COMPARISON OF 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.
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.
| 
