Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs
Rules at a Glance
Adjectives and adverbs are words the modify other words. The comparative form of an adjective or adverb compares two things. The superlative form of an adjective or adverb compares three of more things.
Examples: Adjective
| ----------superlative----------- | ||
| ---------comparative----------- | | |
 | | |
| large | larger | largest |
The first apple is large.
The second apple is larger than the first.
The third apple is the largest of the three.
| -----------superlative---------- | ||
| -----------comparative----------- | | |
 |  |  |
| fast | faster | fastest |
The jalopy is a fast car.
The racecar is the faster car.
The dragster is the fastest car.
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To make comparative and superlative forms of adjectives some rules must be followed.
Rule 1
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Rule 2
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Rule 3
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Rule 4
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Rule 5
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Rules at a Glance
| Adjective form | Comparative | Superlative |
| Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end. Examples: light, neat, fast, tall, neat, deep | Add -er: lighter, neater, faster, taller, neater, deeper | Add -est: lightest, neatest, fastest, tallest. neatest, deepest |
| Only one syllable, ending in E. Examples: wide, fine, cute | Add -r: wider, finer, cuter | Add -st: widest, finest, cutest |
| Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end. Examples: hot, big, fat, sad | Double the consonant, and add -er: hotter, bigger, fatter, sadder | Double the consonant, and add -est: hottest, biggest, fattest, saddest |
| Two syllables, ending in Y. Examples: happy, silly, lonely, jolly | Change y to i, then add -er: happier, sillier, lonelier, jollier | Change y to i, then add -est: happiest, silliest, loneliest, jolliest |
| two syllable word ending a vowel-sound that is not stressed yellow, simple | Add -er: yellower, simpler | Add -est: yellower, simpler |
| Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. Examples: modern, interesting, beautiful, | Use more before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful | Use most before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful |
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Like adjectives some adverbs can take comparative and superlative forms, with -er and -est:
Examples
-----------superlative----------
-----------comparative----------- hard harder hardest Sally works hard.
Steve works harder than Sally
Kathy and Sue work the hardest of all.
-----------superlative----------
-----------comparative----------- loud louder loudest The bird sings loud.
The moose sang louder than the bird.
Pete sang the loudest of them all.
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List of Adverbs in Which -er and -est May Be Added
Adverb
Comparative
Superlative
proud prouder proudest fast faster fastest sloppy sloppier sloppiest slow slower slowest quick quicker quickest early earlier earliest bright brighter brightest high higher highest
However, the majority of adverbs do not take these endings. Instead, they form the comparative using more and the superlative using most:
Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
| recently | more recently | most recently |
| effectively | more effectively | most effectively |
| frequently | more frequently | most frequently |
Practice
Write the comparative form of the following.
- often _____________________
- old _____________________
- empty _____________________
- lousy _____________________
- dark _____________________
- important _____________________
- late _____________________
- slow _____________________
- careful _____________________
- supportive_____________________
Write the superlative form of the following.
- graceful _____________________
- ugly _____________________
- rare _____________________
- reasonable _____________________
- successful _____________________
- gradual _____________________
- recent _____________________
- hard _____________________
- frequent _____________________
- soon _____________________
Complete the chart.
| Word | Part of Speech | Comparative Form | Superlative Form |
| 21. red | adjective | redder | reddest |
| 22. tame | | tamer | |
| 23. kindly | | | kindliest |
| 24. seriously | adverb | | |
| 25. hot | | | |
| 26. young | | | |
| 27. rapidly | | | |
| 28. calculating | | | |
| 29. cautiously | | | |
Multiple Choice
- Which sentence is written correctly?
a. Nathan was most courageous than his friend, Colin Whitefield
b. Nathan was the most courageous boy in the settlement.
c. Weasel was the less courageous than any of the government agents.
d. Pa was the most courageous man of the two. - Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
a. Nathan had the most cunning plan to capture Weasel.
b. Ezra was more cunning than Pa.
c. Job was the most cunning animal in the barn yard.
d. Duffy and Win were more cunninger than Miz Tizz. - Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
a. Job was less afraid of Weasel than all of the other animals.
b. Nathan is the most fastest runner of all the boys.
c. Molly was the sassiest one of the bunch.
d. Ezra was braver than Weasel in fighting evil. - Challenging Activity
Below are some situations that appeared in the book Weasel. Read each one and think about the best and worst description of each. After each situation write a description. The word list below may help you.
modern ugly tiny clean dull picturesque historical exciting noisy peaceful vast lively delicious unappetizing fantastic disgusting enormous scary terrifying friendly worry sick brave frightening
- seeing Ezra making blue biscuits and eating them
best __most delicious tasting blue biscuits_ worst ___most disgusting looking biscuits__- Nathan learning that Weasel was a real person
best ________________________________ worst ________________________________
- Molly and Nathan seeing their sick Pa in Ezra's wegiwa
best ________________________________ worst ________________________________
- Nathan being captures by Weasel
best ________________________________ worst ________________________________
- Learning about Daniel Boone
best ________________________________ worst ________________________________
- Going to the fiddle contest
best ________________________________ worst ________________________________
-----------Key-----------
- more often
- older
- emptier
- lousier
- darker
- more important
- later
- slower
- more careful
- more supportive
- most graceful
- ugliest
- rarest
- most reasonable
- most successful
- most gradual
- most recent
- hardest
- most frequent
- soonest
| Word | Part of Speech | Comparative Form | Superlative Form |
| 21. red | adjective | redder | reddest |
| 22. tame | adjective | tamer | tamest |
| 23. kindly | adjective | kindlier | kindliest |
| 24. seriously | adverb | more seriously | most seriously |
| 25. hot | adjective | hotter | hottest |
| 26. young | adjective | younger | youngest |
| 27. rapidly | adverb | more rapidly | most rapidly |
| 28. calculating | adjective | more calculating | most calculating |
| 29. cautiously | adverb | less cautiously | least cautiously |
- b
- d
- b
- answers will vary.
Resource for Additional Practice
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