COMPARISONS

COMPARATIVES, SUPERLATIVES AND EQUATIVES

A – ADJECTIVES – USAGE + BASIC RULES

ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

USAGE When you compare two things/ people.

When you compare three or more things/ people. To say that one person or thing in a group is unique.

SH

OR

T one syllable or

two syllables ending in “y” *Adjective + + (than) The + Adjective +

LO

NG

Two syllables or more More

LessThe + + Adjective

EXAMPLES:

Number of syllables ADJECTIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

one syllable *cheap

old

cheaper than

older than

the cheapest

the oldest

two syllables ending in “y” *

happy

easy

happier than

easier than

the happiest

the easiest

two syllables or moreexpensive

modern

more expensive than

less modern than

the most expensive

the least modern

*See spelling rules next page (PART B)

EXAMPLE SENTENCES:

COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

New York is larger than Boston. Chicago is colder than Miami. Bob is taller than John. A Mercedes is more expensive than a

Volkswagen.

New York is the largest city in the U.S. Chicago is the coldest city I know. Bob is the tallest person in my family. The Rolls Royce is the most expensive car.

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–er

–ier

–est

–iest

+ Adjective + (than)most

least

B – * SPELLING RULES

1) One-syllable adjectives simply add “er” or “est”

2) C + V + C ending double the last consonant and add “er” or “est”

(Or ending in a short vowel followed by a single consonant)

Ex: hot = hoTTer (than), (the) hoTTest

big = biGGer (than), (the) biGGest

3) “e” ending just add “r” or “st”

Ex: nice = niceR (than), (the) niceST

wide = wideR (than), (the) wideST

4) a) C + Y ending drop the “y” and add “ier” or “iest”

Ex: lucky = luckIER (than), (the) luckIEST

healthy = healthIER (than), (the) healthIEST

b) V + Y ending just add “er” or “est”

Ex: coy* = coyER (than), (the) coyEST

gray = grayER (than), (the) grayEST

VOCABULARY: COY* = someone who pretends to be timid.

C – IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

good better than the best

bad worse than the worst

little less than the least

much/many more than the most

far farther / further than the farthest / furthest

EXAMPLE SENTENCES:

COMPARATIVES SUPERLATIVES

- Steak is better than fish.

- This book is worse than that book.

- The steak I had last night was the best I’ve ever

had.

- The book I read last month was the worst I’ve

ever read.

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D – EXERCISES

Read the information about the three women in the box below and do exercises I, II and III

using comparatives and superlatives as indicated.

Jean Donna Connie NOTE:

’ = feet” = inches5’5” = 1,67m(5’479)

FEET TO METERS

= multiply by 0.3048

METERS TO FEET

= multiply by 3.2810

30 years old 34 years old 27 years old

5 feet, 2 inches tall 5 feet, 4 inches tall 5 feet, 6 inches tall

105 pounds 110 pounds 125 pounds

very beautiful beautiful not very beautiful

very neat neat not very neat

friendly very friendly friendly

very quiet quiet not very quiet

I – Compare Donna with Connie:

1. Donna is older than Connie. (old)

2. __________________________________________________________________. (young)

3. __________________________________________________________________. (heavy)

4. ________________________________________________________________. (beautiful)

5. ____________________________________________________________________.(neat)

II – Now compare the three women:

1. Jean is the quietest of the three women. (quiet)

2. _____________________________________________________________________. (tall)

3. ___________________________________________________________________. (short)

4. _________________________________________________________________. (friendly)

5. ________________________________________________________________ . (beautiful)

III – Finally complete the questions below according to the answers:

1. A: Which of the three women is the most beautiful? (beautiful)

B: Jean.

2. A: Who ____________________________________________________________? (neat)

B: Jean is the neatest.

3. A: Is Connie __________________________________________________________? (tall)

B: Yes, she is.

4. A: Which ___________________________________________________________? (quiet)

B: Jean is.

5. A: Is Donna ________________________________________________________? (young)

B: No, she’s the oldest.

