Adjective

COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE

v  After comparatives, we use than:

Examples:

-          I am taller than you.

-          It’s cheaper to go by car than to go by train.

v  We use –er for the comparatives of short adjectives and adverbs:

Examples:

1.      Cheap àcheaper

2.      Hard àharder

3.      Large àlarger

4.      Thin àthinner

v  We prefer –er with some two syllable adjectives, especially adjectives ending in –y.

Examples:

1.      Lucky àluckier

2.      Funny àfunnier

3.      Easy àeasier

4.      Pretty àprettier

v  We use more…for other two syllable adjective and longer adjectives.

Examples:

1.      More modern

2.      More serious

3.      More expensive

4.      More comfortable

v  We also use more…for adverbs which end in –ly.

Examples:

1.      More slowly

2.      More seriously

3.      More quietly

4.      More carefully

Note: We say earlier (not ‘more early’)

v   Before the comparative of adjectives and adverbs, we can use:

1.      A bit

2.      A little

3.      Much

4.      A lot

5.      Far (=a lot)

v  Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms.

Examples:

1.      Good/Well      à Better

2.      Bad/Badly       à Worse

3.      Far                   à Further (or farther)

     Further can also mean more or additional.

4.      Old                  àOlder/Elder

    We use elder when we are talking about members of a family. 

    We say (my) elder brother/sister/son/daughter.

    We use elder only before a noun.

v  We can use two comparatives together to say that something is changing continuously.

Examples:

1.      Harder and harder.

2.      More and more

3.      More and more difficult

v  We use as…..as/not so….as to say something is same.

Examples:

1.      As old as

2.      As well as

v  We can also use as….as…(but not ‘so….as’) in positive and in questions.

v  We say the same as (not ‘the same like’)

v  We use –est or most….to form the superlative of adjectives and adverbs.

v  -est for shorter words and most….for longer words.

Examples:

1.   Long àlongest 2.   Hot àhottest 3.   Easy àeasiest 4.   Hard àhardest

5.      Most famous 6.      Most boring 7.      Most difficult 8.      Most expensive

v  Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular superlatives forms

Examples:

1.      Old àOldest/Eldest

We use eldest when we are talking about the members of a family.

2.      Good àBest

3.      Bad àWorst

v  After superlative, we use in with places (town, building, etc).

v  We also use (the best…) in the class/in the team/in the company, etc.

v  Wes sometimes use most + adjective (without ‘the’) to mean very.