COMPARISON ADJECTIVES

AS + ADJECTIVE + AS

To compare people, places, events or things, when there is no difference, use as + adjective + as:

--> Peter is 24 years old. John is 24 years old. Peter is as old as John.
--> Moscow is as cold as St. Petersburg in the winter.
--> Ramona is as happy as Raphael.
--> Einstein is as famous as Darwin.
--> A tiger is as dangerous as a lion.

NOT AS + ADJECTIVE + AS

Difference can also be shown by using not so/as ...as:
--> Mont Blanc is not as high as Mount Everest.
--> Norway is not as sunny as Thailand
--> A bicycle is not as expensive as a car.

COMPARATIVE + THAN

To compare the difference between two people, things or events.

--> Mt. Everest is higher than Mt. Blanc.
--> Thailand is sunnier than Norway.
--> A car is more expensive than a bicycle.
--> Albert is more intelligent than Arthur.

COMPARISONS OF QUANTITY

To show no difference: --> as much as , as many as, as few as, as little as
as many as / as few as countable nouns; as much as / as little as + uncountable nouns

With countable nouns:
--> They have as many children as us.
--> We have as many customers as them.
--> Tom has as few books as Jane.

With uncountable nouns:
--> John eats as much food as Peter.
--> Jim has as little food as Sam.
--> You've heard as much news as I have.

COMPARISONS OF QUANTITY

To show difference : more, less, fewer + than
To show no difference : as much as , as many as, as few as, as little as

With countable nouns: more / fewer
--> Eloise has more children than Chantal.
--> Chantal has fewer children than Eloise.
--> There are fewer dogs in Cardiff than in Bristol.

With uncountable nouns: more / less
--> Eloise has more money than Chantal.
--> Chantal has less money than Eloise.
--> I spend less time on homework than you do.

So, the rule is:
MORE + nouns that are countable or uncountable
FEWER + countable nouns
LESS + uncountable nouns

IRREGULAR COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

These adjectives have completely irregular comparative and superlative forms:

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
little	less	least
much	more	most
far	further / farther	furthest / farthest

• We add ‘-er’ for the comparative and ‘-est’ for the superlative of one-syllable adjectives and adverbs.
• We use ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ with some two-syllable adjectives.
• We use ‘more’ for the comparative and ‘most’ for the superlative of most two-syllable adjectives, all longer adjectives, and adverbs ending in ‘-ly’.
• Some common adjectives and adverbs have irregular forms.

1. We add ‘-er’ for the comparative form and ‘-est’ for the superlative form of one-syllable adjectives and adverbs. If they end in ‘-e’, you add ‘-r’ and ‘-st’.

cheap safe => cheaper safer => cheapest safest

cold fast hard light poor quick rough small weak young   ~ close large nice wide

They worked harder.

I've found a nicer hotel.

If they end in a single vowel and consonant (except ‘-w’), you double the consonant.

big => bigger => biggest

fat hot sad thin wet

The day grew hotter.

Henry was the biggest of them.

2. With two-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant followed by ‘-y’, you change the ‘-y’ to ‘-i’ and add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’.

happy => happier => happiest

angry busy dirty easy friendly funny heavy lucky silly tiny

It couldn't be easier.

That is the funniest bit of the film.

3. We use ‘more’ for the comparative and ‘most’ for the superlative of most two-syllable adjectives, all longer adjectives, and adverbs ending in ‘-ly’.

careful more careful most careful => beautiful more beautiful most beautiful => seriously more seriously most seriously

Be more careful next time.

They are the most beautiful gardens in the world.

It affected Clive most seriously.

Note that for ‘early’ as an adjective or adverb, you use ‘earlier’ and ‘earliest’, not ‘more’ and ‘most’.

4. With some common two-syllable adjectives and adverbs, we can either add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’, or use ‘more’ and ‘most’.

common cruel gentle handsome likely narrow pleasan polite simple stupid

Note that ‘clever’ and ‘quiet’ only add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’.

It was quieter outside.

He was the cleverest man I ever met.

5. We normally use ‘the’ with superlative adjectives in front of nouns, but you can omit ‘the’ after a link verb.

It was the happiest day of my life.

It was one of the most important discoveries.

I was happiest when I was on my own.

WARNING: When ‘most’ is used without ‘the’ in front of adjectives and adverbs, it often means almost the same as ‘very’.

This book was most interesting.

I object most strongly.

6. A few common adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

good/well bad/badly far old => better worse farther/further older/elder => best worst farthest/furthest oldest/eldest

She would ask him when she knew him better.

She sat near the furthest window.

Note that you use ‘elder’ or ‘eldest’ to say which brother, sister, or child in a family you mean.

Our eldest daughter couldn't come.