Comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
Compare places, people, and actions — -er / more · -est / most · irregular forms.
A — Comparative and superlative forms
| Type | Comparative | Superlative | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short adjective (1 syllable) | adj + -er + than | the + adj + -est | A village is smaller than a town. · This is the smallest village. |
| Adjective ends in -y | -y → -ier / -iest | the + adj + -iest | The path is muddier than yesterday. · The muddiest field |
| Long adjective (2+ syllables) | more + adj + than | the + most + adj | The countryside is more peaceful than the city. · The most peaceful place |
| Irregular | good → better · bad → worse · far → farther/further | good → the best · bad → the worst · far → the farthest/furthest | Fresh air is better than city air. · This is the best walk. |
| Adverbs | more + adv + than / adj + -er + than | the + most + adv | She walks more slowly than her brother. · He runs faster than me. |
The rest of this lesson is in the General English course:
- B — Spelling reminders
- C — Sample sentences
- D — as … as (equal comparison)
Try it: Comparative or superlative?
Choose the correct form.
- A city is ___ than a village.
(a) big (b) bigger (c) the biggest - This is ___ peaceful place in the whole region.
(a) more peaceful (b) the most peaceful (c) peacefuler - The second hill is ___ than the first one.
(a) high (b) higher (c) the highest - Today the path is ___ than it was yesterday. (mud)
(a) muddier (b) muddiest (c) more muddy
Check your answers in the course — it marks them instantly. This is one of the unit's 4 exercises; the other 3 are in the General English course too.
Practise this unit in the course →