Nouns
Modifiers: Adjectives and Adverbs
As shown in Table
1 , adjectives and adverbs change to show the
comparative degree and
superlative degree.
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Follow these simple rules in forming comparative and superlative with adverbs and adjectives.
Use the comparative degree when you are comparing two people, things, or actions.
-
Oranges are sweeter than apples.
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Naomi sings more sweetly than Kate.
Use the superlative degree when you are comparing more than two. The superlative degree puts the modified word over all the others in its group.
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The strawberries are sweeter than the apples, but the oranges are sweetest of all.
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Of all the members of the choir, Naomi sings most sweetly.
Most one-syllable and some two-syllable adjectives form the comparative and superlative degrees by adding - er or - est. Notice that the adjective's final consonant is sometimes doubled and that a - y is changed to - i: tall, taller, tallest; smart, smarter, smartest; big, bigger, biggest; dry, drier, driest; happy, happier, happiest. There are a few exceptions to the rule: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst. If an adjective has two or more syllables, it usually forms the comparative and superlative degrees with more and most: more intelligent, most intelligent; more difficult, most difficult.
Most adverbs form the comparative and superlative forms with more and most: more slowly, most slowly, more gracefully, most gracefully; more quickly, most quickly. A few are exceptions: hard, harder, hardest; fast, faster, fastest; soon, sooner, soonest.
Be careful not to double your comparisons when you form degrees of adjectives: funny, funnier ( not more funnier) , funniest ( not most funniest). To use the - er, - est forms with more, most is redundant and incorrect.
Whenever you aren't sure about how to form the comparative and superlative of a particular adjective or adverb, check your dictionary.
