Comparative and Superlative Form
We use Comparatives and Superlatives to compare two or more nouns.
The formation of the comparative and superlative depends on the number of syllables in the adjective:
One-syllable Adjectives
To form the comparative, we add -er to the end of the adjective.
To form the superlative, we add -est to the end of the adjective.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| small | smaller | the smallest |
| cold | colder | the coldest |
| light | lighter | the lightest |
| short | shorter | the shortest |
Remember that comparatives are often followed by than.
- London is bigger than Santiago.
- Mike is taller than John but James is the tallest.
Two-syllable Adjectives ending in -Y
To form the comparative, we remove the -y and add -ier to the end of the adjective.
To form the superlative, we remove the -y and add -iest to the end of the adjective.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| crazy | crazier | the craziest |
| happy | happier | the happiest |
| early | earlier | the earliest |
- It was the happiest day of my life.
- My joke was funnier than your one.
Adjectives with Two or more Syllables
For Adjectives with 2 syllables (that don't end in -y) and higher (3, 4 syllables etc), we use more for comparatives and the most for superlatives.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| handsome | more handsome | the most handsome |
| nervous | more nervous | the most nervous |
| enthusiastic | more enthusiastic | the most enthusiastic |
- My girlfriend is more beautiful than yours.
- Alex is more intelligent than you but I am the most intelligent.
Irregular Forms
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| far | further / farther | the furthest / farthest |
- I am a better tennis player than you but Marcelo is the best.
- Steve is a worse liar than me but Adrian is the worst.
Note: Further / farther, furthest / farthest are all used for distance.
Only Further / furthest are used to mean 'additional' or 'more advanced'.
- Puerto Montt is further / farther than Valdivia is from here (in Santiago).
- If you require further information, please contact reception.
Remember that the opposites of 'more' and 'most' are 'less' and 'least', respectively.
