Adjectives – Using Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives and superlatives are a big part of speaking English correctly. When using adjectives to compare 2 things, you will use the comparative form of the adjective. However, if you are comparing one thing to more than 2 other things, then you should use the superlative form of the adjective. If you use the wrong form of the adjective, people may not understand what you are trying to say.
Every adjective has three forms, singular, comparative and superlative. for example for single syllable adjectives:
For adjectives with only one syllable:
| Singular | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Big | Bigger | The Biggest |
| Small | Smaller | The Smallest |
For adjectives with more than one syllable:
| Singular | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Beautiful | More Beautiful | The Most Beautiful |
| Important | More Important | The Most Important |
Use the singular form of the adjective when talking about a single noun.
Tom is big.
Mary is beautiful.
Use the comparative form of the adjective when comparing two nouns.
Tom is bigger than John.
Mary is more beautiful than Susan
Use the superlative form of the adjective when comparing more than two nouns.
Tom is the biggest of all his friends.
Mary is the most beautiful of all her friends.
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Teacher Kay
Teacher Kay has been teaching English to Asian students for over 10 years. He has two university degrees and is TEFL certified.
