Comparison of Adjectives: A Comprehensive Guide for English Learners

This reference explains the various types of adjective comparisons. It gives you a solid understanding of the rules and any exceptions in English. You’ll dive into the positive, comparative, and superlative degrees. The reference also covers how to form comparative and superlative degrees for one-syllable, two-syllable, and longer adjectives. Additionally, it includes irregular comparisons and comparisons using quantifiers. There are useful sections on forming equative adjectives, comparisons with as…as, and a video for visual learners.

Understanding Comparison of Adjectives

Comparison of Adjectives
Comparison of Adjectives

Positive Degree

The positive degree simply describes a noun without making any comparison. It is the basic form of an adjective and typically does not require any additional change or modification. Examples include: big, fast, clever, colorful, and loud. For instance:

  • The dog is big.
  • She has a colorful dress.

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree is used to compare two nouns or pronouns. This often involves adding the suffix “-er” to short adjectives or using the word “more” before long adjectives. Examples include: bigger, faster, cleverer, more colorful, and louder. For instance:

  • This dog is bigger than that one.
  • Her dress is more colorful than mine.

When comparing two things with a similar characteristic, the construction “as…as” can be used. For example:

  • He is as fast as his brother.
  • She is as tall as the lamp.

Superlative Degree

To compare the qualities of three or more things, the superlative degree is used. This involves adding the suffix “-est” to short adjectives or using the word “most” before long adjectives. Examples include: biggest, fastest, cleverest, most colorful, and loudest. For instance:

  • She is the fastest runner in the race.
  • This is the most colorful painting in the gallery.

For more extensive lists and details, you can visit the following links:

Formation of Comparative and Superlative Degrees

One-Syllable Adjectives

For most one-syllable adjectives, add -er for the comparative form, and -est for the superlative form.

Examples:

  • Tall: taller, tallest
  • Small: smaller, smallest

Exceptions:

  • Final consonant doubling:
    • Big: bigger, biggest
    • Sad: sadder, saddest
  • Changing final -y to -i before adding -er or -est:
    • Dry: drier, driest

Two-Syllable Adjectives

For adjectives ending in -y, -le, or -er, add -er or -est:

Examples:

  • Easy: easier, easiest
  • Noble: nobler, noblest
  • Clever: cleverer, cleverest

For other two-syllable adjectives, use more or most before the adjective:

Examples:

  • Active: more active, most active
  • Peaceful: more peaceful, most peaceful

Adjectives with Three or More Syllables

Use more for the comparative form and most for the superlative form. Do not add -er or -est.

Examples:

  • Beautiful: more beautiful, most beautiful
  • Respectful: more respectful, most respectful
  • Fascinating: more fascinating, most fascinating

Comparison with As…As

The “as…as” structure is used to show that two things, people, or places have equal qualities. You place an adjective or adverb between the two “as” words. Here are some examples:

  • John is as tall as Mike.
  • The cake is as delicious as the pie.
  • She can run as fast as her brother.

For negative comparisons, you use “not as…as” to indicate that the qualities are not equal. For example:

  • Lucy is not as patient as her sister.
  • The new car is not as expensive as the old one.

You can also use “as…as” with adverbs:

  • Tom works as hard as Mary.
  • The baby sleeps as peacefully as a kitten.

Remember to use the adjective or adverb in its base form, not in the comparative or superlative form. The structure of “as…as” implies equality, so there’s no need to change the adjective or adverb. This structure helps make clear, direct comparisons between similar attributes without adding complexity.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative and Equative

Irregular Comparisons

Irregular comparisons occur when adjectives do not follow the usual pattern of adding -er or -est. Instead, they have unique forms that you need to memorize. Here are some common irregular adjectives:

  • Good: better, best
  • Bad: worse, worst
  • Far: further/farther, furthest/farthest
  • Little: less, least
  • Old: older, elder, oldest, eldest

An interesting aspect is that some adjectives have two forms with slight differences in meaning. For example, far has two comparative forms: further and farther. Generally, further is used for abstract or figurative distances, while farther is more for physical distances.

To use these forms correctly, it’s helpful to practice. Below are some examples in sentences:

  • John is a good student. Sarah is better than him. Jane is the best student in their class.
  • The weather today is bad. Yesterday’s weather was worse. The storm last week had the worst weather all year.
  • The library is far from my house. The grocery store is even farther. The airport is the farthest of all.

Comparison with Quantifiers

What are Quantifiers?

Quantifiers help to express the degree of difference between two elements, whether it is a small or large difference. They can be applied to demonstrate both “more” and “less” differences in a comparison.

For instance, some commonly used quantifiers include words like a bit, slightly, much, far, way, a lot, and a little. These quantifiers can modify the adjectives in a comparative sentence, providing more depth and clarity about the extent of the difference between the two compared items.

Comparison Using Quantifiers

Consider the following examples:

  • This car is a bit more expensive than that motorcycle.
  • The red dress is slightly less appealing than the blue one.
  • Tom’s cake was much tastier than Jane’s.
  • The novel’s ending was far more satisfying than the movie’s version.

With the inclusion of quantifiers, you gain a better understanding of the level of distinction in the comparison. It is important to use the appropriate quantifier based on the context, as they can change the meaning of the comparison.

Quantifiers can also be used with comparative adverbs, which modify verbs. Like comparative adjectives, these adverbs help to compare the actions or states of two subjects. For example:

  • The puppy runs much faster than the older dog.
  • Sarah speaks a little more quietly than her sister.
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