Superlative and comparative
Comparatives and Superlatives are crucial for making comparisons between two or more items, individuals, or ideas. They help us express differences effectively.
Comparatives
Comparatives are used to compare two entities. The formation depends on the adjective's length:
1. Short adjectives (one syllable or two syllables ending in -y):
Add -er to the adjective and use than after it.
- Examples:
small → smaller
happy → happier
- Example sentence:
This book is smaller than that one.
2. Long adjectives (two or more syllables):
Use more or less before the adjective, followed by than.
- Examples:
interesting → more interesting / less interesting
expensive → more expensive / less expensive
- Example sentence:
This movie is more interesting than the previous one.
Irregular Comparatives
Certain adjectives have irregular forms that don’t follow standard rules:
- good → better
- bad → worse
- far → farther/further
Example sentence:
He is a better player than his brother.
Superlatives
Superlatives are used to compare one item against a group, indicating that it is the most or least in a specific aspect.
1. Short adjectives:
Add -est to the adjective and use the before it.
- Examples:
small → the smallest
happy → the happiest
- Example sentence:
She is the tallest student in the class.
2. Long adjectives:
Use the most or the least before the adjective.
- Examples:
interesting → the most interesting / the least interesting
expensive → the most expensive / the least expensive
- Example sentence:
This is the most beautiful painting in the gallery.
Irregular Superlatives
Similar to comparatives, some superlatives have irregular forms:
- good → the best
- bad → the worst
- far → the farthest/furthest
Example sentence:
She is the best singer in the competition.
Important Points to Note:
- Comparatives compare two items, while superlatives compare one item against a group.
- Short adjectives typically take -er (comparative) and -est (superlative) endings.
- Long adjectives use more/less (comparative) and the most/the least (superlative).
- Some adjectives have irregular forms, such as good → better → best