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EQUATIVESComparatives of Equality

As ... as

We use as ... as to say that two people, things, etc are the same in some way.

Judy is as tall as Martin.

as + adjective + as

I’m as old as you are.

Was the exam as difficult as you’d expected?

After not, we can use as ... as or so ... as.

not as/so + adjective + as

Judy isn’t as/so tall as Carla.

Today isn’t as/so cold as yesterday.

This T-shirt is the same colour as mine

This T-shirt is the same as mine

This book is similar to the one I read yesterday

This guy is different from / to the rest

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The same + (noun) + as

Similar to + noun

Different from / to + noun

EXERCISE 1

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING AS ... AS AND THE ADJECTIVES IN THE BOX.

EXAMPLE: ‘Are you as old as Mike?’ ‘No, I’m younger than he is.’

interesting cheap old clever tall

1) Jill is almost __________________________ her father. She’s 164 cm and he’s 166 cm.

2) I’m not __________________________ my brother. He’s very intelligent.

3) The film wasn’t __________________________ I’d thought it would be. In fact, it was quite

boring.

4) Going by train is almost __________________________ taking the coach. They both cost

around ₤ 5.

EXERCISE 2

MAKE COMPARISONS USING ISN’T AS ... AS AND THE ADJECTIVES IN PARENTHESES.

EXAMPLE: Japan / India (large / industrialised)

Japan isn’t as large as India.

India isn’t as industrialised as Japan.

1) a giraffe / an elephant (tall / strong / fast)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2) iron / gold (strong / valuable)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3) a gorilla / a human (intelligent / strong)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4) a car / a bicycle (expensive / fast / easy to park)

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: In an informal style we use object pronouns like me, him after as. Example, You aren’t as

tired as me. In a more formal style we use a subject pronoun like I, he + verb. Example,

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You aren’t as tired as I am. Some people think that the subject form + verb is more

‘correct’.

COMPARATIVES, SUPERLATIVES AND EQUATIVES

EXERCISE 3

COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE CORRECT FORM OF THE ADJECTIVES IN

PARENTHESES. ADD THAN, THE OR AS WHERE NECESSARY.

EXAMPLES: A mile is longer than a kilometer (long)

Today isn’t as sunny as yesterday. (sunny)

What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had? (good)

1) Baseball is one of _________________________ sport in the USA. (popular)

2) She’s much _________________________ her brother. (serious)

3) He wasn’t as _________________________ he usually is. (friendly)

4) That was _________________________ film I’ve ever seen. (good)

5) He’s much _________________________ any of his brothers. (generous)

6) You aren’t as _________________________ you think you are. (clever)

7) Where’s _________________________ place in the world? (hot)

8) Debbie is far _________________________ she used to be. (self-confident)

9) My brother is one of _________________________ people I know. (strange)

10) Which is _________________________ building in the world? (tall)

11) Our holiday was much _________________________ we’d expected. (cheap)

12) That was one of _________________________ times of my life. (enjoyable)

COMPARISONS

SUMMARY

COMPARISONS OF ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVES EQUATIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

SHO

RT

One – syllable adjectives

as tall astaller than

(nor as tall as)the tallest

Two – syllableadjectivesending in “y”

as noisy asnoisier than

(not as noisy as)the noisiest

LON

G

Two – syllableadjectives notending in “y”

as famous as more / less famous than(not as famous as)

the most famousthe least famous

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adjectives with 3 or more syllables

as artistic asmore / less artistic than

(not as artistic as)the most artisticthe least artistic

Irregular form of adjectivesas good asas bad asas far as

better thanworse than

farther / further than

(not as good as)(not as bad as)(not as far as)

the bestthe worst

the farthestthe furthest

NOTE 1: The following adjectives can use either form (-er / -est or more / the most):

able, angry, clever, cruel, friendly, gently, handsome, narrow, polite, obscure, secure,

simple, stupid.

Example:

as friendly asfriendlier than

more friendly than

The friendliest

The most friendly

NOTE 2: The comparative form of fun is “more fun than”.

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