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Comparative and Superlative Adjectives for Elementary Level (English only)
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Comparative and Superlative Adjectives for Elementary Level (English only)

LEVEL 1, 2 |

Listen to this podcast to learn how to compare things or people! 

 

Прослушать англо-русскую версию.

 

Written and voiced Inna Zharuk

Словарь Ножницы Перевод Значение Замена

Comparative and superlative adjectives

Quite often we compare different things and for that we need to use comparative and superlative adjectives.
We use comparative adjectives to compare two, three or more things.

If we have a one‐syllable adjective, for example, cheap, sweet, rich, to form comparative we add the ending –er.

cheap – cheaper

sweet – sweeter

rich – richer

This computer is cheaper than that laptop.

If we have a one‐syllable adjective that ends in silent –e, we just add –r to comparative form. We don't need to double the letter ‘e'. 

strange – stranger

simple – simpler

nice – nicer

Today's test is simpler than last week's one.

If a one‐syllable adjective consists of consonant + vowel + consonant, we double the last letter.

big – bigger
(b – consonant, i –vowel, g – consonant, that matches our rule. And that's why we double the last letter).

hot – hotter 

fat – fatter

Yesterday was hotter than today.

If we have two‐ syllable or three‐syllable adjectives, for example, favorite, comfortable, dangerous, we use the word more to form comparatives.

favorite – more favorite

comfortable – more comfortable

dangerous – more dangerous

What is more dangerous to ski or to snowboard?

If a two‐ or three‐syllable adjective ends in consonant + ‐y we change the ending -y into -ier.

tasty – tastier

friendly – friendlier

smelly – smellier

Jinnah is friendlier than her sister Kate.

In a sentence when we want to compare two things we use than.

Pat is more beautiful than her sister.

It's easier to read than to speak.

This test is simpler than that test.

These apples are more expensive than those apples.

We can use the word ‘one' to replace a singular noun and ‘ones' to replace plural nouns when we don't want to say the same word the second time.

This test is simpler than that test.

It is better to say:

This test is simpler than that one.

These apples are more expensive than those apples.

It will sound better:

These apples are more expensive than those ones.

Superlative adjectives are used to compare one thing with all the others.

Let's learn how to form them.

If we have a one‐syllable adjective, for example, cheap, sweet, rich, to form superlative we add –est.

Also, pay attention that we always use the definite article the before superlative adjectives.

cheap – the cheapest

sweet – the sweetest

rich – the richest

Who is the richest man in the world?

If we have a one‐syllable adjective that ends in silent –e we just add –st to superlative one. We don't double the letter ‘e'.

strange – the strangest

simple – the simplest

nice – the nicest

You are the nicest person I have ever met.

If a one‐syllable adjective consists of consonant + vowel + consonant, we double the last letter.

big – the biggest

(b – consonant, i –vowel, g – consonant, once again we double the last letter).

hot – the hottest

fat – the fattest

The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean in the world.

If we have two‐ syllable or three‐syllable adjectives, for example, favorite, comfortable, dangerous, we use the most to form superlatives.

favorite – the most favorite

comfortable – the most comfortable

dangerous – the most dangerous

This is the most comfortable armchair in this room.

If a two‐ or three‐syllable adjective ends in consonant + y we change the ending y into -iest.

tasty – the tastiest

friendly– the friendliest

smelly – the smelliest

My mum has made the tastiest cake for the yard sale.

There are a few irregular adjectives which you have to learn by heart.

good – better – the best 

bad – worse – the worst 

far – further – the furthest 

Sunday was better than Monday but today on Tuesday is the best day of my life.

Don't worry, your test results could be worse. They were the worst in the class last year.

The USA is the furthest country I have flown to, and it is further from Ukraine than Spain.

Comparatives and superlatives you use in your every day speech.

So, I hope the information was useful for you.

Thanks for listening.