Comparatives and SuperlativesA2
Comparatives and superlatives compare things: taller than, the tallest, as tall as. Short adjectives add -er and -est, and long adjectives take more and the most: She is taller than me. This bag is more expensive.
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No information at the current level. This view starts at A2: choose A2 or a higher level.
CheatsheetA2
| Point | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One syllable, or two ending in -y | + er / + est | Trains are faster than buses. / It's the cheapest. |
| Spelling | add r after -e; y becomes i; double one final consonant | nice → nicer / happy → happier / big → bigger |
| Other adjectives of two or more syllables | more + adjective / the most + adjective | This bag is more expensive. |
| Irregular | good → better → the best / bad → worse → the worst | It's the best film of the year. |
| comparative + than | compares two things; speech has an object pronoun after than | She is taller than me. |
| the + superlative + in / of | top of three or more; in a place or group, of a number | She is the tallest in the class. |
| as + adjective + as / not as + adjective + as | equal; not equal | My flat is as big as yours. / Tea is not as strong as coffee. |
| Trap | better and worse are already comparatives | This is better. |
Form: comparative and superlativeA2
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| one syllable: cheap | cheaper | the cheapest |
| two syllables ending in -y: easy | easier | the easiest |
| two or more syllables: expensive | more expensive | the most expensive |
- Some two-syllable adjectives take both: clever → cleverer / more clever.
- Use the before a superlative: the cheapest.
Spelling: -er and -estA2
| Ending | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -e | + r / + st | nice → nicer → nicest |
| consonant + y | y → ier / iest | happy → happier → happiest |
| one vowel + one consonant (not w, y) | double the consonant | big → bigger → biggest / hot → hotter → hottest |
Form: irregularA2
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| far | further / farther | the furthest / the farthest |
| little | less | the least |
| much / many | more | the most |
UseA2
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| compare two things | comparative + than | Trains are faster than buses. |
| less than | less + adjective + than | Buses are less expensive than taxis. |
| a big or small difference | a lot / much / a bit + comparative | This room is a lot bigger. |
| the top of three or more | the + superlative | It's the best film of the year. |
| equal | as + adjective + as | My flat is as big as yours. |
| not equal | not as + adjective + as | Tea is not as strong as coffee. |
- After a superlative, in goes with a place or group: the tallest girl in the class / the biggest city in Spain
- After a superlative, of goes with a number or a plural: the best of the three / the oldest of all
- After than, speech uses an object pronoun: She is taller than me.
Typical errorsA2
| ✗ | ✓ | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| This is more better. | This is better. | better, worse are already comparatives |
| more happy | happier | consonant + y → -ier |
| He is more tall than me. | He is taller than me. | short adjectives take -er |
| He is the most tall. | He is the tallest. | three or more: the + -est |
| the best of the world | the best in the world | in + place or group |
| This is expensiver. | This is more expensive. | long adjectives take more |