Mastering the English Comparative and Superlative Forms

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4

Mastering the English Comparative and Superlative Forms

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to effectively use the comparative and superlative forms in English.

What are the Comparative Forms?

Comparative forms are used to compare two things. They usually end in -er or use the word 'more'

Formation of Comparative Forms

Add -er to adjectives with one syllable 

add -er to the end of adjectives with two syllables if they end in -y, - le, ow, -er

use more + adjective for adjectives with two or more syllables.

Examples of Comparative Forms

tall - taller, 

happy - happier, 

beautiful - more beautiful, 

interesting - more interesting

What are Superlative Forms?

Superlative forms are used to compare three or more things. They usually end in -est or use the word 'most'

Formation of Superlative Forms

Add -est to adjectives with one syllable, 

add -est to the end of adjectives with two syllables if they end in -y, - le, ow, -er

use most + adjective for adjectives with two or more syllables.

Examples of Superlative Forms

tall - tallest, 

happy - happiest,

 beautiful - most beautiful, 

interesting - most interesting

Irregular Forms

Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. 

Examples include good - better - best, bad - worse - worst, and far - farther/further - farthest/furthest.

Using Comparative Forms in Sentences

Use 'than' after the comparative form to compare two things. Example: This book is more interesting than that book.

Using Superlative Forms in Sentences

Use 'the' before the superlative form to compare three or more things.

 Example: This is the most interesting book I have ever read.

Practice Exercise: Comparative Forms

Complete the following sentences by adding the correct comparative form: 

1. This cat is _______ than that cat. (big)

2. My car is _______ than your car. (small)

3. This apple is _______ than that apple. (bad)

Practice Exercise: Superlative Forms

Complete the following sentences by adding the correct superlative form: 

1. This is _______ house on the block. (big)

2. This is _______ pizza I have ever had. (small)

3. This is _______ book I have ever read. (bad)

Comparative vs Superlative Forms

Comparative forms are used to compare two things while superlative forms are used to compare three or more things.

Gelijk aan elkaar

Gelijk aan: as .... as

Mr Aerts is as tall as Mr Franssen.

Niet gelijk aan:

Mr Aerts is not as old as Mr Franssen.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Some common mistakes include using 'more' with adjectives that have a comparative form (-er), forgetting to use 'the' with superlative forms, and using comparative forms when superlative forms are needed.

Over to you

Unit 6, lesson 2

TryOut 2

Score 75% or better --> Continue weekplanner 19

Score lower than 75% --> Report to Mr Aerts for further explanation