Using the Comparative Degrees

of Adjectives

Beautiful

More Beautiful Most Beautiful

The car is big.

The van is bigger.

The truck is biggest among the three.

Jena is intelligent.

Rose is more intelligent than Jena.

Gail is the most intelligent among the three.

Positive Degree Comparative Degree

Superlative Degree

- Describe only one thing or person

- Comparing two persons or things

- Comparing three or more persons or things

The car is big. The van is bigger than the car.

The truck is biggest among the three.

Jena is intelligent. Rose is more intelligent than Jena.

Gail is the most intelligent among the three.Adjectives or describing words change form to show

degrees of comparison which are positive, comparative, and superlative.

Adjectives of one syllable ▪ Adjectives of one syllable add -er and -est.▪ Adjectives ending on 'e' just add -r and -st.▪ Some adjectives double the final consonant.

Positive Comparative

Superlative

smallwarm

oldnicebig

smallerwarmer

oldernicer

bigger

smallestwarmest

oldestnicest

biggest

Adjectives of two syllables ▪ Some adjectives of two syllables add -er and -est.▪ For adjectives ending in 'y‘ – cut y then add -ier and -iest.▪ Adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -ing, -ed use more and

most.▪ Some other adjectives of two syllables use more and most

(modern, famous, normal, correct, ...).Positive Comparative Superlativ

enarrowhappyusefulboringmodern

narrowerhappier

more usefulmore boringmore modern

narrowesthappiest

most usefulmost boring

most modern

Adjectives of three or more syllables ▪ Adjectives of three or more syllables use

more and most.

Positive Comparative Superlative

beautifuldangerous

exciting

more beautiful

more dangerous

more exciting

most beautifulmost

dangerousmost exciting

Note:Some adjectives canot be compared because of their

meanings.Example: round, perfect, whole, completeNever use more, most, less and least with the

words to which _er and est have been addedExample: He is more taller than I (wrong)

He is taller than I (correct)Use than and other with the comparative degree

only.Use the article the only before an adjective in the

superlative degreeExample: My teacher is the oldest teacher in our school.

Work it out!!!

Exercise #1: complete the chart by supplying the missing form of the adjectives.Example: great greater greatestPositive Comparative Superlative1.Studious2. Gentle3. Hungrier4. High5. Famous6. Prettiest7. Worse8. Better9. Dangerous10. Far

Exercise #2: Decide which adjective correctly completes each sentence. Then rewrite the sentence.Example: Tony is a (slower, slowest) runner than Anna.Answer: Tony is a slower runner than Anna.1. Our members are the (more fearless, most fearless).2. The Rockets are (more gracious, most gracious) than

us.3. Roy is (taller, tallest) than Ben and gets more

rebounds.4. Mark is the (more daring, most daring) player in the

court.5. He is also the (more loyal, most loyal) player we have.6. Of all the players, Cris is the (older, oldest)7. Our (more difficult, most difficult) game is on Saturday.8. We play the (more dynamic, most dynamic) tea of all.9. It will be the (tougher, toughest) game of the season.10.Our basketball team is called the (more dangerous,

most dangerous) in the league.

Exercise #3: Rewrite the following using the correct form of the adjectives in parenthesis.

1. The (small) fish in the world is found in the Philippines.2. Tabios is even (tiny) than anchovy or dilis.3. Is there any place (hot) than Death Valley.4. Libya has the (high) temperature of all.5. If you like the sun, the Sahara is (good) place to be.6. If you don’t, it is (bad) place to be.7. The Gobi desert has (little) rainfall than the Sahara.8. For me, the cat would be a (good) pet than the dog.9. The cat is (easy) to manage because it is (small).10.However, the dog might be (useful) than the cat

because it can do (big) chores like hoarding the house.

Exercise #4: Fill in the correct forms of adjectives.