Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Adjectives help us describe things. They can tell us how big, small, fast, or slow something is. For example, a fast runner. But sometimes, we need to compare things. That’s where comparative and superlative adjectives come in.

Comparative adjectives show the difference between two things. Like when we say a cheetah is faster than a horse. Superlative adjectives help us see who’s at the top or bottom of a group. They tell us who’s the fastest, the slowest, or the tallest.

Comparative Adjectives

A comparative adjective compares two things or people. It shows who has more or less of a quality. We often add “er” to the end of the word, or use “more” before it. For example, “taller” or “more interesting.”

“The rabbit is faster than the turtle.”

It’s like looking at a rabbit and a turtle and deciding which one is faster. So, when we talk about two things, we use comparative adjectives to see how they stack up against each other. This is an example of using “-er”.

“A car is more expensive than a motorcycle.”

Using “more” makes a comparison between two things, highlighting a difference in quality or quantity. In the example “A car is more expensive than a motorcycle,” “more” is used to compare the cost of two types of vehicles.

Comparative Adjectives Guidelines

Here are some guidelines that you can follow for using comparative adjectives.

Type	Examples	Comparative Form
1-syllable	small, fast, long, tall, cheap	smaller, faster, longer, taller, cheaper
2-syllable +y	funny, happy, healthy, silly	funnier, happier, healthier, sillier
1-syllable +e	large, safe, nice, free	larger, safer, nicer, freer
1-syllable (consonant – vowel – consonant)	hot, big, thin, sad	hotter, bigger, thinner, sadder
2 syllables or more	expensive, sweetly	more expensive, more sweetly
Irregular	good/well, bad, far, old	better, worse, farther/further, older/elder

Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives show the most or least of something in a group. We add “est” or use “most” with the word. Like “smallest” or “most interesting.” They tell us who or what is at the top or bottom of a group. For example, in a race, the fastest runner is the one who runs quicker than everyone else.

“An astronaut has the coolest job.”

In the sentence “An astronaut has the coolest job,” the word “coolest” is a superlative adjective. It compares an astronaut’s job to all other jobs and says it’s the most interesting. Notice how this sentence doesn’t use “most coolest”.

“The plane is the most comfortable means of transport.”

“The plane is the most comfortable means of transport” means flying is more comfy than other ways of traveling. “Most” shows flying is at the top for comfort and it’s in the superlative form. So, among cars, trains, and buses, planes are the best for feeling cozy.

Superlative Adjectives Guidelines

Here are some guidelines that you can follow for using superlative adjectives.

Type	Examples	Superlative Form
1-syllable	small, fast, long, tall, cheap	smallest, fastest, longest, tallest, cheapest
2-syllable +y	funny, happy, healthy, silly	funniest, happiest, healthiest, silliest
1-syllable +e	large, safe, nice, free	largest, safest, nicest, freest
1-syllable (consonant – vowel – consonant)	hot, big, thin, sad	hottest, biggest, thinnest, saddest
2 syllables or more	expensive, sweetly	(the) most expensive, (the) most sweetly
Irregular	good/well, bad, far, old	best, worst, farthest/furthest, oldest/eldest