3 Forms of comparison
Compare these three structures:
Parisian property is more expensive than Roman (property).Property in Paris is more expensive than in Rome.The price of property in Paris is higher than in Rome.Note that high/low are used for comparing abstract ideas (e.g. rates of inflation):
Unemployment is lowerin the cities than the country.More/less must be used with than + comparison:
Current inflation is less thanlast year’s rate.4 Using superlatives
When using superlatives, take care to define the group (e.g. ‘the cheapest car’ has no meaning)
The cheapest car in the Ford range/in the USA.The most/the least are followed by an adjective:
The most interestingexample is Ireland...The most/the fewest are used in relation to numbers:
The fewest students studied insurance.. .(i.e. the lowest number)106 Part 2: Elements of Writing