Comparison

There are three forms of comparison:

• positive
• comparative
• superlative

1. Comparison with -er/-est

• clean → cleaner → (the) cleanest

• My car is cleaner than your car.
• My car is the cleanest in the neighbourhood.
• Peter is the smartest of all my students.
• Peter is more (less) clever than Pam.
• Don's is the most (least) expensive restaurant in our town.

We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:

a) Adjectives with one syllable

positive	comparative	superlative
clean	cleaner	cleanest
new	newer	newest
cheap	cheaper	cheapest

 soft                      softer                        softest

NOTE: real / right / wrong => comparative (more wrong) and superlative (most wrong).



b) Adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:

b. 1.   -y

positive	comparative	superlative
dirty	dirtier	dirtiest
easy	easier	easiest
happy	happier	happiest
pretty	prettier	prettiest

b. 2.  -er

positive	comparative	superlative
clever	cleverer	cleverest

b. 3.  -le

positive	comparative	superlative
simple	simpler	simplest

b. 4.  -ow

positive	comparative	superlative
narrow	narrower	narrowest

NOTE: Spelling of the adjectives using the endings -er/-est

positive	comparative	superlative
large	larger	largest	leave out the silent -e
big	bigger	biggest	Double the consonant after short vowel
sad	sadder	saddest
dirty	dirtier	dirtiest	Change -y to -i (consonant before -y)
shy	shyer	shyest	Here -y is not changed to -i.              (although consonant before -y)

2. Comparison with more – most = All adjectives with more than one syllable
(except some adjectives with two syllables – see 2.1. to 2.4.)

 difficult > more difficult > the most difficult

3. Irregular adjectives / adverbs

positive	comparative	superlative	comment
good well	better	best
bad badly	worse	worst
much	more	most	uncountable nouns
many a lot of	more	most	countable nouns
little	less	least
little	smaller	smallest

4. Special adjectives (with either one or two syllables)

Some adjectives have two possible forms of comparison (-er/est and more/most).

positive	comparative	superlative
clever	cleverer / more clever	cleverest / most clever
common	commoner / more common	commonest / most common
likely	likelier / more likely	likeliest / most likely
pleasant	pleasanter / more pleasant	pleasantest / most pleasant
polite	politer / more polite	politest / most polite
quiet	quieter / more quiet	quietest / most quiet
simple	simpler / more simple	simplest / most simple
stupid	stupider / more stupid	stupidest / most stupid
subtle	subtler / more subtle	subtlest / most subtle
sure	surer / more sure	surest / most sure

narrow
gentle
friendly
safe
true
free



5. The comparative adjectives ending in -ing / -full / - less / -ed is formed with more and less

• thrilling >  more thrilling >   most thrilling

6. Difference in meaning with adjectives

positive	comparative	superlative	comment
far	farther	farthest	distance (=longer)
	further	furthest	distance or              time
late	later	latest
	latter	x
	x	last
old	older	oldest	people and things
	elder	eldest	people (family)
near	nearer	nearest	distance
	x	next	order

NOTES:

Further / further (adverb) = longer (in distance)

• LSE is further away from King's College
• LSE is further away from King's College

Further (adjective) = more
Let's hope there won't be any further delay.



ADVERBS: Adverbs formed by adding -ly to the adjective take more to the comparative and most in the superlative.

•  Comfortable > comfortably > more comfortably > most comfortably

 Types of comparison

She is as tall as I am.
She is not as tall as I am.
She is no so tall as I am.

Their car is twice as expensive as ours.
Their car is three times as expensive as ours.
Their car is expensive as expensive as ours.

Your dress is lour as mine.
Your dress is similar to mine.

The weather is getting warmer and warmer.

The earlier we set off the earlier we'll arrive.