Comparatives and Superlatives
Intermediate (B1)en
Comparatives & superlatives (extended)
Comparatives and Superlatives
Comparatives and superlatives allow us to compare people, things, or situations. In this lesson we focus on nuances, multiple adjectives, irregular forms, and sentence variety. These structures help you speak and write more fluently and naturally, especially when giving opinions or describing complex situations.
1. Revisiting the Basics (Quick Reminder)
- Comparatives: compare two things
Form: adjective + -er / more + adjective
Example: “This book is more interesting than that one.” - Superlatives: compare three or more things
Form: adjective + -est / most + adjective
Example: “This is the most interesting book I’ve ever read.”
Reminder: Use than with comparatives and the with superlatives.
2. Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
Some adjectives have irregular forms:
2. Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
Some adjectives have irregular forms:
- Good → better → best
- Bad → worse → worst
- Far → farther/further → farthest/furthest
- Little → less → least
- Many/much → more → most
Examples:
- “Her cooking is better than mine.” (Comparative)
- “This is the worst movie I’ve seen all year.” (Superlative)
Note: “Further” is often used for abstract ideas, “farther” for physical distance.
3. Double Comparatives
Sometimes we want to emphasize that one thing increases as another increases. We use the + comparative …, the + comparative …
Structure:
The + comparative adjective/adverb + subject + verb, the + comparative adjective/adverb + subject + verb
Examples:
3. Double Comparatives
Sometimes we want to emphasize that one thing increases as another increases. We use the + comparative …, the + comparative …
Structure:
The + comparative adjective/adverb + subject + verb, the + comparative adjective/adverb + subject + verb
Examples:
- “The more you practice, the better you become.”
- “The harder she works, the more successful she will be.”
- “The colder it gets, the fewer people go outside.”
Tip: Double comparatives show a cause-and-effect relationship.
4. Advanced Sentence Patterns
a) Using comparatives in conditional sentences:
4. Advanced Sentence Patterns
a) Using comparatives in conditional sentences:
- “If you study harder, you will get better results.”
- “The sooner you start, the easier the project will be.”
b) Using superlatives in complex sentences:
- “This is the most exciting movie I’ve seen since last year.”
- “She is the kindest person I know, even though she’s very busy.”
c) Comparatives with adverbs:
- “He speaks English more fluently than his brother.”
- “She sings better than anyone in her class.”
d) Superlatives with adverbs:
- “He ran the race the fastest of all the students.”
- “Out of everyone at the party, she danced the most beautifully.”
5. Key Takeaways
- Irregular adjectives: good/bad/far → better/worse/farther/furthest
- Double comparatives show cause-and-effect: “The more… the more…”
- Multiple adjectives can be compared at the same time: “easier and shorter”
- Use comparatives with “than” and superlatives with “the”
- Adverbs can also be compared: “more fluently / fastest”
- Advanced usage allows comparisons in conditional and complex sentences
Related Vocabulary
Expand your vocabulary with words related to this grammar topic