Comparative and superlative adjectives help us describe and compare people, places, or things in English. Comparative adjectives show the difference between two things, while superlative adjectives are used to describe the highest or lowest quality among three or more. In this blog post, you will learn the clear difference between comparative and superlative adjectives, the rules for forming them, and 100 useful examples to help you understand how they are used in everyday English.
What are Adjectives?
Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They tell us more about a person, place, or thing.
Examples:
- The big dog is barking.
- She has beautiful eyes.
- This is a tall building.
Comparative Degree of Adjectives
A comparative adjective is used to compare two people, places, or things. We usually add “-er” to short adjectives and use “more” before longer adjectives.
Examples:
- This book is thicker than that one.
- She is more intelligent than her brother.
- The weather today is colder than yesterday.
Superlative Degree of Adjectives
A superlative adjective is used to show the highest degree of quality among three or more people, places, or things. We usually add “-est” to short adjectives and use “most” before longer adjectives.
Examples:
- This is the thickest book in the library.
- She is the most intelligent girl in the class.
- Today is the coldest day of the year.
Rules for Forming Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
1. For short adjectives (one syllable), add “-er” for comparative and “-est” for superlative.
- Small → Smaller → Smallest
- Fast → Faster → Fastest
2. If the adjective ends in “e”, just add “-r” for comparative and “-st” for superlative.
- Nice → Nicer → Nicest
- Large → Larger → Largest
3. If the adjective ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant before adding “-er” or “-est”.
- Big → Bigger → Biggest
- Hot → Hotter → Hottest
4. For adjectives with two or more syllables, use “more” for comparative and “most” for superlative.
- Beautiful → More beautiful → Most beautiful
- Important → More important → Most important
5. Irregular adjectives change completely.
- Good → Better → Best
- Bad → Worse → Worst
Examples of Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Smaller | Smallest |
| Fast | Faster | Fastest |
| High | Higher | Highest |
| Tall | Taller | Tallest |
| Strong | Stronger | Strongest |
| Brave | Braver | Bravest |
| Cold | Colder | Coldest |
| Warm | Warmer | Warmest |
| Young | Younger | Youngest |
| Old | Older | Oldest |
| Rich | Richer | Richest |
| Poor | Poorer | Poorest |
| Smart | Smarter | Smartest |
| Kind | Kinder | Kindest |
| Hard | Harder | Hardest |
| Soft | Softer | Softest |
| Dark | Darker | Darkest |
| Light | Lighter | Lightest |
| Clear | Clearer | Clearest |
| Wise | Wiser | Wisest |
| Happy | Happier | Happiest |
| Funny | Funnier | Funniest |
| Heavy | Heavier | Heaviest |
| Busy | Busier | Busiest |
| Easy | Easier | Easiest |
| Lazy | Lazier | Laziest |
| Friendly | Friendlier | Friendliest |
| Simple | Simpler | Simplest |
| Useful | More useful | Most useful |
| Careful | More careful | Most careful |
| Honest | More honest | Most honest |
| Beautiful | More beautiful | Most beautiful |
| Difficult | More difficult | Most difficult |
| Important | More important | Most important |
| Dangerous | More dangerous | Most dangerous |
| Comfortable | More comfortable | Most comfortable |
| Expensive | More expensive | Most expensive |
| Famous | More famous | Most famous |
| Powerful | More powerful | Most powerful |
| Popular | More popular | Most popular |
| Successful | More successful | Most successful |
| Intelligent | More intelligent | Most intelligent |
| Interesting | More interesting | Most interesting |
| Useful | More useful | Most useful |
| Attractive | More attractive | Most attractive |
| Generous | More generous | Most generous |
| Creative | More creative | Most creative |
| Hardworking | More hardworking | Most hardworking |
| Delicious | More delicious | Most delicious |
| Cheerful | More cheerful | Most cheerful |
| Practical | More practical | Most practical |
| Successful | More successful | Most successful |
| Respectful | More respectful | Most respectful |
| Thoughtful | More thoughtful | Most thoughtful |
| Hopeful | More hopeful | Most hopeful |
| Comfortable | More comfortable | Most comfortable |
| Serious | More serious | Most serious |
| Honest | More honest | Most honest |
| Efficient | More efficient | Most efficient |
| Courageous | More courageous | Most courageous |
| Peaceful | More peaceful | Most peaceful |
| Supportive | More supportive | Most supportive |
| Responsible | More responsible | Most responsible |
| Ambitious | More ambitious | Most ambitious |
| Energetic | More energetic | Most energetic |
| Enthusiastic | More enthusiastic | Most enthusiastic |
| Flexible | More flexible | Most flexible |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When should I use “more” instead of “-er”?
If an adjective has two or more syllables, use “more” for the comparative form and “most” for the superlative form. Example:
- Beautiful → More beautiful → Most beautiful
- Expensive → More expensive → Most expensive
2. Why do some adjectives completely change in the comparative and superlative forms?
Some adjectives are irregular and do not follow the regular rules of adding “-er” or “more.” These words have unique forms. Example:
- Good → Better → Best
- Bad → Worse → Worst
- Far → Farther → Farthest
3. Can all adjectives have comparative and superlative forms?
No, some adjectives are absolute adjectives, meaning they do not have different degrees. Words like “perfect,” “unique,” and “dead” do not usually have comparative or superlative forms because they describe something in a complete state.
4. How can I use comparative and superlative adjectives in sentences?
Here are some simple sentence structures:
- Comparative: [Subject] + [verb] + comparative adjective + than + [object].
- Example: “This road is longer than that one.”
- Superlative: [Subject] + [verb] + the superlative adjective.
- Example: “This is the longest road in the city.”
5. What is the difference between “farther” and “further”?
- Farther is used for physical distance.
- Example: “This town is farther than the last one.”
- Further is used for figurative or abstract distance.
- Example: “I need further information on this topic.”
Understanding comparative and superlative adjectives is an easy way to improve your English skills. They help you describe differences and comparisons clearly.
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