What are Comparative and Superlative Adjectives? Everything You Need to Know

If humanistic and natural forces compel you to make a comparison between two or more things, nothing can beat the greatness of comparative and superlative adjectives. These adjectives are the experts in figuring out the better one and scrutinising the best quality of the subjects. But the real question is how to use comparatives and superlatives in a way that justifies the English grammar rules. Let’s find out the answer to this question in this blog. After all, this blog article will help you uncover the rules of both the degree of comparison and how they vary from each other. 

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What is a Comparative and Superlative Adjective?

First and foremost, make yourself very clear that comparatives are meant to compare, which means it highlights the slightly better one between the two subjects. On the other hand, Superlatives are the advocates of superior ones and the greatest. Therefore, whenever you have to point out the best among the rest, this degree of comparison will have your back. You can also take a look at the examples given below for a clear understanding.

Comparative Adjectives

The formation of comparatives consists of a suffix (-er) at the end of adjectives or “more” at the beginning of the adjective, as mentioned in the example below. Take a look at the image below which enlists the rules for forming comparative adjectives

Learn More About What are Comparative Adjectives? Definition, Types, Rules, & Examples Here!

Superlative Adjectives

On the other hand, the formation of Superlatives contains the suffix (-est) or words like “best and most” at the end or beginning of the adjective, respectively. Take a look at the example below. It shows how to differentiate between the quality of nouns with the help of superlative adjectives. 

Comparative vs Superlative

Once you have crystal clarity over the rules of both Comparative and Superlative only then you can implement its usage with precision. Therefore, check the following differentiation in terms of rules to enhance your learning:

Comparative Adjective	Superlative Adjective
It compares two things. For Example, The Eiffel Tower is taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.	It compares three or more things. For Example, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
Use “than” to compare two things with the same adjective. For Example, My house is bigger than your house.	Use “the” to compare three/more things with the same adjective. For Example, My house is the biggest house on the block.

Also Read: Degree of Comparison Rules with Examples, Types & Excercise

Exception Rules

There are a few exceptions to the general rules for using comparative and superlative adjectives. For example, some adjectives are irregular and do not follow the standard rules, like the one mentioned below:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good	Better	Best
Bad	Worse	Worst
Far	Farther/Further	Farthest/Furthest
Little	Less	Least
Much	More	Most

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How to Form Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and superlatives:

If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:

nice	nicer	nicest
large	larger	largest

If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant:

big	bigger	biggest
fat	fatter	fattest

If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est:

happy	happier	happiest
silly	sillier	silliest

We utilise more and most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two-syllable adjectives and all adjectives with three or more syllables:

careful	more careful	most careful
interesting	more interesting	most interesting

Comparative and Superlative Example

Last, but not least, make sure to go through the following examples before implementing them into everyday usage:

Comparative Adjectives Examples	Superlative Adjectives Examples
The red car is faster than the blue car.	The red car is the fastest car in the race.
The elephant is bigger than the dog.	The elephant is the biggest animal in the zoo.
The mountain is taller than the hill.	Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
The house is more expensive than the apartment.	The FIFA World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world.
The food is spicier than I expected.	The Taj Mahal is the most beautiful building in the world.
The weather is colder today than it was yesterday.	The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world.
The student is smarter than the teacher.	The Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event in the world.
The book is longer than the article.	The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water in the world.
The movie is more interesting than the TV show.	The Grand Canyon is the deepest and widest canyon in the world.
The trip was more tiring than I thought it would be.	The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.

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This was all about the Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and how to use them. Hope you understand the concept and where it’s used. You can also follow Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs.