Comparative and
superlative adjetives:
Regular adjectives with one syllable
A
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Tall Taller the tallest Adjectives ending in two
vowels or two
Long longer the longest consonants and a consonant,
add
-er /-est
Great greater the greatest
B
Large Larger the largest
Nice nicer the nicest Adjectives ending in –e,
add –r /-st
C
Big Bigger the biggest
Fat fatter the fattest Adjectives ending in
consonant+vowel+
Sad sadder the saddest consonant, double he consonant and
Wet wetter the wettest add –er /-est
Regular adjectives with more than one syllable
A
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Heavy heavier the heaviest Adjectives ending in –y change
y to i
Happy Happier
the Happiest and add
–er /-est
B
Modern more
modern the modernst Most longer adjectives
use more
Important more
important the most important and the most
C
Common more
common/ the most common/ some two-syllable adjectives can
commoner
commonest form
their comp. and .by
Eg. Clever, Pleasant, Gentle, Tired, Simple, adding –er/-est or with
Shallow (not very deep, superficial) more
and most
Irregular adjectives
Adjective Comparative Superlative
Good better the best
Bad worse the worst *For people in a family:
Old *elder/older *the eldest/the oldest Ram is my elder brother
Far further/farther the furthest/the farthest
In Context
A The more/-er + than
I’m taller than my brother me, him, us, them,… if the
pronoun after than
My brother´s more serious than me is not followed by a verb.
I’m more intelligent than him/ he is I, he, we, they,… if the
pronoun after than is
followed
by a verb.
B The most/-est
I´m the tallest student in the class
My sister´s the most intelligent student in the school
C Less + than/ the least
That film was less interesting than the last one I saw
It was the least interesting film I´ve seen all year
Qualifying comparative adjetives
• Cars are considerably faster and far more To refer to big differences: far, a lot,
m
comfortable
than bicycles much,
considerably, not nearly as…as,…
•The weather is a bit hotter than it was To refer to small differences: a
bit, yesterday
a little, slightly.
• It’s no warmer than it was yesterday to refer to no differences:
Just, no.
It´s just as
cold today as it was yesterday
Adverbs
1) Regular
and irregular adverbs
Adverb
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
Regular adverbs
|
|
|
slowly
|
more slowly
|
the most
slowly
|
Irregular adverbs
|
|
|
well
|
better
|
the best
|
badly
|
worse
|
the worst
|
little
|
less
|
the least
|
much
|
more
|
the most
|
Adverbs which are the
same as adjetives
|
|
|
fast
|
faster
|
the fastest
|
hard
|
harder
|
the hardest
|
far
|
farther / further
|
the farthest / the
furthest
|
long
|
longer
|
the longest
|
loud
|
louder
|
the loudest
|
straight
|
straighter
|
the straightest
|
2) The +
comparative + the
This construction links two actions or situations –
when one thing happens, another thing follows.
• adjective…adjective
The harder a job is,
the more rewarding I find it.
• adverb…adverb
The sooner we start,
the quicker we´ll finish.
• adjective…
adverb, or adverb… adjective
The easier a job is,
the more quickly I do it.
• more
(+ noun) …. more (+ noun)
The more money Jack
earned, the more clothes he bought.
• less
(+ clause) …less (+ uncountable noun) / fewer (+ plural countable noun)
The less Bob earned,
the less food / the fewer holidays he could afford.
• more
(+ clause)… less (+ clause)
The more you sleep,
the less you do.
Other combinations of these patterns are possible:
The harder Joe
worked, the more he earned.
The more he ate, the
fatter he got.
NOTES
a) Neither
of the two clauses in the + comparative + the sentences make sense without the other.
b) In
writing, a comma is used to separate the two clauses.
c) Both
clauses need a verb.
d) In
some expressions with better, no verbs are needed.
Jim: When shall
I come round to see you?
Tim: The sooner,
the better.
Other comparative constructions
1) as…
as
It can be used with adjectives or adverbs to make
comparisons between two things or people.
I’m as tall as my
brother.
In negative sentences so can be used instead of the
first as.
Cats aren’t so
friendly as dogs.
2) Comparative
+ and + comparative
It can be used with adjectives or adverbs to refer to
a trend.
As the exams approached, I worked harder and harder.
Over the last twenty years, televisions have become
less and less expensive.
3) Extreme
adjectives
Ordinary Extreme
cold freezing
angrynn furious
hungry starving
Most adjectives can be used with very or really and in
the comparative form with even for emphasis.
Yesterday I was very
cold, but today is even colder.
NOTE: really is more informal than very.
Extreme adjectives cannot be preceded by very or in
the comparative by even. You must use absolutely or really.
I was absolutely / really furious.
NOTE: You cannot use absolutely with ordinary
adjectives.
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