1.4.3. Degrees of comparison
® Compara've à comparison between 2 or more nouns.
® Superla've à compare quality of person/thing with everyone/-thing in the group à one item beats all the others
® Rules
SYLLABLES ONE SYLLABLE TWO OR MORE SYLLABLES
COMP. OR SUPER. COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
GENERAL RULE ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
Ending in ADJ + -r (+than) The + ADJ + -st Ending in -y, -
CHOOSE: CHOOSE:
silent -e ly, -ow, -er, -
More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
Ending in Change y to i Change y to i le
ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est
consonant + y
Ending in single Double the final Double the final Handsome, CHOOSE: CHOOSE:
vowel + single consonant consonant mature, More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
consonant pleasant, ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est
Ending in -ed More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ polite,
Real, right, wrong More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ simple,
stupid,
EXCEPTIONS Good/bad BeOer/worse Best/worst
common,
LiOle Less Least
severe
Late Later Latest/last
Far Further/farther Furthest/farthest (study by
A: distance – U: in addi'on to (figura'vely)/distance heart)
Near Nearer/next Nearest
Nearer: distance – next: order
Sly Slyer Slyest
Old Older/elder Oldest/eldest
E: family rela'ons – O: age
® Compara've à comparison between 2 or more nouns.
® Superla've à compare quality of person/thing with everyone/-thing in the group à one item beats all the others
® Rules
SYLLABLES ONE SYLLABLE TWO OR MORE SYLLABLES
COMP. OR SUPER. COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
GENERAL RULE ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
Ending in ADJ + -r (+than) The + ADJ + -st Ending in -y, -
CHOOSE: CHOOSE:
silent -e ly, -ow, -er, -
More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
Ending in Change y to i Change y to i le
ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est
consonant + y
Ending in single Double the final Double the final Handsome, CHOOSE: CHOOSE:
vowel + single consonant consonant mature, More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ
consonant pleasant, ADJ + -er (+than) The + ADJ + -est
Ending in -ed More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ polite,
Real, right, wrong More + ADJ (+ than) The most + ADJ simple,
stupid,
EXCEPTIONS Good/bad BeOer/worse Best/worst
common,
LiOle Less Least
severe
Late Later Latest/last
Far Further/farther Furthest/farthest (study by
A: distance – U: in addi'on to (figura'vely)/distance heart)
Near Nearer/next Nearest
Nearer: distance – next: order
Sly Slyer Slyest
Old Older/elder Oldest/eldest
E: family rela'ons – O: age
