Posts By Email
Grab The RSSComparative Forms of Adjectives
Adjectives have inflections. That is, adjectives change in spelling according to how they are used in a sentence.
Adjectives have three forms: positive, comparative, and superlative.
The simplest form of the adjective is its positive form. When two objects or persons are being compared, the comparative form of the adjective is used. When three or more things are being compared, we use the adjective’s superlative form.
A few adjectives, like good and bad form their comparatives with different words:
That is a good book. This is a better book. Which of the three is the best book?
He made a bad choice. She made a worse choice. They made the worst choice of all.
The comparative forms of most adjectives, however, are formed by adding the suffixes
-er and -est, or by placing the words more and most in front of the positive form.
RULES FOR FORMING COMPARATIVES:
1. One syllable words form the comparative by adding -er and -est:
brave, braver, bravest
small, smaller, smallest
dark, darker, darkest.
2. Two-syllable words that end in -y, -le, and -er form the comparative by adding -er and -est:
pretty, prettier, prettiest
happy, happier, happiest
noble, nobler, noblest
clever, cleverer, cleverest
3. Words of more than two syllables form the comparative with more and most:
beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful.
resonant, more resonant, most resonant
4. Past participles used as adjectives form the comparative with more and most:
crooked, broken, damaged, defeated, etc.
5. Predicate adjectives (adjectives used to describe the subject of a sentence) form the comparative with more and most:
afraid, mute, certain, alone, silent, etc.
Ex. She is afraid. He is more afraid. They are the most afraid of them all.
So far, so good, but when it comes to two-syllable words other than the ones covered by Rule 2, the writer must consider custom and ease of pronunciation.
Usually, two syllable words that have the accent on the first syllable form the comparative by adding -er and -est.
Ex. common, cruel, pleasant, quiet.
BUT tasteless, more tasteless, most tasteless.
Some two-syllable words that have the accent on the second syllable form the comparative by adding -er and -est: polite, profound,
BUT: bizarre, more bizarre, most bizarre.
The rules given above should prevent abominations like “more pretty” or “beautifuler.” When in doubt, look up the preferred inflected forms in the dictionary.
Related Articles
Share
Join Over 50,000 Email Subscribers and Get a Free eBook!
- Subscribe to DailyWritingTips.com via email and you'll be able to download our ebook, "Basic English Grammar."
- You will also get all our writing tips delivered to your email inbox, completely free!
- The download link will go along with the first email (you might need to wait up to 24 hours).
68 Responses to “Comparative Forms of Adjectives”
Have something to say?
Popular Articles
- 40 Yiddish Words You Should Know
- 10 Rules for Writing Numbers
- Vocabulary Test 1
- Passed vs Past
- Writing a Reference Letter
- Creative Writing 101
- 44 Resume Writing Tips
- Among vs. Amongst
- 6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know
- Let the Word Do the Work
- How to Format a US Business Letter
- That vs. Which
- 50 Incorrect Pronunciations To Avoid
- The Writing Process
- Inquire vs. Enquire
- 25 Pieces of Writing Software
- 12 Greek Words You Should Know
- Cannot or Can Not?
- What Does Sic Mean?
- 100 Small But Expressive Interjections
- Wether, Weather, Whether
- 34 Writing Tips To Write Better
- Yours Faithfully or Yours Sincerely?
- Latin Words and Expressions
- Grammar Test 1
- Program vs. Programme
- Writing Prompts 101
- 7 Essay Writing Tips To Ace Your Exam
- What Is Irony? (With Examples)
- 100 Beautiful and Ugly Words
- 7 Grammatical Errors That Aren't
thank you to explain the sdjetives
This information is useful, but it would be much more helpful if there was a complete list of information as to when we use comparatives. For example, when do we use as or from with comparatives.
Karllyia,
I don’t understand what kind of additional information you are looking for.
We use comparatives when we want to show the state of one object relative to one or more other objects. The rules for forming the usual comparisons are given above.
The word as can be used in the construction: You are as happy as a clam. Here the first “as” is an adverb modifying “happy”; the second “as” is a conjunction introducing the clause “a clam (is).”
This book is different from that one might be seen as a statement of comparison. Is that what you’re thinking of?
Please expland on your question.
Isn’t this information you put wrong?:
Some two-syllable words that have the accent on the second syllable form the comparative by adding -er and -est: polite, profound
How can it be politer or politest? That’s not right
Amy,
“Polite” is one of several two-syllable adjectives that can form the superlative either way:
polite, politer, politest
OR
polite, more polite, most polite
Here’s an article on adjective comparison by another writer:
http://www.lacoctelera.com/arroyoingles/post/2007/03/15/adjetives-comparative-and-superlative
Someone tell sweet Karllyia that someone who loves her very much and always will is looking for her and left a message for her on the esl teacher’s board website. Thank you.
