A degree of comparison is used to express a comparison between two (or more) things.

  • positive degree
    She is as tall as Sam. My car is not as expensive as yours.
  • comparative degree
    She is taller than Beth. A car is more expensive than a bike.
  • superlative degree
    She is the tallest of all the girls. His car is the most expensive ever made.

1 syllable –er / –est

  • er /-est  is used to form the comparative and superlative of 1-syllable adjectives: cold – colder – coldest 

2 syllables –er / –est or more / most or both

  • er /-est is used to form the comparative and superlative of 2-syllable adjectives ending in –y: easyeasier – easiest
  • more / most is used to form the comparative and superlative of most 2-syllable adjectives
  • both –er /-est  and more / most can be used to form the comparative and superlative of some 2-syllable adjectives, e.g. clever, common, cruel, gentle, narrow, pleasant, polite, quiet, simple, stupid, tired
    clever – cleverer – cleverest / clever – more clever – most clever

3 syllables more / most

  • more / most  is used to form the comparative and superlative of 3-syllable adjectives: beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful

spelling

adjective ending in -e > –r / – st safe
gentle
safer
gentler
safest
gentlest
consonant + y > ie: dry
easy
drier
easier
driest
easiest
adjective ending in a single consonant > the single consonant doubles after a single vowel big bigger biggest
mind the spelling of ‘than’

irregular degrees of comparison

good/well better best  
bad/badly worse worst  
little less least  
much/many more most  
far farther farthest (actual distance)
  further furthest (figurative distance)
old elder eldest (family)
  older oldest (age)
late latter last (sequence)
  later latest (time)

exercises

Comparative and superlative (-er / –est)

Comparative and superlative (-er/-est and more/most)

Comparative degree (-er and more and exceptions)

  • exercise 1: fill in the correct form of the comparative form
  • exercise 2: choose the correct form of the comparative form
  • exercise 3: fill in the correct form of the comparative form
  • exercise 4: fill in the correct form of the comparative form

Superlative degree (-est and most and exceptions)

  • exercise 1: fill in the correct form of the superlative form
  • exercise 2: fill in the correct form of the superlative form
  • exercise 3: fill in the correct form of the superlative form

Comparative and superlative (-er/-est and more/most and exceptions)

  • exercise 1: choose the comparative or superlative form
  • exercise 2: fill in the comparative or superlative form
  • exercise 3: fill in the comparative or superlative form
  • exercise 4: fill in the comparative or superlative form
comparative and superlative degree