Adjetivos Comparativos y Superlativos en Inglés

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Introduction

In the English language, adjectives are used to describe the qualities or characteristics of nouns. While simple adjectives can stand alone without any modification, comparative and superlative forms of adjectives allow us to make comparisons and establish hierarchies among objects or subjects. Understanding comparative and superlative forms is crucial for communicating effectively in English.

Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives are used to describe differences between two entities, highlighting the degree to which one entity exceeds or falls behind the standard set by the other. They are formed by adding "-er" to one-syllable adjectives and "-er" or "-or" to two-syllable adjectives. Examples of comparative adjectives include:

• good -> better
• tall -> taller
• fast -> faster

Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms, such as:

• ill -> worse
• well -> better
• young -> younger

When an adjective ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, we double the last consonant. For example:

• big -> bigger
• happy -> happier
• fat -> fatter

If an adjective ends in "y," we change it to "i" before adding "-er/-est." Examples include:

• silly -> sillier
• busy -> busier
• hungry -> hungrier

Comparative adjectives often precede their noun and are followed by "than" when describing the degree of comparison between two things or entities. For instance:

• He is taller than his brother (taller than what?).
• She looks thinner than her sister (thinner than who?).

Superlative Adjectives

Superlative adjectives are used to describe extremes, comparing one entity with others within a group. They are formed by adding "-est" to one-syllable adjectives and "most" + adjective for two or more syllables. Examples of superlative adjectives include:

• good -> best
• tall -> tallest
• fast -> fastest

Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms, such as:

• ill -> worst
• well -> best
• young -> youngest

When an adjective ends in a consonant followed by a vowel, we double the last consonant. For example:

• big -> biggest
• happy -> happiest
• fat -> fattest

If an adjective ends in "y," we change it to "i" before adding "-est." Examples include:

• silly -> silliest
• busy -> busiest
• hungry -> hungriest

Superlative adjectives often precede their noun and can be followed by "of" if there is no clear antecedent for the comparison. For example:

• He is the fastest runner (fastest among whom?).
• She is the most intelligent student (more intelligent than whom?).

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

Certain adjectives such as complete, equal, favorite, perfect, and unfriendly do not follow the usual pattern of forming comparatives and superlatives. Instead, they use special constructions like "the most X" or "more X than Y" for expressing comparisons.

For example:

• My favorite food is pizza (favorite compared to other foods).
• This car is cheaper than that model (cheaper than which model?).

Conclusion

Understanding comparative and superlative adjectives is essential for effectively communicating in English. By learning the various ways to form these adjectives and understanding when to use them, you will improve your ability to make comparisons and communicate complex ideas using descriptive language.