COMPARATIVES
One-syllable adjectives.
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Form the comparative and superlative forms of a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.
One-Syllable Adjective
tall
old
long
Comparative Form
taller
older
longer
Superlative Form
tallest
oldest
longest
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Martin is taller than Max.
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Manny is the tallest of all the students.
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Jack is older than Manny.
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Of the three students, Max is the oldest.
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My hair is longer than your hair.
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Max's story is the longest story I've ever heard.
If the one-syllable adjective ends with an e, just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjective with Final -e
large
wise
Comparative Form
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larger
wiser
Superlative Form
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largest
wisest
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Mary's car is larger than Max's car.
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Mary's house is the tallest of all the houses on the block.
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Max is wiser than his brother.
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Max is the wisest person I know.
If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant with a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form; and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjective
big
thin
fat
Comparative Form
bigger
thinner
fatter
Superlative Form
biggest
thinnest
fattest
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My dog is bigger than your dog..
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My dog is the biggest of all the dogs in the neighborhood.
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Max is thinner than John.
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Of all the students in the class, Max is the thinnest
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My mother is fatter than your mother.
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Mary is the fattest person I've ever seen.
Two-syllable adjectives.
With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
One-Syllable Adjective
peaceful
pleasant
Comparative Form
more peaceful
more pleasant
Superlative Form
most peaceful
most pleasant
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This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.
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Max's house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.
Two-syllable adjectives ending in -le, –er, –ow -y, -some take –er and –est to form the comparative and superlative forms.
Two-Syllable Adjective
noble
clever
narrow
happy
handsome
Comparative Form
nobler
cleverer
narrower
happier
handsome
Superlative Form
noblest
cleverest
narrowest
happiest
handsomest
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The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city
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This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
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Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
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Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.
Adjectives with three or more syllables.
For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
Three-Syllable (or more) Adjective
generous
important
Comparative Form
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more generous
more important
Superlative Form
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most generous
most important
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John is more generous than Jack.
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John is the most generous of all the people I know.
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Health is more important than money.
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Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
Exceptions.
Irregular Adjective
good
bad
little
little
many
Comparative Form
better
worse
less
smaller
more
Superlative Form
best
worst
least
smallest
most
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Italian food is better than American food.
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My dog is the best dog in the world.
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My mother's cooking is worse than your mother's cooking.
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Of all the students in the class, Max is the worst.