COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

Comparatives & Superlatives



ONE Syllable Words

Comparative (+ er) Superlative ( + est)

Old/ older/ the oldest

Cheap/ cheaper/ the cheapest

Strong/ stronger/ the strongest

Big/ bigger*/ the biggest

Few (count)/ fewer/ the fewest

Hard/ harder/ the hardest

Fast/ faster/ the fastest

Late/ later*/ the latest



TWO or More Syllable Words: except if they end in “y”

Comparative (more + adj.) Superlative (most + adj)

Famous/ more famous/ the most famous/

Casual/ /more casual/ the most casual/

Useful/ /more useful/ the most useful/

Formal/ /more formal/ the most formal/



Important/ /more important/ the most important/

Interesting/ /more interesting/ the most interesting/

Beautiful/ /more beautiful/ the most beautiful/

Expensive/ /more expensive/ the most expensive/



All Adjectives that end in “y”

Comparative (change y to i + er) Superlative (change y to i + est)

Pretty/ prettier/ /the prettiest/

Funny/ funnier/ /the funniest/

Happy/ happier/ /the happiest/

Lazy/ lazier/ /the laziest/



Irregulars (memorize these)

Comparative Superlative

Good (adj.)/ better/ /the best/

Well (adv)/ better/ /the best/

Bad/ worse/ /the worst/

Far/ farther/ further/ the farthest / the furthest



a lot/ more/ /the most/

Much/ more/ /the most/

Many/ more/ /the most/



[a] little (non-count)/ less/ /least/





Adverbs that end in “ly”

Comparative (more + adv) Superlative (most + adv)

Slowly/ /more slowly/ the most slowly/

Quickly/ /more quickly/ the most quickly/

Fluently/ /more fluently the most fluently/

Carefully/ /more carefully the most carefully/

Deliberately/ /more deliberately the most deliberately/



Exception to the rule above is the word early

early/ earlier /earliest