Comparisons are an indispensable part of our everyday conversations and writing. Whether we’re expressing preferences, evaluating options, or describing qualities, comparative and superlative adjectives allow us to compare people, objects, or ideas. In this blog post, we will explore the structure of comparative and superlative adjectives, provide examples to illustrate their usage, and even challenge your skills with an exercise at the end. So, let’s dive in!
STRUCTURE
Comparative Adjectives
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, highlighting the differences in their qualities or characteristics. The structure of comparative adjectives involves adding «-er» to the end of most one-syllable adjectives, or placing «more» before multi-syllable adjectives. For example:
1. One-syllable adjectives:
– Fast → Faster
– Tall → Taller
– Cold → Colder
2. Multi-syllable adjectives:
– Interesting → More interesting
– Beautiful → More beautiful
– Dangerous → More dangerous
Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjectives, on the other hand, are used to compare three or more things, expressing the highest degree or quality among them. To form superlative adjectives, we add «-est» to most one-syllable adjectives, or use «the most» before multi-syllable adjectives. For example:
1. One-syllable adjectives:
– Fast → Fastest
– Tall → Tallest
– Cold → Coldest
2. Multi-syllable adjectives:
– Interesting → The most interesting
– Beautiful → The most beautiful
– Dangerous → The most dangerous
EXAMPLES
1. Comparative Adjectives
a) John is taller than Mark.
b) This book is more interesting than the previous one.
c) New York City is bigger than Boston.
2. Superlative Adjectives
a) Sarah is the tallest girl in the class.
b) The Eiffel Tower is the most iconic landmark in Paris.
c) This is the most challenging task I’ve ever encountered.
LET’S PRACTICE
Choose the correct form of the adjective (comparative or superlative) in each sentence:
1. This is (good) ________ meal I’ve ever tasted.
2. My house is (big) ________ than yours.
3. My sister is (young) ________ in our family.
4. This puzzle is (difficult) ________ than the previous one.
5. The Nile River is (long) ________ river in Africa.
6. This movie is (interesting) ________ than the one we watched yesterday.
7. Today is (hot) ________ day of the year.
8. His performance was (impressive) ________ than anyone else’s.
Answers:
1. This is the best meal I’ve ever tasted.
2. My house is bigger than yours.
3. My sister is the youngest in our family.
4. This puzzle is more difficult than the previous one.
5. The Nile River is the longest river in Africa.
6. This movie is more interesting than the one we watched yesterday.
7. Today is the hottest day of the year.
8. His performance was more impressive than anyone else’s.