English Grammar: Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Formations

• Comparative adjectives:
  • Formed by adding -er to the adjective (e.g., big → bigger)
  • Formed by using "more" before the adjective (e.g., beautiful → more beautiful)
• Superlative adjectives:
  • Formed by adding -est to the adjective (e.g., big → biggest)
  • Formed by using "most" before the adjective (e.g., beautiful → most beautiful)

Irregular Forms

• Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms:
  • good → better → best
  • far → farther → farthest
  • old → older → oldest
  • many/much → more → most

Usage in Sentences

• Comparative adjectives:
  • Used to compare two things (e.g., "She is taller than her sister.")
  • Used to show a difference between two things (e.g., "This cake is sweeter than the one we had yesterday.")
• Superlative adjectives:
  • Used to compare three or more things (e.g., "She is the tallest in the class.")
  • Used to show the highest or lowest degree of something (e.g., "This is the most delicious cake I've ever had.")

Comparative vs Superlative

• Comparative adjectives compare two things
• Superlative adjectives compare three or more things
• Comparative adjectives are used to show a difference between two things, while superlative adjectives are used to show the highest or lowest degree of something

Common Mistakes

• Using the comparative form instead of the superlative form (e.g., "She is the bigger of the two.")
• Using the superlative form instead of the comparative form (e.g., "This cake is the most delicious of the two we had yesterday.")
• Forgetting to use "more" or "most" with adjectives that don't follow the -er/-est pattern (e.g., "This cake is more sweeter than the one we had yesterday.")

Test your knowledge of comparative and superlative adjectives, including their formation, usage, and common mistakes. Learn how to compare two or more things using the correct forms of adjectives.