I love the site. I have been tecahing English for a long time and like to get some help from the internet. I loved the explanation about comaparisons.
I loved the explanation about
i really like this website, full of helpful tips.
I`d like to learn about these tips to benefit me and learning more rapidly
i appreciate ur explanation , thanks alot.
Thanks for explain my question
Tanks soo much!
What’s the comparative of fun?
Most fun? Why?
What’s the comparative of fun? More fun or funner?
According to the rules shold be funner, but I’ve been checking some pages on the internet and I found MORE FUN, why?
Is this another exception?
Thank you so much.
I wish someone with an advanced English degree would answer the fun question. Ask anyone, and he will say: funner is not a word. Why is it not a word? Why doesn’t it follow the rule? Does it have anything to do with the fact that fun is a noun, and we have turned it into an adjective? For example, in: We had more fun at Sandra’s party than at Mary’s, fun is the direct object, a noun. Then I guess we would also say, Sandra had a more fun party this year than last (comparative adjective). Why is: Sandra had a funner party this year– wrong? Where did this come from? Do we just not like the sound of fun– funner– funnest or is there more to this?
I want three forms of adjective list as
Big Bigger Biggest
i dont understand this
i want to what is comparative and superlative form of Cruel
I think that it is not complet. A lots of things are missed here like; examples are not given anywhere which is most important to make the sense clear and proper defination is also not mentioned properly. and i would request you to give importance to examples please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m with Ms. Cox on this-what IS the problem with funner? Also, what about drunk? Can one person be drunker than another? Or must we sober up enough to say, “I am more drunk than you”?
Hi,
I want to answer the question about the problem with “funner”???
what I can tell you is: fun is a noun. We form some adjectives by adding an inflectiion to a noun , for example
danger (noun) + ous (inflection) we obtain = dangerous (adjective)
the same thing happens with the noun fun, we add “Y” and we get the adjective “FUNNY”. and it is this adjective that becomes a comparative “funnier” and the superlative “funniest”.
Someone can ask me (why it is not “more funny/ most funny)
I can answer this saying the rule is like that: it is a two syllable adjective (FUN+NY) and it ends in Y. Consequently any two-syllable adjective ending in Y takes the form: funny/funnier/funniest like happy/happier/happiest.
Does it sound clear?
thank you
How about modern? whats is the correct form of adjective? thanks
“modern” is a two-syllable adjective BUT doesn’t end with “Y” so we use it with “more”
Example: This city is more modern than the one we visited last summer.
convinced???
is the word “fun” irregular adjective?
i’m a fresh teacher and your debate have been pretty helpful but i’m wondering about the adjective relax i know it’s of two syllables not ending in y but more relax doesn’t sound correct i am confused can u help me please thanx
Hi Dears
as we know when we want to use comparative adjective we must use the word (than) to compar between two things and my question is (can i use the comparative adjective to talke about one thing only without add another thing. what i mean is that for example
((she was the happier girl in the party)) or ((she is the happier girl in the party)) are they corect sentences
can anyone answer me?
to Zaynab,
Relax is a verb not an asjective. Relaxed is the adjective. As a result you never use the inflection “-er” with the adjectives ending in “ed”. Does it make sense to say relaxeder??? So, with adjectives ending in “ed” we use “more” … “more relaxed” we also say more interested…
I hope this helps!
To Mrs Elmasri,
You can use one thing when comparing two elements. You may also omit the compared thing BUT in your example, you’re talking about all the people in the party, you are comparing one girl (not to another girl, but to all the girls or persons in the party.
So, you can choose either possibility:
1. She is the happiest girl in the party. (one compared to many girls)
2. she is happier the happier. (of the two)
In other words, your sentences are correct if you omit the last part which is…”in the party”.
Does it sound clear?Tell me if I could help!
from MrsElmasri
To Yasmine
Thank you verey much it is very clear
Hi
could any one help me about the word ((improve))
what is the impersonal noun of this word
If I understand your request, “improve” is a verb, and you want the noun…
In this case, a wide range of nouns are built with verbs to which we add the suffix “ment” .
As a result, we’ll have the noun : improvement.
I hope I have answered your question!
To Yasmin
Thank U very much, your answer cleared the confusion very well.
if i may, i want to ask about doubling the last consonant in words which end with cvc when we want to add something.the question is why some words like map are not doubled?
