Comparative & Superlative -
Adjectives of two or more syllables 1
Adjectives can have two additional forms to express degrees of modification: comparative and superlative.
Use the comparative form of an adjective when comparing one thing with another; and
the superlative form when comparing one thing with the rest (more than one) in the whole group.
Adjectives of two syllables Adjective Comparative Superlativereplace -y with -ier replace -y with -iest ends in -y busy
easy
lucky
heavy
pretty
sunny
happy
busier
easier
luckier
heavier
prettier
sunnier
happier
busiest
easiest
luckiest
heaviest
prettiest
sunniest
happiest
add - er add - est ends with
unstressed vowelnarrow
simplenarrower
simplernarrowest
simplestuse "more" use "most" most adjectives useful
famous
modernmore useful
more famous
more modernmost useful
most famous
most modern Adjectives of three or more syllablesmost adjectives beautiful
practical
expensive
comfortablemore beautiful
more practical
more expensive
more comfortablemost beautiful
most practical
most expensive
most comfortableAdjectives of one syllable | Irregular comparatives & superlatives
The word "the" precedes the superlative e.g., Jos is the fastest swimmer in her school.
Do not use "more" with a comparative adjective formed with -er (e.g.,morefatter)
nor "most" with a superlative adjective formed with -est (e.g.,mostfattest).
1 Syllables are chunks of sound. All words have at least one syllable.
Examples: hot (1 syllable), happy (2 syllables) and beautiful (3 syllables).
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