The document discusses rules and special uses of comparatives and superlatives in English. It provides the comparative and superlative forms of common one-syllable and multi-syllable adjectives. It also covers irregular adjectives and compares items as being equal, more, or less than other items. Special uses include translating the Italian phrase "sempre più" as repeating the comparative form twice in English.

1. COMPARATIVES
AND
SUPERLATIVES
RULES AND SPECIAL USES

2. COMPARISONS OF
MAJORITY
Adjective Comparative Superlative
One syllable old older the oldest
cheap cheaper the cheapest
safe safer the safest
large larger the largest
big bigger the biggest
Ending in -y easy easier the easiest
2 or more syllables expensive more expensive the most expensive
beautiful more beautiful the most beautiful
Irregular good better the best
bad worse the worst
far further / farther the furthest / farthest
Comparatives are always followed by the word «than»:
• He is older than you
• The plug is more expensive than the adapter

3. COMPARISONS OF
MINORITY
Adjective
old
cheap
safe
large
big
less noisy than
(meno) expensive (di)
beautiful
good
bad
far
• The European plug is less large than the British plug
• My adapter is less expensive than my plug

4. COMPARISONS OF
EQUALITY
Adjective
old
cheap
safe
large
big
(as) noisy as
(tanto) expensive (quanto)
beautiful
good
bad
far
• The A plug is (as) large as the B plug
• The adapter is (as) expensive as the plug

5. ELDER, ELDEST AND
THE LEAST
ELDER - ELDEST THE LEAST
older than
elder than the most expensive
the least expensive
the oldest
the eldest

6. SPECIAL USES OF
COMPARATIVES
slow
Per tradurre l’espressione
italiana «sempre più»
seguita da un aggettivo, gli slower and slower
inglesi ripetono due volte la
forma del comparativo. (sempre più lento)
Se l’aggettivo di riferimento
è formato da una sola
sillaba, viene aggiunta la
desinenza –er.
expensive
Se l’aggettivo è formato da
più sillabe, viene preceduto
da «more and more».
more and more expensive
(sempre più costoso)