🎯 Objective
To help learners master the correct formation and usage of comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs for making comparisons and expressing extremes.
📖 Three Degrees of Comparison
English uses three degrees to compare adjectives and adverbs: positive (basic form), comparative (comparing two), and superlative (comparing three or more).
| Degree | Use | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive | Basic form | adjective/adverb | This car is fast. |
| Comparative | Comparing two things | -er / more + adjective | This car is faster than that one. |
| Superlative | Comparing three or more | -est / most + adjective | This is the fastest car. |
📚 Step-by-Step Guide: Formation Rules
Rule 1: Short Adjectives (1 syllable)
Formation: Add -er for comparative and -est for superlative
📏 Basic Rule
Comparative: adjective + -er
Superlative: the + adjective + -est
Examples:
- tall → taller → the tallest
- fast → faster → the fastest
- cheap → cheaper → the cheapest
📝 Spelling Changes
Ending in -e: Just add -r and -st
- nice → nicer → the nicest
- large → larger → the largest
Ending in consonant + y: Change y to i, add -er/-est
- happy → happier → the happiest
- easy → easier → the easiest
CVC pattern (consonant-vowel-consonant): Double final consonant
- big → bigger → the biggest
- hot → hotter → the hottest
Rule 2: Long Adjectives (3+ syllables)
📚 Formation with More/Most
Comparative: more + adjective
Superlative: the most + adjective
Examples:
- beautiful → more beautiful → the most beautiful
- expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
- interesting → more interesting → the most interesting
- comfortable → more comfortable → the most comfortable
🔤 Common Long Adjectives
Always use more/most with:
- Adjectives ending in -ful: careful, helpful, beautiful
- Adjectives ending in -less: careless, hopeless, useless
- Adjectives ending in -ing: boring, exciting, interesting
- Adjectives ending in -ed: tired, relaxed, surprised
Rule 3: Two-Syllable Adjectives (Special Cases)
Common Two-Syllable Patterns:
Ending in -y: Use -er/-est (change y to i)
- funny → funnier → the funniest
- pretty → prettier → the prettiest
- busy → busier → the busiest
Ending in -er, -le, -ow: Use -er/-est
- clever → cleverer → the cleverest
- simple → simpler → the simplest
- narrow → narrower → the narrowest
Some can use both forms:
- quiet → quieter/more quiet → quietest/most quiet
- common → commoner/more common → commonest/most common
Rule 4: Irregular Forms
🔄 Completely Irregular
These change completely - memorize them!
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good/well | better | best |
| bad/badly | worse | worst |
| far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
| little | less | least |
| much/many | more | most |
Adverb Comparisons
Most Adverbs: Use More/Most
Pattern: more/most + adverb
- carefully → more carefully → most carefully
- quickly → more quickly → most quickly
- beautifully → more beautifully → most beautifully
Short Adverbs: Add -er/-est
One-syllable adverbs without -ly:
- hard → harder → hardest
- fast → faster → fastest
- early → earlier → earliest
Irregular Adverbs:
- well → better → best
- badly → worse → worst
- little → less → least
- much → more → most
Usage Patterns and Structures
✅ Comparative Structures:
- A is bigger than B
- A works more efficiently than B
- A is much/far/a lot better than B
- A is slightly/a little/a bit taller than B
✅ Superlative Structures:
- A is the biggest in the group
- A works the most efficiently of all
- A is by far the best
- A is one of the tallest buildings
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Double Comparatives/Superlatives:
Wrong: "more better," "most biggest," "more easier"
Right: "better," "biggest," "easier"
❌ Missing "The" with Superlatives:
Wrong: "She is smartest student."
Right: "She is the smartest student."
❌ Wrong Choice of -er vs More:
Wrong: "more big," "beautifuler," "comfortabler"
Right: "bigger," "more beautiful," "more comfortable"
🧩 Task: Correct the Comparison Errors
Read the product review below and identify/correct the errors in comparative and superlative forms.
📝 Student Review:
I recently bought three laptops for my family, and I want to share my experience. The first laptop was the more expensive of all three, but it was also the most better in terms of performance. The second laptop was more cheap than the first one, but it worked more slow than I expected. The third laptop was the most small, but surprisingly, it was more fast than the second one. Overall, the first laptop had the gooder battery life, lasting much more long than the others. However, the third laptop was the most easy to carry around. In conclusion, if you want the most good laptop for gaming, choose the first one. But if you need something more portable, the third laptop is your most best option.
1. ❌ Find and correct all the double comparative/superlative errors.
2. ❌ Identify the incorrect irregular form usage.
3. ✅ Correct the wrong choice between -er/-est vs more/most.
4. ✅ Fix the comparative structure error with "of all three".
✅ Answer Key & Explanation
1. ❌ Double Comparative/Superlative Errors:
Error 1: "the most better" → "the best"
Error 2: "most best" → "best"
Rule: Never use both more/most AND -er/-est. Irregular forms like "better/best" don't need "more/most."
2. ❌ Incorrect Irregular Forms:
Error 1: "gooder" → "better"
Error 2: "most good" → "best"
Rule: "Good" has irregular forms: good → better → best. Don't add -er or use "more/most" with "good."
3. ✅ Wrong -er/-est vs More/Most Choice:
Error 1: "more cheap" → "cheaper" (1 syllable, use -er)
Error 2: "more slow" → "slower" (1 syllable, use -er)
Error 3: "more fast" → "faster" (1 syllable, use -er)
Error 4: "more long" → "longer" (1 syllable, use -er)
Rule: One-syllable adjectives use -er/-est, not more/most.
4. ✅ Structure Error:
Error: "the more expensive of all three"
Correction: "the most expensive of all three"
Rule: Use superlative when comparing three or more items. "Of all three" signals superlative, not comparative.
🏆 Corrected Model Review
I recently bought three laptops for my family, and I want to share my experience. The first laptop was the most expensive of all three, but it was also the best in terms of performance. The second laptop was cheaper than the first one, but it worked slower than I expected. The third laptop was the smallest, but surprisingly, it was faster than the second one. Overall, the first laptop had the better battery life, lasting much longer than the others. However, the third laptop was the easiest to carry around. In conclusion, if you want the best laptop for gaming, choose the first one. But if you need something more portable, the third laptop is your best option.
Grammar Analysis:
- ✅ Correct superlatives: "most expensive," "smallest," "easiest," "best" (comparing 3 laptops)
- ✅ Correct comparatives: "cheaper," "slower," "faster," "longer" (comparing 2 items)
- ✅ Proper irregular forms: "better," "best" instead of "gooder," "most good"
- ✅ Correct pattern choice: Short adjectives (-er/-est) vs long adjectives (more/most)
- ✅ Appropriate structures: "of all three" with superlative, "than" with comparative
Key Learning Points:
Syllable counting determines pattern: cheap (1) → cheaper, expensive (3) → more expensive
Context determines degree: Three items = superlative, two items = comparative
Irregular forms override rules: good → better/best (never "gooder" or "more good")
No double marking: Choose either -er/-est OR more/most, never both
Comparative vs Superlative Usage:
Comparative (2 items): "The second laptop was cheaper than the first one"
Superlative (3+ items): "The first laptop was the most expensive of all three"
Signal words: "than" = comparative, "of all/in the group" = superlative