Degree of Comparison

Degree of Comparison

􀀨 The Chicken Noodle soup is as expensive as the Clam

Chowder one.

􀀨 The coffee costs the same price as the tea.

􀀨 The Roast Beef is more expensive than Tuna Salad.

􀀨 The Tuna Salad is cheaper than the Roast Beef.

􀀨 The iced tea is the most expensive among all beverages.

It can be learned from the examples above that there are

three degrees of comparison, i.e. positive, comparative and

superlative degree.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
cheap	cheap er	(the) cheapest
expensive	more expensive	(the) most expensive

The followings are some common rules in forming the

comparative and superlative degree of comparison.

1. For one syllable words,

a) add –er for the comparative degree and add –est

for the superlative.

e.g.: tall taller tallest

sweet sweeter sweetest

b) Adjectives ending in –e, just add –r and –st.

e.g.: large larger largest

late later latest

c) If the adjectives end in a vowel and a consonant,

double the consonant before adding –er and –est.

e.g.: fat fatter fattest

thin thinner thinnest

2. For two syllables words,

a) If the adjectives end in –y, add –er for the

comparative degree and add –est for the superlative.

e.g.: busy busier busiest

ugly uglier ugliest

It is also preferred to add –er and –est for the

following adjectives.

clever cleverer cleverest

narrow narrower narrowest

quiet quieter quietest

simple simpler simplest

b) For most adjectives and adverbs, precede more for

the comparative degree and most for the superlative.

e.g.: famous more famous most famous

tragic more tragic most tragic

3. For the adverbs end in –ly either of two or more syllable,

precede more for the comparative degree and most for

the superlative.

e.g.: slowly more slowly most slowly

carefully more carefully most carefully

It is an exception for the adverb early. It uses suffix –er and

–est.

early earlier earliest

4. For more than two syllables words, just precede more

for the comparative degree and most for the superlative.

e.g.: difficult more difficult most difficult

interesting more interesting most interesting

5. There are some irregular forms of comparative and

superlative degree

Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Explanation
bad	worse	(the) worst .	Adj.
far	farther	(the) farthest	Adj. used for distance
far	further	(the) furthest	Adj. used for time, distance and abstract things
good	better	(the) best	Adj
well	better	(the) best	Adv.
little	less	(the) least	Adj.
many	more	(the) most	Adj. used for countable nouns
much	more	(the) most	Adj. used for uncountable nouns
old	elder	(the) eldest	Adj. used for members of family
old	older	(the) oldest	Adj. used for other people and things