Comparison of Adjectives

Adjectives are used to compare qualities of nouns or pronouns. There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives.

• When the quality of a thing is stated and no comparison is being made, the adjective used is in the positive degree, for example: sweet.
• When the quality of two things is being compared, the adjective used is in the comparative degree, for example, sweeter.
• When the quality of more than two things is being comapared, the adjective used is in the superlative degree, for example, sweetest.

The comparative and superlative forms of the adjective can be formed in different ways:

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
With most adjectives		add -er	add -est
	big thick	bigger thicker	biggest thickest
If an adjective ends with a vowel + -y		add -er	add -est
	grey	greyer	greyest
If an adjective ends with -e		add -r	add -st
	large simple nice	larger simpler nicer	largest simplest nicest
If an adjective ends with consonant + -y		remove -y and add -ier	remove -y and add -iest
	busy happy	busier happier	busiest happiest
If an adjective ends with a single vowel + consonant		double the consonant and add -er	double the consonant and add -est
	hot thin	hotter thinner	hottest thinnest
If an adjective has more than two syllables		add more	add most
	beautiful difficult	more beautiful more difficult	most beautiful most difficult
Some adjectives do not follow any pattern.	good/well much/many old little far bad	better more older/elder less farther/further worse	best most oldest/eldest least farthest/furthest worst