Grammar Notes
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1. Regular Comparatives
A. When comparing things, one-syllable adjectives or adjectives ending in -y end in -er/-ier or -est/-iest. |
- dark - darker - darkest
- happy - happier - happiest
| - hot - hotter - hottest
- scary - scarier - scariest
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| B. For longer adjectives of two syllables or more, put more, most, less, or least before the adjective. |
- modern - more modern - most modern
| - expensive - less expensive - least expensive
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Note: These are exceptions: polite, sincere, and clever. In addition. many adjectives can take both forms:
cleverer/ more clever; friendlier/ more friendly; pollrest/ most polite; scarlest/ most scary. |
2. Irregular Comparatives A few adjectives and adverbs have comparative and superlative forms that are different from the regular forms. |
- good/well - better - best
- many/much - more - most
- far - farther/further- farthest/furthest
| - bad/badly - worse - worst
- little - less - least
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| Note: Further can refer to both greater distance and more of something, while farther is only used for greater distance. |
3. As As Comparatives
Only the regular form of an adjective or adverb comes between as and as. - Their customer base is as large as other companies‘. (NOT as larger as)
- The new supplier does not process orders as quickly as the old one. (NOT as more quickly as)
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4. Choosing Between Comparatives and Superlatives A. Choose a comparative form if than appears in the sentence.
B. Ever, (of) all possible, and in the world are strong indicators that a superlative is needed. - He is more productive than Ellen.
- This is the longest proposal l have ever read.
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5. Modifiers
Comparatives can be modified by the following words: much, very much, for, a little, a bit, a lot, any, no, even, and still. - He is much better at negotiation than me.
- This computer program is even more difficult to use than the previous one.
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