Content
- How superlatives and comparatives are formed
- Examples of monosyllable and disyllable adjectives
- Examples of short adjectives ending in Y
- Examples of short adjectives ending in vowel + consonant:
- Adjectives of three syllables or more
- Irregular adjectives
In English, comparative and superlative adjectives are used to compare the characteristics of objects or people. The comparative adjectives they are used to compare two objects or people. In sentence construction, both are presented in the form of nouns. One of them functions as the subject of the sentence and the other as an object. The comparison is made through the comparative adjective and the conjunction "Than". The structure of the sentence is as follows:
Noun (subject) + verb + Comparative adjective + than + noun (object)
Example: John is taller than Paul. (John is taller than Paul.)
Nouns can be replaced by pronouns, if the context allows the phrase to be understood anyway.
The superlative adjectives They are used to indicate that one of the qualities of an object or person is at the maximum extreme. That is to say that in this quality, this object is superior to all other objects belonging to a group. That is why we say that superlatives compare an individual object or person with a set of objects or people.
The minimum construction of a sentence with superlatives is:
The + superlative + noun.
Example: The tallest girl. (Tallest girl.)
The other possible structure is:
Noun (subject) + verb + the + superlative adjective + noun.
The group to which it is being compared can then be clarified. However, this may not be necessary depending on the context of the sentence.
Example: Rachel is the tallest girl. / Rachel is the tallest girl in the city.
(Rachel is the tallest girl. / Rachel is the tallest girl in town.)
How superlatives and comparatives are formed
Both comparatives and superlatives are formed from an adjective which becomes its root. Depending on the nature of the root adjective, comparatives are formed differently:
Short adjectives (monosyllables or bisyllables): adjectives that have one or two syllables form comparatives by adding the ending -er, and form superlatives by adding the ending -its T.
Examples of monosyllable and disyllable adjectives
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
| Cheap (cheap) | cheaper | the cheapits T |
| Clean | cleaner | the cleanits T |
| Cold | colder | the coldits T |
| Dark | darker | the darkits T |
| Deep | deeper | the deepits T |
| Fast | faster | the fastits T |
| Hard | harder | the hardits T |
| High | higher | the highits T |
| Light | Lighter | the lightits T |
| Long | longer | the longits T |
| Near | nearer | the nearits T |
| New | newer | the newits T |
| Old | older | the oldits T |
| Rich (rich) | richer | the richits T |
| Safe (safe) | safer | the safits T |
| Short short) | shortser | the shortits T |
| Slow | slower | the slowits T |
| Small | smaller | the smallits T |
| Sweet (sweet) | sweeter | the sweetits T |
| Tall (tall) | taller | the tallits T |
| Warm | warmer | the warmits T |
| Weak (weak) | weaker | the weakits T |
Short adjectives ENDED IN Y: In these cases, the "y" is replaced by "i" and then the ending -er or -est is added, as appropriate.
Examples of short adjectives ending in Y
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
| Angry (angry) | angrier | the angriits T |
| Busy (busy) | busier | the busiits T |
| Dirty (dirty) | dirtier | the dirtiits T |
| Easy (easy) | easier | the easiits T |
| Empty | emptier | the emptiits T |
| Funny (funny / funny) | funnier | the funniits T |
| Happy (happy) | happier | the happiits T |
| Heavy | heavier | the heaviits T |
| Ugly (ugly) | uglier | the ugliits T |
Short adjectives ending in a single vowel + consonant: the consonant is doubled and then er or est is added, as appropriate.
Examples of short adjectives ending in vowel + consonant:
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
| Big | bigger | the biggits T |
| Fat (fat) | fatter | the fattits T |
| Hot | hotter | the hottits T |
| Thin | thinner | the thinnits T |
Adjectives of three syllables or more
In this case, the adjective remains the same, without changing the ending, but before it the word is added "More" to form the comparative and the words "the most”To form the superlative.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
| Accurate (accurate) | more accurate | the most accurate |
| Attractive | more attractive | the most attractive |
| Beautiful beautiful) | more beautiful | the most beautiful |
| Dangerous (dangerous) | more dangerous | the most dangerous |
| Difficult (difficult) | more difficult | the most difficult |
| Enthusiastic (excited) | more enthusiastic | the most enthusiastic |
| Excited (excited) | more excited | the most excited |
| Expensive (expensive) | more expensive | the most expensive |
| Nervous | more nervous | the most nervous |
| Useful (useful) | more useful | the most useful |
Irregular adjectives
They form their superlatives and comparatives in a particular way. These cases must be learned by heart.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
| Bad | worse (worst) | the worst (the worst) |
| Good | better (best) | the best (the best) |
| Little | less (less) | the least (the minimum) |
| Much (much) | more (more) | the most (the maximum) |
| Far (far) | Farther (further away) | the farthest (The furthest) |
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