COMPARISONS OF ADJECTIVE

As you know adjectives are used to describe the nouns and here I wish to show you that they are also used to compare two or more different objects while describing them. Here are two rules for use in such comparison:

1. Positive, Comparative & Superlative

The Positive is used when speaking of or describing an object, eg. short, big.

The Comparative is used when comparing two objects and is formed by adding “-er” to the Positive, e.g. shorter, bigger.

The Superlative is used when speaking of more than two objects and is formed by adding “-est” to the Positive e.g. shortest, biggest.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
big	bigger	biggest
far	farther	farthest
fast	faster	fastest
gay	gayer	gayest
great	greater	greatest
high	higher	highest
late	later	latest
long	longer	longest
old	older	oldest
small	smaller	smallest
smart	smarter	smartest
tall	taller	tallest
thin	thinner	thinnest

The following are exceptions to the rule which you will have to learn by heart.    

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
bad	worse	worst
good	better	best
little	less	least
many	more	most
much	more	most

Examples:

• Peter is shorter than his brother by almost a head.
• He is the least surprised over the news compared to the others.
• I am older than you by 5 years.
• Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

2. Using “More” & “Most” for adjectives with two or more syllables

Generally for adjectives of two or more syllables “more” is used comparatively, and “most” is used superlatively, e.g. careful, more careful, most careful.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
cautious	more cautious	most cautious
comfortable	more comfortable	most comfortable
generous	more generous	most generous
gracious	more gracious	most gracious
handsome	more handsome	most handsome
ignorant	more ignorant	most ignorant

Examples:

• This sofa is the most comfortable among all displayed in the showroom.
• Sally is more beautiful now compared to herself before the makeover.
• Kelly is the most brilliant kid in the whole classroom.
• Uncle Sam is the most generous among the members of this big family.