DEGREES OF COMPARISON (-ER/-EST OR MORE/MOST)

A degree of comparison is used to express a comparison between two (or more) things.

• positive degree
  She is as tall as Sam. My car is not as expensive as yours.
• comparative degree
  She is taller than Beth. A car is more expensive than a bike.
• superlative degree
  She is the tallest of all the girls. His car is the most expensiveever made.

1 syllable –er / –est

• –er /-est  is used to form the comparative and superlative of 1-syllable adjectives: cold – colder – coldest 

2 syllables –er / –est or more / most or both

• –er /-est is used to form the comparative and superlative of 2-syllable adjectives ending in –y: easy– easier – easiest
• more / most is used to form the comparative and superlative of most 2-syllable adjectives
• both –er /-est  and more / mostcan be used to form the comparative and superlative of some 2-syllable adjectives, e.g. clever, common, cruel, gentle, narrow, pleasant, polite, quiet, simple, stupid, tired
  clever – cleverer – cleverest / clever – more clever – mostclever

3 syllables more / most

• more / most  is used to form the comparative and superlative of 3-syllable adjectives: beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful

spelling

adjective ending in -e > –r / – st	safe gentle	safer gentler	safest gentlest
consonant + y > ie:	dry easy	drier easier	driest easiest
adjective ending in a single consonant> the single consonantdoubles after a single vowel	big	bigger	biggest
mind the spelling of ‘than’

 

irregular degrees of comparison

good/well	better	best
bad/badly	worse	worst
little	less	least
much/many	more	most
far	farther	farthest	(actual distance)
	further	furthest	(figurative distance)
old	elder	eldest	(family)
	older	oldest	(age)
late	latter	last	(sequence)
	later	latest	(time)

 

EXERCISES

Comparative and superlative (-er / –est)

• exercise 1: fill in -er or –est
• exercise 2: fill in -er or –est
• exercise 3: compare using -er/-est
• exercise 4: make sentences: as … as
• exercise 5: make sentences: not as … as
• exercise 6: fill in the correct form of the adjectives
• exercise 7: fill in the correct form of the adjectives

Comparative and superlative (-er/-est and more/most)

• exercise 1: choose -er/-est or more/most
• exercise 2: fill in -er/-est or more/most

Comparative degree (-er and more and exceptions)

• exercise 1: fill in the correct form of the comparative form
• exercise 2: choose the correct form of the comparative form
• exercise 3: fill in the correct form of the comparative form
• exercise 4: fill in the correct form of the comparative form

Superlative degree (-est and most and exceptions)

• oefening 1: fill in the correct form of the superlative form
• exercise 2: fill in the correct form of the superlative form
• exercise 3: fill in the correct form of the superlative form

Comparative and superlative (-er/-est and more/most and exceptions)

• exercise 1: choose the comparative or superlative form
• exercise 2: choose the comparative or superlative form
• exercise 3: fill in the comparative or superlative form
• exercise 4: fill in the comparative or superlative form
• exercise 5: fill in the comparative or superlative form

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✍️T. A. Chandrashekhar