Comparing

Let's study now how comparatives and superlatives are formed. Take a look.

COMPARING

Higher and lower degree.

If you want to use an adjective or adverb to say that a quality is of a higher degree, you can usually add -er to the end of it or qualify it with more.

Your hair is longer now than it was last year. • This chair is much more comfortable than the other one. • She works harder than her brother. • The situation became more and more serious.

To say that a quality is of a lower degree, you can usually add -er to the end of a negative adjective or adverb, or qualify it with less.

Your hair is shorter now than it was last year. • This chair is much less comfortable than the other one. • The situation became less and less bearable.

This is called the COMPARATIVE. Notice that than follows the adjective or adverb when you are comparing something to something else that is mentioned.

highest and lowest degree

If you want to say that something is of the highest degree, you add -est to the end of the adjective or adverb or qualify it with most.

This is the longest letter I've ever written. • He is one of the most successful young actors in Hollywood. • Hurricanes occur most frequently in August and September.

If you want to say that something is of the lowest degree, you add -est to the end of the adjective or adverb, or qualify it with least.

This is the shortest letter I’ve ever written. • He is one of the least successful writers I know. • Which painting did you like (the) least? • Hurricanes occur least frequently in April.

This is called the SUPERLATIVE. Notice that the (or a possessive) is required when the superlative is used before a noun or when a phrase describing the group that is the basis for comparison follows.

Our biggest problem right now is lack of cash. • He’s the youngest of four boys.

which comparative and superlative forms to use: adjectives

One-syllable adjectives usually form the comparative and superlative with -er and -est.

small, smaller, smallest; hot, hotter, hottest.

But real, right, and wrong only take more and most.

Most two-syllable adjectives can take more/less and most/least. Some can take -er and -est, including the following:

•   adjectives ending in -y and -ow

angry, busy, dirty, early, easy, friendly, funny, happy, lazy, lucky, noisy, pretty, wealthy, narrow, shallow

•   adjectives ending in -le

able, gentle, noble, simple, subtle

•   adjectives ending in -er and -ure

clever, mature, obscure

•   a number of other adjectives

common, cruel, handsome, pleasant, polite, quiet, remote, stupid

Adjectives of three or more syllables generally form the comparative and superlative only with more/less and most/least

interesting, more/less interesting, most/least interesting.

But some adjectives with the prefix un- can also take -er and -est.

unhappy, unclear

A few adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

good, better, best

bad, worse, worst

far, farther or further, farthest or furthest

well, better, best

Note that the adjective well, meaning “healthy,” is not used in the superlative.

which comparative and superlative forms to use: adverbs

Most adverbs use more (or less) and most (or least) to form the comparative and superlative.

often, more/less often, most/least often

efficiently, more/less efficiently, most/least efficiently

Some one- and two-syllable adverbs can form the comparative and superlative with -er and -est.

close, deep, early, fast, hard, high, late, long, loud, low, near, slow, soon, straight, tight, wide

A few adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

well, better, best

badly, worse, worst

far, farther or further, farthest or furthest

how to add -er and -est

In most cases, just put -er or -est on the end of the adjective or adverb.

tough, tougher, toughest

fast, faster, fastest.

But notice the following adjectives and adverbs:

ending in a single consonant (other than w or y) with the vowel before it spelled with a single letter: Double the consonant before adding -er or -est.

big, bigger, biggest

ending in -y: Change y to i before adding -er or -est.

happy, happier, happiest

early, earlier, earliest

But a few adjectives ending in -y do not change y to i.

shy, shyer, shyest

sly, slyer, slyest

dry, drier or dryer, driest or dryest

ending in -e: Drop the e before adding -er or -est.

late, later, latest blue, bluer, bluest

When the dictionary shows [-er/-est only], this means the word forms its comparative and superlative only by adding these endings, not with more and most.

adjectives and adverbs that are not used to compare

Most adjectives and adverbs are gradable and can be used in comparative and superlative forms or with words such as very and extremely (See: Very, completely and other intensifiers). But adjectives and adverbs labeled [not gradable] in the dictionary cannot be used in these ways, usually because the quality they refer to is either present or not. For examples, you could not say “my most Asian friend” or “a very wooden spoon.”

adjectives and adverbs that describe an extreme limit

absolute/absolutely

utter/utterly

total/totally

dead

adjectives and adverbs that restrict the word they modify to a particular state of being

only

same

identical/identically

main/mainly

adjectives formed from nouns by adding -ic, -al, or -ar, and related adverbs ending in -ly

electronic/electronically

mathematical/mathematically

polar

solar

Some adjectives and adverbs with these endings can be gradable in some meanings.

democratic/democratically

emotional/emotionally

professional/professionally