Comparative and Superlative

One of the most common things we do in our everyday
language is to compare things. It might be comparing
restaurants, candidates for a job position, or films to
see at the cinema. So how do we make comparatives

and superlatives in English?

What are

they?

What's the
difference?

We use comparative adjectives to compare the characteristics of two
people or two things.

English is more insteresting than science.

On the other side, we use superlative adjectives to talk about the highest
degree of a quality.

English is the most interesting subject in school.

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2

What's the
difference?

We use comparative adjectives to compare only two people or things.

Hannah runs faster than Eric.

We use superlative adjectives to talk about three or more people or things.

Between Hannah, Eric and Savannah, Hannah is the fastest.

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What's the
difference?

Let's see each example:

Smarter

Smartest

Richer

Richest

Forming a
sentence

The comparative and superlative adjectives are form depending on
how long the base adjective is.

Comparative

Superlative

Short adjectives

Long adjectives

We add "er" or "r" at the end of the adjective
and "than" after.

We add "more" before the adjective and
"than" after.

Short adjectives

Long adjectives

We add "est" or "st" at the end of the

adjective.

We add "the most" before the adjective.

Let's see
examples

Look at the following examples of each adjective using both their
superlative and comparative form.

Comparative

Superlative

Expensive
Dangerous
Cheap
Beautiful
Popular
Fast
Tall

more expensive than...

more dangerous than...

cheaper than...

more beautiful than...

more popular than...

faster than...

taller than...

the most expensive

the most dangerous
the cheapest

the most beautiful

the most popular
the fastest

the tallest

Expensive
Dangerous
Cheap
Beautiful

Popular
Fast
Tall

Some

exceptions

Although we use the comparative adjectives when talking about two things,
one of these (or both) can be a group of things:

Anne is wealthier than all the other millionaires in the world.

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Also, these very common adjectives have completely irregular superlative
forms:

Good

Bad

Little

Much

Far

Best

Worst

Least

Most

Furthest / Farthest

The end