Comparatives and Superlatives (more, most)

! If you are learning about comparatives and superlatives for the first time, read this shorter article, which contains the most important information about their formation and use. At the next level come back and read the article below.

This articles deals with the formation and use of the comparative and superlative form of the adjectives in English.

FORMATION

In many languages these are formed either by adding a word before the adjective (Italian: alto - più alto), in others you add a suffix to it (German: schlimm - schlimmer). English combines both.
Which of the two is applied depends on the adjective:
① one-syllable adjectives always get -er for comparative and -est for superlative
② adjectives with 3 or more syllables use more for comparative or most for superlative, placed before the adjective
③ two-syllable adjectives combine 1) and 2)
④ Some are irregular

In the following tables you can see the spelling rules, some examples and exceptions:
① adding -er or -est to the adjective
Used for adjectives with one syllable

fast small cold	faster smaller colder	fastest smallest coldest	in most cases they are simple added
wide fine cute	wider finer cuter	widest finest cutest	when the adjective ends in -е, add only -r/-st
big fat hot	bigger fatter hotter	biggest fattest hottest	when the adjective ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant, double the consonant and add -er/-est. More about this rule: Spelling Rules
dry shy spry	dryer/drier shyer spryer/sprier	dryest/driest shyest spryest/spriest	when the adjective ends in a consonant, followed by -у, -у usually becomes -i, and then we add -er/-est. However, in one-syllable adjectives -y does not need to change.

② adding more/most before the adjective.
Used for all adjectives with 3 or more syllables.

comfortable	more comfortable	most comfortable
famous	more famous	most famous
interesting	more interesting	most interesting

Some might use -er/-est. These are the negative forms of two-syllable adjectives that use -er/-est, but these happen to be rather rare exceptions:

unhappy	unhappier/more unhappy	unhappiest/most unhappy
unfriendly	unfriendlier/more unfriendly	unfriendliest/most unfriendly

③ Two-syllable adjectives combine the above two rules:
1) Most form the comparative and superlative with more and most:

tragic	more tragic	most tragic
careful	more careful	most careful
worried boring broken	more worried moreboring more broken	most worried most boring most broken	here you find all adjectives that come from a participle; some end in -ed or -ing, others are irregular (the so-called "third form" of the verb).

2) With those that end in -у, -le, -er or -ow we apply the rules from ①. In most cases the stress here is on the first syllable:

pretty happy easy	prettier happier easier	prettiest happiest easiest
noble humble	nobler humbler	noblest humblest
bitter tender	bitterer tenderer	bitterest tenderest
narrow shallow	narrower shallower	narrowest shallowest

3) With some both are possible:

quiet	quieter/more quiet	quietest/most quiet
pleasant	pleasanter/more pleasant	pleasantest/most pleasant
shallow	shallower/more shallow	shallowest/most shallow
narrow	narrower/more narrow	narrowest/most narrow
clever	cleverer/more clever	cleverest/most clever
gentle	gentler/more gentle	gentlest/most gentle
simple	simpler/more simple	simplest/most simple
friendly	friendlier/more friendly	friendliest/most friendly
common	commoner/more common	commonest/most common

④ And, of course, some are irregular:

good/well	better	best
bad/badly	worse	worst
far (for a physical distance)	farther	farther
far (a lot, much)	further	furthest
many/much	more	most
little	less	least

⑤ Adverbs (e.g. well, slowly, easily, hard, carefully) can also have a comparative and superlative form. Here are the rules:
- Adverbs form the comparative and superlative just like adjectives: fast - faster - the fastest, carefully - more carefully - most carefully.
- Two-syllable adverbs in particular form them using more and most: quietly - more quietly - most quietly, slowly - more slowly - most slowly, often - more often - most often.
- When the adverb form is the same as the adjective form, it forms these like the adjective: early - earlier - earliest.

USE

I. Comparative
When comparing two objects, actions or people, we use the comparative.
1) The comparison is shown via "than":
Jim's hair is shorter than Tim's.
His house is more expensive than hers.

*To emphasize,  you can use words like "far / much / a lot", "a little / a bit / slightly", "so much", etc.:
You are a lot prettier than her, honey!
The book is much more interesting than the film.


2) "Less" can also be used for comparisons, and is the opposite of "more":
This method is less complicated than the first one.
He is less intelligent than we were hoping.

Exactly because it is the opposite of "more", it is not used for one-syllable adjectives, in which case we prefer "not as...as...":
The new laptop is not as fast as my old one.
He is not as tall as his brother.


3) To show two elements are at the same level, use the structure "as... as...". Possible intensifiers are in the brackets:
You are (just) as good at golf as he is!
He is (at least) as old as you are.
Boyan is (not nearly) as intelligent as his brother.

Notice that all adjectives here are in their main form!

4) Other uses of the comparative:
a) "the more ..., the more ..."/"the ..-er, the ..-er":
The colder it is, the hungrier I get.
The more generous you are towards others, the more generous they are likely to be towards you.
b) "..-er and ..-er"/"more and more ...":
The weather is getting hotter and hotter.
I'm getting more and more interested in learning English.

II. Superlative
1) Use of "the":
The superlative adjective is usually preceded by "the":
This is the best meal I've ever had.

Instead of "the" there can be a possessive:
(adjective) This is my greatest achievement!
(noun+'s) He is Jim's best friend. 
(both) This is not my boyfriend's car.



2) Which preposition is used after the superlative adjective?
of + plural, when talking about a group of people or objects:
All the sisters are pretty, but Sarah’s the prettiest of them all.
The most interesting of the stories we heard today was probably Sarah's.
in + place or a group of people in the singular (class, school, town, team, etc.):
The castle is the oldest building in the city.
She’s the youngest musician in the orchestra.

3) Intensifiers: "by far / easily / of all".
This method is by far the least complicated.
She’s easily the best dancer in the group. No one is as elegant as her.
There were a number of excellent poems entered for the competition, but the best poem of all was written by a ten-year-old boy.


Exercises