Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules.

These adjectives can be used with -er and est

and with more and most.

clever

cleverer

cleverest

clever

more clever

most clever

gentle

gentler

gentlest

gentle

more gentle

most gentle

friendly

friendlier

friendliest

friendly

more friendly

most friendly

quiet

quieter

quietest

quiet

more quiet

most quiet

simple

simpler

simplest

simple

more simple

most simple

Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.

Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.
Big dogs are more gentle than small dogs.
Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the most gentle.

There are no rules! Only tendencies. (In fact, you could probably say that about ALL grammar). For example, a quick
search of corpus sites on the Internet threw up the following 'exceptions' to the rule that one syllable words take er
in the comparative:

As the sun grew more fierce, our

complexions darkened.
she was more full of good intentions than
ever
she said if you had something like porridge,
you'd feel more full
A less religious or a more sane man than
the fanatic would have shut up.
You'd think it would make them more
sane and agreeable than the norm.
it seems to me more brave to stay on Earth
and explore inner man
To swim is true, and to sink is true. One is
not more true than the other.
somebody came up and told me which is
even more rude.
could any argument be more tired?
Some one-syllable adjectives, like right, wrong, and real, virtually never take er. (Is that a rule or a tendency?).
The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English, which is based on corpus data, suggests that forms
like more fierce are more emphatic (emphaticker?) than fiercer. They go on to say that two-syllable adjectives show

even greater variability. The tendency, however, is to inflect (i.e. add er, -est to) adjectives ending in y (pretty,
prettier, prettiest) but adjectives ending in ly can go both ways (lonelier, more lonely). Sometimes inflected are
adjectives ending in ow, like narrow, and er, like clever, and le, like simple.
Those that usually take more/most are adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -al, -ive, -ous (mostuseful, more mindless, etc)
and adjectives formed from participles (more bored, mos ttiring). And of course, three-or-more-syllable adjectives. But
despite these 'rules' the following instances have been recorded: unhappiest, boringest, and raggediest. As I said
before: no rules, just tendencies. Can I be more clear?