Comparative and superlative adjectives

PRESENTATION

Comparatives

and superlatives

How to form comparative and superlative adjectives

HERE We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and superlatives:

old - older - oldest long - longer - longest

TEXT

If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant: big - bigger - the biggest fat - fatter - the fattest

If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:

nice - nicer - the nicest large - larger - the largest

We use more and most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables: careful - more careful - the most careful interesting - more interesting - the most interesting

If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est: happy - happier - the happiest silly - sillier - the silliest

We use comparative adjectives to show change or make comparisons: This car is certainly better, but it's much more expensive. I'm feeling happier now. We need a bigger garden.

We use than when we want to compare one thing with another: She is two years older than me. New York is much bigger than Boston. He is a better player than Ronaldo.

When we want to describe how something or someone changes we can use two comparatives with and: The balloon got bigger and bigger. Everything is getting more and more expensive. Grandfather is looking older and older.

We often use the with comparative adjectives to show that one thing depends on another: The faster you drive, the more dangerous it is. (= When you drive faster, it is more dangerous.) The higher they climbed, the colder it got. (= When they climbed higher, it got colder.)

THANKS!