Comparatives+Superlatives

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Degrees of comparison

 Comparative + Superlative adjectives

Lesson aim

At the end of this lesson you will be able to 

1. recognise and use the comparative adjective in a sentence

(repetition)

2. recognise and use the superlative 

adjective in a sentence.

Kayleigh is … than Senne.

1. more studious
2. happy
3. sweet
4. louder

Ronald is the … man of them all.

1. weirder
2. handsomest
3. strict
4. greatest

Nikki is as … as Jeroen.

1. cooler
2. cool
3. funnier
4. coolest

Comparative adjectives

• one-syllable adjectives    -->   -er              big --> bigger
  

• two-syllable adjectives ending in -some -le -er -ow -y         (some leerowy)                      -->   -er             clever --> cleverer

• (other) two or more syllable adjectives                                                 --> 'more' or 'less'             intelligent --> more intelligent                                                                            

  

Comparative adjectives

Between two persons or things

Use of the Comparative 

Add -er -> most one syllable adjectives 

Bas is louder than Dylan.

Add 'more' or 'less' -> adjectives three or more syllables 

Kayleigh is more intelligent than Senne.

Form

pattern: Noun (subject) + verb (is/are/was/were) + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).

Jimmy (noun) is (verb) taller (adjective) than Nasser (object).

We use adjectives to compare differences between nouns. 

Superlative adjectives

• one-syllable adjectives    -->   -est              big --> biggest
  

• two-syllable adjectives ending in -some -le -er -ow -y         (some leerowy)                      -->   -est             clever --> cleverest

• (other) two or more syllable adjectives                                                 --> 'most' or 'least'             intelligent --> most intelligent                                                                            

  

Superlative degree

Between three or more people or things

Use of Superlative Degree 

Add -est -> most one- and two-syllable adjectives  

Bart is the greatest man of them all.

Use of Positive Degree 

Add 'most' or 'least' -> adjectives three or more syllables  

P.e. Martin is the most handsome man of them all.

Positive degree

A comparison of equals 

Combined with 'as'
'as' prior to and following it

Nikki is as cool as Jeroen. 

*Negative: not as ... as

Shannon's dog is … than Femke's cat

1. lazyer
2. bigger
3. lazier
4. biger

Yanni's panda is the … of them all.

1. lazyiest
2. bigest
3. laziest
4. biggest

Warning

-y after a consonant 

-> -ier in the comparative

 -> -iest in the superlative 

Lazy: Shannon's dog is lazier than Femke's cat.

Yanni's panda is the laziest of them all.

Warning

Double the consonant after a short vowel

Shannon's dog is bigger than Femke's cat.

Yanni's panda is the biggest of them all.

Lise is … than Linde.

1. purer
2. wiseer
3. wiser
4. pureer

Julia is the … of them all.

1. wisest
2. wiseest
3. pureest
4. purest

Warning 

-e 

 -> -er in the comparative

-> -est in the superlative

Sanne is wiser than Jarni.

Severine is the wisest of them all.  

Joris is … at English than Kyra.

1. better
2. gooder
3. worse
4. badder

Mrs Groen is the … teacher of them all.

1. goodest
2. best
3. worst
4. baddest

Warning

irregular form:

Good: good, better, best
Tom is better at English than Daan, but Ronald is the best.

Bad: bad, worse, worst

Tom is worse at French than Daan, but Ronald is the worst of them all.

Make a sentence with the adjective "good" in the comparative and superlative form (2 sentences)

Good job! 

Work on ex. 1 to 6 on p. 22