Comparatives and superlatives in English: rules and chart

A comparative compares two things: bigger, more careful. A superlative picks one out of a group: the biggest, the most careful. Short words add -er and -est; long words take more and most.

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1. 1small
2. 2bigger
3. 3the biggest

Three dogs: the middle one is bigger than the small one, and the huge one is the biggest of the three.

Comparatives: older, more careful

A comparative compares two things. After it comes than.

Long adjectives stay the same. More goes in front:

• This book is more important than that one.
• Her car is more expensive than mine.

Use one or the other, never both: older, not more older.

Some two-syllable words take both: quieter and more quiet are both correct, and so are simpler and more simple. When you are not sure, more is the safe choice.

Spelling: nicer, bigger, happier

Three small spelling rules change the end of a short word.

Only one vowel and one consonant at the end double: big, bigger, hot, hotter. Two consonants or two vowels do not: old, older, cheap, cheaper. And w never doubles: new, newer.

Superlatives: the oldest, the most careful

A superlative picks one out of three or more. Before it comes the.

• She is the oldest in the family.
• It is the most beautiful city in the world.
• This is the hottest day of the year.

After a superlative, English often uses in for a place or a group, and of for a number or a time:

• the youngest in the class
• the youngest of the three

For two things, careful English uses the comparative: the taller of the two sisters.

Good, better, best: the irregulars

Four common adjectives change the whole word. Learn them as sets.

• Her English is better than mine.
• It was the worst day of my life.

Little here means not much: less time. For size, use small, smaller.

Further and farther are both correct for distance. British English says further more often.

Better is already a comparative, so it never takes more: my English is better, not more better.

As tall as: the same

For two things that are the same, use as + the plain adjective + as. No -er, no than.

• She is as old as her brother. (the same age)
• This book is as good as the film.

Add not for less:

• Today is not as cold as yesterday. (yesterday was colder)

Less and the least are the opposite of more and the most. They sound best with long adjectives:

• This car is less expensive than that one.

With short words, English usually uses the opposite word: smaller, not less big.

Common mistakes

What to do next

1. Compare two people you know: My sister is older than me.
2. Find the biggest, the oldest and the best thing in your room.
3. Do the drills below.