If you write emails, reports, or exam answers, you use comparisons every day: faster vs the fastest, more accurate vs the most accurate. This guide gets you fluent—fast. Clear rules, copy-ready examples, common mistakes to avoid, and a big table you can print or save.
What are comparative and superlative adjectives?
- Comparative compares two things:
This route is shorter than the highway. - Superlative shows the most/least in a group of three or more:
This is the shortest route.
Quick patterns
- Short adjectives (mostly 1 syllable): -er / -est → small → smaller → the smallest
- Long adjectives (3+ syllables; many 2-syllable): more / most → expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
- Irregulars to memorize: good → better → the best; bad → worse → the worst; far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest
Quick win: Read the sentence aloud with the form. If it sounds natural and specific, you’re on the right track.
How to form them (rules + spelling)
A) Add -er / -est (mostly 1-syllable adjectives)
- tall → taller → the tallest
- C-V-C ending: double the last consonant
- big → bigger → biggest; hot → hotter → hottest; thin → thinner → thinnest
- big → bigger → biggest; hot → hotter → hottest; thin → thinner → thinnest
- Ends with -e: add -r / -st
- large → larger → largest; nice → nicer → nicest
- large → larger → largest; nice → nicer → nicest
- Ends with -y (stressed): y → i
- happy → happier → happiest; heavy → heavier → heaviest
- happy → happier → happiest; heavy → heavier → heaviest
B) Use more / most (3+ syllables; many 2-syllable adjectives)
- beautiful → more beautiful → the most beautiful
- Some 2-syllable adjectives accept either pattern:
- quiet → quieter / more quiet; the quietest / the most quiet
- (Also common: clever, narrow, simple → either is fine.)
- quiet → quieter / more quiet; the quietest / the most quiet
C) Irregular forms (learn these as chunks)
- good → better → the best
- bad → worse → the worst
- far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest
- (Distance = farther/farthest; degree/extent = further/furthest)
- (Distance = farther/farthest; degree/extent = further/furthest)
- little (amount) → less → the least
- many/much → more → the most
- old → older/elder → the oldest/eldest (elder/eldest mainly for family: my elder sister)
- late → later → the latest (“latest” = most recent; last = final)
- near → nearer → the nearest/next (nearest = distance; next = order)
Special note: fun → more fun / the most fun (not funner/funnest in standard usage)
Using them correctly (with natural, reusable lines)
- Use than after comparatives:
June revenue was higher than May. - Use the before superlatives:
She is the fastest on the team. - Groups: in / of
the highest in the class; the largest of the three - Equality: as … as / not as/so … as
This plan is as effective as that one. - Intensify the difference:
- Big difference → much / far / a lot + comparative → much easier, far better
- Small difference → a bit / slightly + comparative → slightly lower, a bit quicker
- Big difference → much / far / a lot + comparative → much easier, far better
- less / least are correct: less crowded; the least expensive
Avoid
- ❌ more faster / most fastest (don’t mix more/most with -er/-est)
- ❌ more better (just better)
- ❌ Missing the before superlatives in normal sentences
Micro-practice idea: Read a paragraph from your last email/report. Change 3 adjectives into a comparative or superlative and see if your point gets clearer.
Real-world examples you can reuse
- Reports: Customer wait time was slightly lower than last week.
- Sales: Plan A is more cost-effective than Plan B.
- Product: This model is the most reliable in our tests.
- Study: Her score is higher than the class average.
Quick practice (with answer key)
- Rewrite with a comparative:
This route is (short) _______ than the highway. - Superlative with a group:
Of the three options, Plan C is (good) ________. - Choose the correct word:
a) This draft is (more clear / clearer) than the last one.
b) She delivered (the latest / the last) session of the day. - Correct the error:
This is the most easiest chapter.
5. Add an intensifier:
Sales in July were ________ higher than in June. (slightly / much / far)
Answer key
- shorter
- the best
- a) clearer (more clear is acceptable; clearer preferred)
3b) the last - This is the easiest chapter.
- Any fits the data (e.g., slightly higher)
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