Comparatives and superlatives
Learn how to compare things in English with -er, -est, more and most, irregular forms, as ... as and the more ..., the more ..., plus a quiz.
In this lesson
Comparatives and superlatives are forms of adjectives that we use to compare things. Use a comparative (bigger, more expensive) to compare two people or things: Kandy is cooler than Colombo. Use a superlative (the biggest, the most expensive) to compare one thing with a whole group: It is the tallest building in the city.
Key point
Short adjectives add -er and -est (cheap, cheaper, the cheapest). Long adjectives use more and the most (useful, more useful, the most useful). Use than after a comparative and the before a superlative.
How do you form comparatives and superlatives?
The rule depends on how long the adjective is and how it ends. Count the syllables (the sound parts of a word): cheap has one, happy has two (hap-py) and expensive has three (ex-pen-sive).
| Adjective | Rule | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| small (one syllable) | Add -er / -est | smaller | the smallest |
| nice (ends in -e) | Add -r / -st | nicer | the nicest |
| big (one vowel + one consonant) | Double the last letter | bigger | the biggest |
| happy (ends in -y) | Change y to i, then add -er / -est | happier | the happiest |
| expensive (two or more syllables) | Use more / the most | more expensive | the most expensive |
What are the spelling rules?
- Double the consonant after one short vowel: hot, hotter, the hottest; thin, thinner; wet, wetter.
- Do not double w or y: new, newer; slow, slower.
- Change y to i after a consonant: easy, easier; busy, busier; early, the earliest.
- Keep y after a vowel: grey, greyer.
Note
A few two-syllable adjectives can take either form, such as clever, quiet, narrow, simple and polite: quieter or more quiet. Both are correct.
Common mistake
Colombo is more bigger than Kandy. → Colombo is bigger than Kandy. Never use more and -er together.
What are the irregular forms?
A few very common adjectives do not follow the rules. You need to learn them by heart.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| far | further / farther | the furthest / the farthest |
| many / much | more | the most |
| little | less | the least |
Examples
- Your English is better than mine.
- This is the worst traffic I have ever seen.
- Galle is further from Kandy than Colombo is.
- Sanduni has the most books in the family.
Note
Further and farther both mean more distant. In British English, further is more common. Only further can also mean extra or more: Call us for further information.
How do you use than and the?
Use than after a comparative to say what you are comparing with. Use the before a superlative, often followed by in or of: the best student in the class, the oldest of the three brothers. These sentences often use the verb be (am, is, are).
Examples
- Nimal is taller than his brother.
- My new phone is lighter than my old one.
- Sanduni is the youngest person in our office.
- Kandy is the most beautiful city I have ever visited.
After a superlative, we often use I have ever + past participle. You can learn this pattern in our lesson on the present perfect tense.
Tip
After than, everyday English uses an object pronoun: She is older than me. In formal English, use a subject and a verb: She is older than I am.
Common mistake
Nimal is taller then his brother. → Nimal is taller than his brother. Then is about time; than is for comparing.
How do you use as … as?
Use as + adjective + as to say that two things are the same. Use not as … as to say that they are different. The adjective stays in its normal form.
Examples
- Sanduni is as tall as her mother.
- My bag is as heavy as yours.
- The bus is not as fast as the train.
- Colombo is not as cool as Kandy. (Kandy is cooler than Colombo.)
Tip
Not as … as is a soft, polite way to compare: The film was not as good as the book. It sounds kinder than The film was worse than the book.
How do you use less and the least?
Less and the least are the opposite of more and the most. We use them mainly with long adjectives.
Examples
- This phone is less expensive than that one.
- Walking is the least expensive way to travel.
- For Nimal, history is the least interesting subject.
Note
With short adjectives, not as … as sounds more natural than less: say He is not as tall as me, not He is less tall than me.
How do you use the more …, the more …?
Use two comparatives, each with the, to show that one thing changes together with another. Put a comma between the two parts.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| The + comparative, the + comparative | The sooner, the better. |
| The more + subject + verb, the more + subject + verb | The more you read, the more words you learn. |
| The + comparative + subject + verb, the + comparative + subject + verb | The older Nimal gets, the calmer he becomes. |
The pattern works for learning too: the more you practise, the better your English becomes. Our English practice hub has quizzes for every level.
Tip
To show a change that keeps happening, repeat the comparative with and: It’s getting hotter and hotter. More and more people are learning English. These are useful when you talk about the weather. See our list of weather words in English.
For more practice, read the British Council LearnEnglish page on comparative and superlative adjectives and the Cambridge Dictionary grammar guide to comparing with adjectives.
Summary
- Short adjectives add -er and -est; long adjectives use more and the most.
- Watch the spelling: big, bigger; happy, happier; nice, nicer.
- Learn the irregular forms: good, better, the best; bad, worse, the worst; far, further, the furthest.
- Use than after a comparative, the before a superlative and as … as for things that are equal.
- Use the more …, the more … to show that two things change together.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a comparative and a superlative?
A comparative compares two things: Nimal is taller than Sanduni. A superlative compares one thing with all the others in a group: Nimal is the tallest in the family.
Can I say “more better”?
No. Better is already a comparative, so do not add more. Say This book is better, or for extra strength, This book is much better.
Do I always need the before a superlative?
Usually, yes: the biggest, the most popular. You can leave out the after a possessive word, as in my best friend or Sri Lanka’s longest river.
How do I make a comparison stronger?
Put much, far or a lot before the comparative: Kandy is much cooler than Colombo. Use a bit or slightly for a small difference: The bus is a bit cheaper.
Practise this lesson
10 questions
