This document provides information on forming comparatives and superlatives in English. It explains that short adjectives take -er in the comparative and are or -est in the superlative. Long adjectives use more and most. Irregular comparatives include good/better/best and bad/worse/worst. Examples are given for forming comparatives and superlatives of short and long adjectives. Notes explain that adverbs follow the same patterns and double comparatives can be used.

1. COMPARATIVES
AND
SUPERLATIVES
By
Ivonilde Mota
IFNMG- Campus Januária

2. Comparatives
I am stronger than
you.

3. The comparatives
Short adjectives
........- ER THAN
( one or two
syllables)
Long adjectives
MORE......THAN
( two or more
syllables)

4. Short adjectives
rich
old
tall
high
hot
cold
fat
big
thin
sad
young
poor
large
small
easy
crazy
pretty
happy
strong
nice...

5. Comparative of superiority
Short adjectives
........- ER THAN

6. Examples
I am richer than you.

7. Examples
My father is older than my mother.

8. Attention!
Big- bigger than
Hot- hotter than
Fat- fatter than
Thin- thinner than
Sad- sadder than

9. Attention!
Happy- happier than
Easy- easier than
Pretty- prettier than
Funny- funnier than
Crazy- crazier than
Lazy- lazier than
Hungry- hungrier than

10. Irregular comparatives
Good- better than
Bad- worse than
Your bicycle is better than mine.
Today I am worse than yesterday.

11. Long adjectives
beautiful
important
dangerous
generous
expensive
interesting
comfortable
exciting
intelligent
sensitive
agreeable

12. Comparative of superiority
MORE.................. THAN
Mary is more beautiful than Jane.
Health is more important than
money.

13. Comparative of equality
AS................................ AS
You are as beautiful as your
mother.

14. Comparative of inferiority
LESS......................THAN
NOT SO.................. AS
Life in Brazil is not so
expensive as in Japan.
Life in Brazil is less
expensive than in Japan.

15. The superlative
Short adjectives
(one or two
syllables)
THE........EST
in...
of...
that...
Long adjectives
(two or more
syllables)
THE MOST......
in...
of...
that...

16. Short adjectives
Mrs. Fortune is the richest woman in
my town.
Albert is the tallest boy in my class.

17. Attention!
Big- the biggest
Hot- the hottest
Fat- the fattest
Thin- the thinnest
Sad- the saddest

18. Attention!
Happy- the happiest
Easy- the easiest
Pretty- the prettiest
Funny- the funniest
Crazy- the craziest
Lazy- the laziest
Hungry- the hungriest

19. Irregular superlatives
Good- the best
Bad- the worst
Lisa is the best friend I have.
This is the best way to get there.

20. Long adjectives
THE MOST......
in...
of...
that...
Christmas is the most important date
of all for Christian people.

21. Grammar notes:
The comparative and the superlative
of adverbs are formed according to
the same rules of the adjectives.

22. Examples
Early-
I came back earlier than my brother.
Slowly-
Please drive more slowly.

23. Double comparative
She is getting more and more
beautiful.
It is getting colder and colder.

24. Attention!
Than is often followed by an object
pronoun or by a subject pronoun
plus a verb.
He is older than me.
He is older than I am.