Hi Zaynab
“map” is a word composed of CVC so, it doubles the PP… “mapping”
the same with : capping, strapping, trapping, wrapping
hope it helps!;-))
hello yasmine
i know the rule but it seems that it doesn’t apply to the plural form. for e.g the plural of map is maps not mapps. Is there anything that i’ve missed?when do we double it and when we don’t?
I truly appreciate ur efforts,thanx.
Hi,
When dealing with the plural form we don’t need to double the last letter since the mark for the plural is just one letter, the “S”.
But when we add an inflection -er (for comparative, -ed (for the past), -ing (for the gerund or the continuous form)… we double the letter since the inflection we choose to add (-er or -ed or -ing…) starts with a vowel
e.g. hot/hotter, map/mapped and mapping BUT maps (plural).
beg/begged and begging BUT begs (present simple)
Thanks!
thank u yasmin !!!
I have a question.
what did U do to arrive at this point(not the grammar the overall knowledge)?am not envying you(well yes a little),but i’ve recently done the MD entrance exams and if they accepted me i need some help with choosing the major, i was considering the linguistics since i am concerned with the grammatical part of the languge.so what did U do to get this deep!!?
i’ve been thinking.according to what U’ve established the plural form of bus is busses since we’r adding es not just s. People use buses, is it an exception?or am missing something again?coz as u know busses means kisses
…bus is an exeption indeed (plural can be buses or busses)
to confirm what I’m saying… click on this link…
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buses
interesting questions!!!
Are you in an American or a Canadian university? What MD entrance exams consist in? what does it stand for? I mean what are the outcomes? In which field…?
Thanks for clarifying!
thanx a lot u’ve been very helpful.
I am lebanese, i got a bachelor’s degree in the English language(linguistic branch) from the lebanese university, if we want to proceed to get the MD we do entrance exams in translation and in advanced general knowledge of the language.The results R coming in few days so wish me luck they want just 35 student out of about 150 :s
I hope you’ll be among the 35. I wish you good luck and great success in your studies… so, if I’m not mistaken, MD stands for Master Degree?!
For me, I got a bachelor’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Secondary students (aged 15-18) and worked for 20 years in that field. Now, I’m taking some other courses to teach adults in other fields but English as a Second language. I’m also having translation too.
great.
Ur name sounds arabic but ur earlier question gives the impression that u R either american or canadian.
Anyway, i wish i gain such a knowledge as urs and that u do not get bored of answering our questions.
I’m answering your questions with great pleasure.
You’re right about my name but I’ve been living in Canada for years… teaching English as a second language and French as a Foreign language for kids and teenagers… and in some more months to adults! This is enriching my life and I like it!
So, feel free to ask me whatever you want about English, I don’t mind at all!
i am intersted in visiting my grandparents is this sentence corect and does [visiting] here a verb or a noun?
I have questions about Rule 2 and Rule 5, using the word “mild” as an example. According to Rule 2, I would say: We will have milder temperatures today. Rule 5 instructs me to say: Temperatures are more mild this morning. This sounds awkward to me, though I know sometimes awkward-sounding constructions are actually grammatical. This sounds better to me: Temperatures are milder this morning. But is this the way it should be said? Is it: Temperatures are more mild, or is it: Temperatures are milder? Thanks.
it’s correct!
Hi,
if you use another example with “be interested in” you’ll have the answer:
I’m interested in music.
music is a noun so… “visiting” is a noun too but derived from a verb to which we add “ing” so… we can say that a gerund can play the role of a noun.
in your example : I’am intersted in visiting my grandparents
“am” is the verb.
What do you think?
@Dyanne
People tend to use both but “more mild” in particular.
I personally would go for “milder” because it follows the rule: a one-syllable adjective forms its comparative by adding -er.
Here is a link to a dictionary that confirms this:
http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/mild_1
Here is also a quote by Samuel Johnson: (using “milder”)
Avarice is generally the last passion of those lives of which the first part has been squandered in pleasure, and the second devoted to ambition. He that sinks under the fatigue of getting wealth, lulls his age with the milder business of saving it.
Hope it helps!!!
hi
i think that mild is a two syllable adjective like quiet but the second syllable is so weak that it doesn’t count , so we should use mild milder quiet quieter but people tend to use more mild thinking that it follows the rule.
