Comparative and Superlative

The Comparative form is used to compare people or things.

The Superlative form is used to state that one person or thing has more quality than others in a group or of that kind.

Comparative and Superlative forms.

With one syllable adjectives or adverbs we add - er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form.

long longer longest

We add -r and -st if they end in e

nice nicer nicest

If they end in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, we double the consonant.

thin thinner thinnest

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Words ending with y (e.g. happy) preceded by a consonant, we change y to an i and add - er --- ier

dirty dirtier dirtiest

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Most two-syllable adjectives, adjectives with three or more syllables, and adverbs ending in -ly use more for the comparative form and most for the superlative form.

careful	more careful	most careful
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
seriously	more seriously	most seriously

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With some common two-syllable adjectives and adverbs either form is possible (er/est, more/most). We normally adopt the form that is easier to say.

However, words of two syllables ending in -ful or -ed normally take the more/most form.

helpful more helpful most helpful
crowded more crowded most crowded

Words of two syllables ending in -y, -er, -le,- ow usually take the -er/-est form.

lovely         lovelier          loveliest
clever         cleverer         cleverest
feeble         feebler           feeblest
shallow       shallower       shallowest

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After a comparative you often use than.

The lighting in his new film was more/less beautiful than in his previous one.

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In the superlative form the is usually used in front of nouns. However, it is omitted after a link verb.

It was the happiest moment of my life.

I was happiest when I was a film director.

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The words below have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

bad	worse	worst
good/well	better	best
little	less	least
many/much	more	most

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Words with alternative forms.

far	farther further	farthest furthest	(for distance) (figuratively, and for time)
old	older elder	oldest eldest	(the more usual form) (for seniority and within the family-not used with than)
late	latter later	last latest	(the final one of a sequence, or the one before) (for time, the most recent)

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