest.

12. Irregulars • good better the best • bad worse the worst • little less the least

13. less / least • We can also use less and least as the opposite of more and most. This exercise is less difficult than the others. The hot dog is the least expensive.

14. Irregulars • far farther the farthest further the furthest • We use further/the furthest or farther/the farthest to talk about a ‘greater distance’: John’s house is the farther one. I’ve moved further away from my parents. (= a greater distance away) • We use further/the furthest with the meaning of ‘extra’ or ‘more’: Let me know if you have any further questions. (= extra/more)

15. as + adjective + as • We can say that two things are equal by using as + adjective + as: The hamburger is as expensive as the fishburger. • To say that things are almost equal we use just,about, almost or nearly: She’s nearly as old as I was when I got married.

16. (not) as + adjective + as • We make a negative comparison with not as/so + adjective + as: The hot dog isn’t as expensive as the hamburger. (= The hot dog is cheaper.)

17. The sooner the better. • To describe how a change in one thing causes a change in another, we can use two comparative forms withthe. Note the use of the comma after the first clause: The more he eats, the fatter he gets. The older I get, the happier I am. The more dangerous it is, the more I like it. ‘How do you like your coffee?’ ‘The stronger the better.’

18. As simple as ABC! The more you study, the better the results. 

19. Bibliography • Bourke K.: Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix it. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. • Leech G., Cruickshank B., Ivanic R.:An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage. Harlow: Longman, 2004. • Murphy R.: English Grammar in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. • Swan M.: Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. • Thomas A. J., Martinet A. V.: A practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986. • Vince M.: Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition) . Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010.