Adult - Comparison

L O N G O R S H O R T A D J E C T I V E

L O N G A N D

S H O R T

A D J E C T I V E

• 1-syllable adjectives

• Short, thin, fat …

• 2-syllable adjectives ending in –y

• happy

Short adjectives

• all adjectives of 2 or more syllables

• Comfortable, beautiful, expensive

…

Long adjectives

C O M PA R AT I V E S

C O M PA R A T I V E A D J E C T I V E S / A D V E R B S

Short adjective / adverb

adjective/ adverb-er + than

Long adjective / adverb

More + adjective / adverb + than

one

-

syllable

two or more syllables

Short Adjective

One syllable

Two syllable ending with :

–y, –ant , -er, - et -le, -ow

• Small → smaller

• Low → lower

• Large → larger

• Nice → nicer

• Noisy → noisier

• Narrow → narrower

Long Adjective

Two or more
syllable

• more serious
• more important

Irregular Ajective

• good → better
• bad → worse
• Many / much → more
• Little → less
• Far → farther, further

It’s colder today than yesterday.

The second lecture was more
interesting than the first.

A D D I N G - E R

If adj. ends in

do this

and add

Examples

C + y

change y to i

-er

happy
happier

C + e

remove e
late
later

C + V + C

double last letter

hot

hotter

Note: adjectives ending in -l are regular, except:

cruel, crueller, cruellest

S U P E R L AT I V E

S U P E R L AT I V E S

Short adjectives/ adverbs:

the + Adj_est
adv_est

Long adjectives/ adverbs:
the + most + Adj

Most + adv

Short Adjective

One syllable

Two syllable ending with :
–y, –ant , -er, - et -le, -ow

• Small → smallest

• Low → lowest

• Large → largest

• Nice → nicest

• Noisy → noisiest

• Narrow → narrowest

Long Adjective

Two or more syllable

• The most expensive
• The most serious
• The more important

Irregular Ajective

• good → best
• bad → worst
• Many / much → most
• Little → least
• Far → farthest,

furthest

I think that’s the biggest apple I’ve
ever seen!

The most frightening film I’ve
ever seen was Alfred
Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’.

C O M P L E T I N G C O M PA R I S O N S

• She definitely cooks better than me

• She definitely cooks better than I do

• Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than him.

• Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than he is

You can use an object pronoun to complete a comparison.

But in more formal speaking and writing, use a subject pronoun + an auxiliary verb.

C O M P L E T I N G C O M PA R I S O N S

She definitely cooks better than I cook

Ana runs faster than Pat is.

Ana runs faster than Pat runs.

→ Use an auxiliary verb after than.

Do not repeat the main verb

I do

does

A U X I L I A R Y

V E R B

To be

V ordinary

Present

Past

Am

Is

Are

Do

Does

Was

Were

Did

• She definitely cooks better than me

• She definitely cooks better than …………………

• Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than him.

• Ed is six feet tall. Bob is taller than ……………………

I do

he is

I R R E G U L A R

C O M PA R AT I V

E S A N D

S U P E R L AT I V E

S

Adjective Comparative

Superlative

Good

better

best

bad

worse

worst

little

less

least

much

more

most

far

further / farther furthest / farthest

Adverbs

Comparative

Superlative

Well

better

best

Badly

worse

worst

Little

less

least

Far

farther / further

farthest / furthest

E Q U A L C O M PA R I S O N : A S … A S

A D J E C T I V E S / A D V E R B S

… AS + ADJ/ ADV + AS …

The team is still as good as it was
five years ago.

N O U N S P H R A S E S

… + as + many/much + N + as …

Ex: She had as much work as she needed
and did not want to take on any more.

There are as many students in Class 2A as
there are in 2B.

R E P E AT E D

C O M PA R AT I V E S

D E S C R I B E T H I N G S T H A T A R E I N C R E A S I N G O R

D E C R E A S I N G .

One-syllable

adjectives/ adverbs•ADJ/ ADV -ER + AND + ADJ/ ADV- ER

For example:

•The sky is getting darker and darker.
•He is playing soccer better and better

Two-syllable and longer adjectives/
adverbs

• MORE AND MORE + ADJ/ ADV

For example:

• Your son becomes more and more

energetic.

• This flower is getting more and more

beautiful.

D O U B L E C O M PA R AT I V E S :

D E S C R I B E A C A U S E - A N D - E F F E C T P R O C E S S .

D O U B L E C O M PA R AT I V E S :

THE + ADJ/ ADV-ER + S1 + V1…, THE + ADJ/ ADV -ER + S2 + V2

• The darker it gets, the colder the weather

becomes.

THE MORE + ADJ/ ADV + S1 + V1 …, THE MORE + ADJ/ ADV + S2 + V2

• The more intelligent he becomes, the lazier he is.