ADJECTIVE DEGREES

1. COMPARATIVE
The comparative is used to compare people or objects.

 For one or two syllables adjectives we add “–er” and it is followed by

“than”:

Adjective + er + than

Ex: Bart is smaller than Homer. (small + er + than)

Homer is older than Bart. (old + er + than)

There are some exceptions:

a) When the adjectives end with “-y”, we remove the “y” and add “-ier”.
Ex.: noisy – noisier

b) when the adjectives end with “-e” we just add “-r”

Ex.: large – larger

c) When the adjective end with a vowel + a consonant we must double the
consonant:
Ex.: big – bigger

 When the adjectives have three or more syllables we use more + adjective
+ than
more + adjective + than

Ex.: Lisa is more beautiful than Maggie.

Lisa is more intelligent than Maggie.
There are some irregular adjectives:

Adjective Comparative

good better
2.
bad worse

far farther / further

many / much more

SUPERLATIVE

 We use the superlative to compare three or more people or things.

Eg.: Mary is 12 years old. John is 14 years old and Jane is 17 years old.
John is older than Mary, but Jane is the oldest.

 Short adjectives (one-syllable) usually have the –est ending:

Eg.: old - oldest

tall - tallest

 Adjectives ending in a vowel + consonant double the consonant:

Eg.: big - biggest

hot - hottest

 Adjectives ending in a consonant + y, the -y is replaced by an –i:

Eg.: happy - happiest

pretty - prettiest

 Long adjectives (three syllables or more) add the most:

Eg.: the most expensive

the most beautiful
 SHORT AND LONG ADJECTIVES
ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

cheap cheaper (the) cheapest

Short adjectives tall taller (the) tallest
(one-syllable) short shorter (the) shortest
nice nicer (the) nicest
small smaller (the) smallest
old older (the) oldest
young younger (the) youngest

fat fatter (the) fattest

Single vowel letter
thin thinner (the) thinnest
+
big bigger (the) biggest
Single consonant letter
hot hotter (the) hottest
=
wet wetter (the) wettest
Double consonant
sad sadder (the) saddest
pretty prettier (the) prettiest
Adjectives ending in a happy happier (the) happiest
consonant + y funny funnier (the) funniest
easy easier (the) easiest

Long adjectives expensive more expensive (the) most expensive

(two syllables or more) elegant more elegant (the) most elegant
beautiful more beautiful (the) most beautiful
good better (the) best
Irregular adjectives bad worse (the) worst
many more (the) most
little less (the) least