Am i correct?
hi again
i need your help guys
i ‘m wondering about the articles i read somewhere “a 83 year old… “and somewhere else “a x….” it doen’t feel right they should put an not a coz B4 vowels we put an.
can you tell me anything about it.
what is the comparative and superlative of much
Mofiz,
“Much” is not an adjective. Therefore, it does not have comparative or superlative forms.
to Mofiz,
“Much” is an adjective (see dictionary online “Merriam Webster”)
examples:
1 – Peter is slow in Maths, it took him much time to do the activity.
2 – I think I’m really bad in this subject because it took me more time than Peter to find the result.
3 – What do you think about John? He did the activity in two hours whereas we could find the result in only one hour and a half…so it obviously took him the most time to do his Math activity.
much is used for quantity (with uncountable nouns: much sugar, much time, much water, much oil…)
many is used for numbers (with countable nouns: many tables, many people, many years…)
But their comparatives and superlatives are the same :
much oil, more oil, most oil
many tables, more tables, most tables.
Would this help? I hope so!
Hi,
It’s me again!
To Mofiz
Here is the link to the online dictionary I’vesuggested in the previous posting:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
-You can type any word there, and get its function, definition, examples and even its pronunciation.
Enjoy learning!
Is it ever appropriate to use “more” and “most” to form comparative and superlative adjectives of words which, according to the rules articulated above, simply require the suffixes -er and -est?
For example, are both “proudest” and “most proud” considered correct? “Happier” and “more happy?”
I ask this question because I frequently hear and see “more” and “most” applied to adjectives that have -er and -est forms. It drives me nuts, but I’ve never been able to determine if this particular application of “more” and “most” is correct.
I really do appreciate the tips you’ve given us about the way the comparative and the superlative are formed with adjectives in English. However, i think something important has no been mentionned and opens doors to alot of questionning. How do we form the comparative and superlative with two-syllable adjectives adjectives ending in -ing, -less, -ed, -ful etc. like in the following words: boring, hopeless, pleased or hopeful ? In addition, you did not also mention the fact that some two-syllable adjectives admit the two forms that is the -er/est and more/most ,with words like narrow, clever, common, etc.
this website is wonderfull
when i say i have never met a person who is kind and helpful what do i mean in English especially considering comperative and superlatives?
Comparitive form of super
Gabriel,
If you say “I have never met a person who is kind and helpful”, you are saying that no person has ever been kind or helpful to you or to anyone you know. You have never seen or experienced kindness nor been helped by another or known a person helped by another.
Djuemou Yannick Armel most of the words you listed are participles (present participles and past participles). Normally we use more, less, most, least with participle adjectives.
It was the most boring class I have ever taken.
This more is more exciting than that one.
@ Marilene:
Thanks for this novel word “comaparison”.
I would normally have some doubts as it is unfamiliar to me and I can also not find it any dictionary, but since you have been teaching English for a long time, I regard your contribution as valid and correct.
I did spend a few days in coma myself not too many moons ago but I can’t recall that fact very much and I am unaware of how other comas normally progress so I could not help in providing any comaparison.
(Don’t you just hate foreigners, especially if they come from abroad?)
Goes to show; one can never be too Dutch to learn some crookeder English.
Have a great day
Ron
Dear experts,
How would I go about explaining “right” as per the rules it should be righter and rightest, however this is incorrect. It is more right (than wrong), for example and the superlative of right would be… The most right answer? Doesn’t sound completely correct to me. If someone would be kind enough as to explain this point. Another question where would I be able to obtain a list of exceptions to these comparative and superlative rules and a comprehensible explanation.
Thanks in advance.
Cris
I’d like 2 know if “last” has a comparative and superlative form. If so, what are they?
Please, I’d love a quick answer.
This is driving me crazy.
Thanks before hand.
Yasmine can you teach Arabic Grammar about common adjectives & Comparative forms?
I think you’ve stated the rule incorrectly for two syllable adjectives ending in -le
They form the comparative with “-r” if they end in “consonant-l-e.”
They form the comparative with “more” if they end in “vowel-l-e.” I don’t believe that hostiler, pueriler, mobiler, fragiler, etc are legitimate forms, although they are sometimes seen and heard.
Greg,
Thank you for pointing out what I should have:
[Two-syllable adjectives] form the comparative with “-r” if they end in “consonant-l-e.”
[Two-syllable adjectives] form the comparative with “more” if they end in “vowel-l-e.”
Hi everyone,
I’m just new here, and I found your comments useful and helpful as well and i just want to ask grammatically speaking, is it correct to write
1. He runs the fastest in Kawagoe (City).
or He runs fastest in Kawagoe.
2. My brother gets up the earliest in his family.
or My brother gets up earliest in his family.
We need to teach these on high school students so I wanted to clear with the explanation.
Thanks for your help