Fundamentals Of English Grammar

EXERCISE 8. Comparative and superlative. (Chart 9-2)

Directions: Choose five to ten moveable objects (in this room or in the possession of anyone

in this room) and put them in a cenual place. Compare the items using the given words and

your own words. Use both the comparative (-erlmore) and the superlative (-eshost).

Example: big/small

SPEAKER A: Omar's pen is bigger than Anya's ring.

SPEAKER B: Sergio's calculator is smaller than Kim's briefcase.

SPEAKER C: The biggest thing on the table is the briefcase.

SP-R D: E~c.

1. biglsmall


2. softihard


3. lightheavy


4. cheaplexpensive


5. etc.

9-2 Comparative and superlative

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS

ONE-SYLLABLB

ADJECTIVES

TWO-SYLLABLE

ADJ'RCIIVES

COMPARATIVB SUPERLATIVB

old older the oldest For most one-syllable adjectives,

wise wiser the wisest -er and -8st are added.

famous more famous the most famous For most two-syllable adjectives,

pleasant more pleasant the most pleasant more and most are used.

busy busier the busiest -Er and -est are used with two-

prettier the prettiest syllable adjectives that end in y.

The y is changed to 4.

clever cleverer the cleverest Some two-syllable adjectives use

more dever the most clever either -wl-mt or morelmost:

gentle gentler the gentlest able, angty, clever, common, cruel,

more gentle the most gentle friendly, gentle, handsome, narrow,

friendly friendlier the friendliest pleasant, polite, quiet, simple, sour.

more fiendly the most friendly

mpcnws I impoet more important the most important Mom and most are used with

wmi me OR fasc~nann~ - more fascinatina - the most fascinatinn I lona adiectives.

MORB SYLLABLE3 I -1 I '

ADJECTIVES bad good better worae the the best worst comparative Good and bad and have superlative irregular
forms.
-LY ADVERBS carefully more carefully the most carefully Map and most are used with
slowly more slowly the most slowly adverbs that end in -ly.
ONE-SYLLABLE fast faster the fastest The -ur and -mt forms are used
ADVHRBs hard harder the hardest with one-syllable adverbs.
IRREGULAR well better the best
ADVERBS 1 badly worse the worst
far farther/furtheri the farthestT~rthest
Exception: wrb is both an adjective and an adverb. Forms: sarlhr, ea&f.
Borhpbrther and&& are used to compare physical distances: I orrlksdfarthmlfunhn rh mynyf*ind did. Fwthw (but
notfiarthm) can also mean "additional": I nredfunhm +marion.