Making Comparisons

Making Comparisons

Adjectives and adverbs can be used to compare people or things. Special forms of these words are used to make comparisons.

· Use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare a person or thing with one other person or thing.
· Use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare someone or something with more than one other person or thing.
Comparative The Pacific Ocean is larger than the Atlantic Ocean.
Superlative The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world.

1. For most one-syllable modifiers, add -er to form the comparative (young, younger) and -est to form the superlative (old, oldest).
2. You can also add -er and -est to some two-syllable adjectives. With others, and with two-syllable adverbs, use the words more and most (more careful, most calmly).
3. To form the comparative or superlative form of most modifiers with three syllables, use the words more and most (more dangerous, most dangerous; more clumsily, most clumsily).

** Be sure to use only one sign of comparison at a time. Do not use -er and more together. (harder, not more harder).

4. The comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives and adverbs are formed in irregular ways: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; well, better, best; much, more, most; little, less, least.