Problems with the comparative and superlative

1. CHAPTER VI
PROBLEMS WITH THE
COMPARATIVE AND
SUPERLATIVE

2. 3 KINDS OF DEGREE OF
COMPARISON
A. Positive Degree
B. Comparative Degree
C. Superlative Degree

3. A. POSITIVE DEGREE (EQUAL
COMPARISON)

4. as adjective as
as adverb as
the same
the same as
the same Noun
as
be+like

5. as adjective as
EXAMPLE:
Raul is 20 years old. Sam is also 20.
Raul is as old as Sam (is)
Raul is not as old as Sam (is)
not so old as

6. as adverb as
EXAMPLE:
Raul runs quickly. Sam runs quickly
Raul runs as quickly as Sam (runs)
Raul doesn’t run as quickly as Sam (runs)
so quickly as

7. the same
EXAMPLE:
Raul and Sam have the same books
Their books are the same

8. the same as
EXAMPLE:
Raul is tall. Sam is the same as Raul (is)
(Raul itu tinggi. Sam seperti dia)
Raul runs fast. Sam runs the same as Raul
(runs)
(Raul berlari cepat. Sam berlari seperti dia)

9. the same Noun as
EXAMPLE:
Raul is the same height as Sam (is)
(Raul itu beratnya sama dengan Sam)
Raul runs the same speed as Sam (runs)
(Raul berlari sama cepatnya dengan Sam)

10. be like/ be alike
noun + be like + noun
noun + noun + be alike
EXAMPLE:
My house is like your house
My house and your house are alike

11. COMPARATIVE DEGREE
Comparative compares two things, and it is
followed by “than”

12. The comparative is formed with either –er or
more
-er is used when the word is one syllable
adjective, ex: old – older, tall – taller, young
– younger, etc
EXAMPLE:
America is larger than Singapore
Semeru is higher than Merapi

13. More is used when the word is two or more
syllable adjectives, ex : famous – more
famous, beautiful – more beautiful, nervous
– more nervous, etc
EXAMPLE:
I have more comfortable shoes than
yours
My sister is more beautiful than Paris
Hilton

14. -er also can be used for two syllable
adjectives that end in –y, and the –y is
changed to –i, ex: happy – happier, pretty –
prettier, crazy – crazier, etc
EXAMPLE:
Today I feel happier than yesterday
She looks prettier than before

15. SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
Superlative compares three or more things,
and it begins with “the”

16. The superlative is formed with either –est or
most
-est is used when the word is one syllable
adjective, ex: cheap – the cheapest, high –
the highest, small – the smallest, etc
EXAMPLE:
She is the smartest students in the class
He is the oldest of all four brothers

17. Most is used when the word is two or more
syllable adjectives, ex : handsome – the most
handsome, famous – the most famous,
beautiful – the most beautiful, diligent – the
most diligent, etc
EXAMPLE:
My mother is the most beautiful woman in
the world
It is the most difficult test I have ever done

18. SOME RULES AND
EXCEPTIONS OF
COMPARATIVE AND
SUPERLATIVE
FORM
.

19. Rule 1
When a one syllable adjective ends in one
vowel+a consonant, double the consonant and
add -er/-est
big – bigger – biggest
hot – hotter – hottest
EXAMPLE:
When an adjectives ends in two vowels+a
consonant, DO NOT double the consonant
cool – cooler – coolest
fool – fooler – foolest

20. Rule 2
Some two syllable adjectives use –er/-est or
more/most (able, angry, clever, common,
cruel, friendly, gentle, handsome, narrow,
pleasant, polite, quiet, simple, sour)
EXAMPLE:
Raul is handsomer than Tono
Raul is more handsome than Tono
Tono is the handsomest student in the class
Tono is the most handsome student in the class

21. Rule 3
The words which end in ‘e’ belong to his group
and take only ‘-r’ in comparative form and ‘-
st’ in superlative form (
EXAMPLE:
- Wise – wiser – the wisest
- Wide – wider – the widest
Mr. Martono is wiser than Mr. John.
Mr. Martono is the wisest lecturer in this
campus.

22. Irregular adverbs and
adjectives
The words in this group do not take any
suffix or any other word before them, but
change their spelling and pronunciation
entirely to form new words with the same
meaning
EXAMPLE:
good – better – the best
bad – worse – the worst
old – older/elder – oldest/eldest

23. well – better – the best
badly – worse – the worst
far – farther/further – the farthest/furthest
Rudi’s drawing is better than Rina’s.
Rudi’s drawing is the best of all students.

24. Exercise 1
1. The lesson you are studying now is the
most importantest lesson you will have.
2. Fashions this year are shorter and more
colourful than they were last year.
3. The professor indicated that Anthony’s
research paper was more long than the
other students’ papers.
4. Alaska is the coldest than all the states in
the United States.
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25. 5. The workers on the day shift are more
rested than the workers on the night shift.
6. She was more happier this morning than
she had been yesterday.
7. The quarterback on this year’s football
team is more versatile than the
quarterback on last year’s team.
8. I prefer to live in the dormitory that is the
closest to the school.
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26. Exercise 2
1. The engineers hired this year have more
experience than those hired last year.
2. The graduate assistant informed us that the
first exam is the most difficult of the two.
3. He bought the more powerful stereo
speakers that he could find.
4. The afternoon seminar was much more
interesting than the morning lecture.
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27. 5. The food in this restaurant is the best of the
restaurant we visited last week.
6. The plants that have been sitting in the
sunny window are far healthier than the
other plants.
7. The photocopies are the darkest that they
have ever been.
8. The first journal article is the longest of the
second journal article.
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