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• Comparative Adjectives and
Superlatives
Name:________________________
Class: _______ Date: ___________
As you already know, we use adjectives to describe nouns and when we compare two similar nouns, we use
comparative adjectives. However, when one noun stands out above all others, we use superlatives to
indicate what makes it so special.
Adjective:
Motorola is a well-known mobile phone brand.
Comparative: Nokia is a more well-known mobile phone brand than Motorola.
Superlative: iPhone is the most well-known mobile phone brand in Hong Kong.
Forming Comparatives
1 from single-syllable adjectives
To form the comparative from single-syllable adjectives ending in —e , add —r
safe
safer
nice
nicer
To form the comparative form from single-syllable adjectives ending in one vowel followed by a single
consonant, double the final consonant and add —er .
hotter
hot
big
bigger
To form the comparative from any other single-syllable adjectives, just add –er .
taller
tall
small
smaller
2 from regular adjectives with two syllables and more
To form the comparative from multi-syllable adjectives ending in –y , replace the y with the letter i and add
–er .
the funnier
funny
easy
the easier
To form the comparative from other two-syllable adjectives, use more before the adjective.
more perfect
perfect
more pleasant
pleasant
A limited number of two-syllable adjectives can be turned into comparatives both by using more in front of
the adjective and by adding –(e)r . A few of the more common examples are listed below. But when in doubt,
stick with more ... .
quieter / more quiet
quiet
narrower / more narrow
narrow
simpler / more simple
simple
© iLearners Publishing Limited, 2009
To form the superlative of all adjectives with three or more syllables, you need to use the word ʻmostʼ before
the adjective.
expensive ➡
beautiful ➡
more expensive
more beautiful
3 from irregular adjectives
As always in English language, there are some exceptions to the above rules. There are some adjectives
with irregular comparative forms. Unfortunately there are no rules for you to follow with these, so youʼll just
have to remember them. A selection of the more common irregular comparatives are listed below.
good
bad
little
much far
➡
➡
➡
➡
➡
better
worse
less(when used to talk about amounts)
more
further / farther
Forming Superlatives
1 from single-syllable adjectives
To form the superlative from single-syllable adjectives ending in ʻ–eʼ, add ʻ–stʼ.
large
➡
largest
strange ➡
strangest
To form the superlative from single-syllable adjectives ending in one vowel followed by a single consonant,
double the final consonant and add ʻ–estʼ.
wet
➡
wettest
sad ➡
saddest
To form the superlative from any other single-syllable adjectives, just add ʻ–estʼ.
dark
➡
darkest
clean ➡
cleanest
2 from regular adjectives with two syllables and more
To form the superlative from multi-syllable adjectives ending in ʻ–yʼ, replace the ʻyʼ with the letter ʻiʼ and add
ʻ–estʼ.
noisy ➡ the noisiest
happy ➡ the happiest
To form the superlative from other two-syllable adjectives, use ʻmostʼ before the adjective.
precise ➡ the most precise
normal ➡ the most ugly
A limited number of two-syllable adjectives can be turned into superlatives both by using ʻmostʼ in front of the
adjective and by adding ʻ–(e)stʼ. A few of the more common examples are listed below. But when in doubt,
stick with ʻmost ...ʼ.
happy ➡ happiest / the most happy
clever
➡ cleverest / the most clever
polite
➡ politest / the most polite
gentle
➡
the gentlest / the most gentle
© iLearners Publishing Limited, 2009
To form the superlative of all adjectives with three or more syllables, you need to use the word ʻmostʼ before
the adjective.
exciting ➡
interesting➡
the most exciting
the most interesting
3 from irregular adjectives
As always in English language, there are some exceptions to the above rules. There are some adjectives
with irregular superlative forms. Unfortunately there are no rules for you to follow with these, so youʼll just
have to remember them. A selection of the more common irregular superlatives are listed below.
good
➡ the best
bad
➡ the worst
little
➡ the least (when used to talk about amounts.
much ➡ the most
far
➡ the furthest / farthest
old
➡ the eldest (when used to talk about people)
Qualifying superlatives
You can qualify superlatives by using the second, third, etc.
IBM is the fourth most valuable brand shown in the 2009 Brandz Survey.
You can qualify superlatives by using the least.
To my surprise, LV is the least popular brand in my class.
You can also emphasise a superlative by using the phrase by far.
Michael Jackson is by far the most famous pop singer in the world.
Michael Jackson is the most famous pop singer by far.
Fill in the blanks with the most suitable form of the adjectives:
I have made a comparison between four brands of lipsticks, River Super Lustrous, MIR Matte
Lipstick, Cosmos All-Day and Candy Gloss. Among them, River Super Lustrous is the ___________
(good) drugstore lipstick. It is ______________ (available) in all main chain pharmacies. MIR Matte
is _________________ (hard) to find as it is available in only a few high-end stores unlike the other
three.
MIR Matt is ____________________ (long-lasting) than Candy Gloss and River Super Lustrous,
but Cosmos All-Day is _____________________ (long-lasting) of all, lasting up to eight hours.
River Super Lustrous has __________________ (wide) range of colours compared with the others.
It also gives a very ______________ (creamy) feel. However, it is _____________________ (longlasting) among them and has to be reapplied very often. However, it is _____________________
(economical) of the four and will certainly not exceed your shopping budget. MIR Matte is
__________________ (expensive) of them all. However, it creates a _______________ (deep)
pigment and it is not ________________ (shiny) at all, giving a very natural matte look. It is also an
environmentally ________________ (friendly) lipstick as the brand has taken part in a recycling
programme.
The good things about Cosmos All-Day is not only that is it is ___________________ (long-lasting),
but it is also ____________________ (smudge-proof), so you donʼt have to worry about staining
your clothes at all. It also comes in a ______________ (good) range of shades, so you donʼt have
to worry about finding a colour which is either too dark or too light.
Candy Gloss has the second ______________ (great) range of colours among the four and the
colours give a _______________ (natural) _____________ (nice) shimmer. However, it is also
quite _______________ (expensive) and ___________________ (sticky) than lipstick.
© iLearners Publishing Limited, 2009