Comparative & Superlative

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Grammar

Comparatives/superlatives

Comparative 

- Comparing 2 things/people: bigger, smaller, taller, smarter

- General rule: 

1 syllable adjectives and 2 syllable adjectives (-le/-er/-ow/-y/-som +er 

(short words) + more (long words)
   faster, clearer, cheaper           more expensive, more beautiful

- Words ending on -y get +ier: lucky > luckier, easy > easier

- Adverbs ending on -ly get +more: easily > more easily 

- Usually in combination with "than": cooler than, warmer than 

Superlative

- Comparing more than 2 things/people: biggest, smallest,       tallest, smartest
- General rule: +est (short words) + most (long words)
   fastest, clearest, cheapest    most expensive, most beautiful

- Words ending on -y get +iest: lucky > luckiest, easy > easiest

- Adverbs ending on -ly get +most: easily > most easily 

- Meestal in combinatie met "the ...": the coolest, the warmest 

Two syllable adjectives

Rule: short adjectives (2 syllables) ending in -le, -y, -er, -ow, -some: add -er for the comparative, -est for the superlative. Other 2 syllable adjectives add more for the comparative and the most for the superlative.

Examples:

narrow - narrower - narrowest (2 syllables, ends in -ow)

boring - more boring - the most boring (also 2 syllables, but no special ending)

Irregular 

bad/badly  - worse - worst

far - farther - farthest (USA)                far - further - furthest (UK)

good/well - better - best

little - less - least (=beetje)

little - smaller - smallest (=klein)

much - more - most

many - more - most

1. I think English is a lot _____ (easy) than German.

1. easier
2. easyer
3. more easy
4. more easier

2. This has got to be the ______ (beautiful) dress I have ever worn.

1. beautifullest
2. beautifuller
3. most beautiful
4. more beautiful

3. Do you know if Mount Everest is the _____ (high) mountain?

1. higher
2. highest
3. more high
4. most highest

4. I think Liam is the ____ (crazy) person I know.

1. crazier
2. craziest
3. most crazy
4. crazyest

5. This has got to be the ____ (unusual) thing that has happened in this town.

1. unusualest
2. unusualer
3. most unusual
4. most unusualest

6. My brother is a lot _____ (serious) than I am about school.

1. seriouser
2. more serious
3. seriousest
4. most serious

6. Is this really the _____ (important) thing to worry about now?

1. importanter
2. importantest
3. more important
4. most important

7. Dirk is so much _____ (handsome) than John.

1. handsomer
2. handsomest
3. more handsome
4. more handsomer

8. My uncle eats way too much food and is getting ____ (fat) every year.

1. fater
2. fatter
3. more fat
4. more fatter

9. This is the ____ (angry) I have ever felt in my entire life.

1. angriest
2. angryest
3. most angry
4. most angriest

10. I think this blue dress is ____ (pretty) than that green one.

1. prettyer
2. prettier
3. more pretty
4. more prettier