Good, Better, Best - Comparison and Superlative Adjectives - PELA (2024)

Good, Better, Best – Comparison and Superlative Adjectives

One chocolate truffle is good.
	Two chocolate truffles are better.
But a whole plate of chocolates is the best.

	One puppy is cute.
Two puppies arecuter.
	But a whole litter of puppiesis the cutest.

A six question is difficult.
	A one-page test ismore difficult.
But the IELTS test is the most difficult.

What are the rules for comparing other adjectives? What are the rules for the superlative form of the adjective? Let’s review them, as this is a great example of the ideas we teach in our English classes.

To compare, we add -er to one syllable adjectives. A syllable = a vowel sound (not a vowel letter).
For example, sweet is one syllable, but it has two vowel letters. The comparative form is sweeter. We could say: Fruit is sweeter than vegetables. Which is sweeter? Fruit is sweeter.

We add -ier to two syllable adjectives that end in Y.
I am happier on the weekend than at school. When are you happier? I am happier on the weekend.

For all other adjectives, two syllable without Y and more than two syllables, we add more in front of the adjective.
A house is more expensive than a hamburger. Which is more expensive? A house is more expensive.

Common exceptions to this rule are

• good  better,
• bad  worse,
• fun  more fun
• far  farther.

The superlative rules are almost the same.
For one syllable adjectives, add the + adjective +est:
Watermelon is the sweetest fruit.
For two syllable adjectives ending in Y, add the + adjective + iest.
Saturday is the happiest day for me.
For two syllable adjectives that don’t end in Y or for adjectives with MORE than two syllables, add the most + adjective.
London, New York, Taipei, and Tokyo are some of the most expensive cities on Earth.

The exceptions are:

• the best
• the worst
• the most fun
• the farthest

Practice I: Write the comparative form of each adjective given.

• A basketball is (big / than) a tennis ball.
• Going to a party is (interesting / than) studying grammar.
• Food I cook myself is (bad / than) food I get at a restaurant.
• A comedy is (funny / than) an action movie.
• A bus is (crowded / than) a car.
• A skyscraper is (tall / than) a house.

Practice II: Write the superlative form of each adjective given.

• Vancouver, British Columbia is (beautiful) city that I have visited.
• A marathon is (hard) race that you can run.
• A Labrador Retriever is (friendly) dog that you can have for a pet.
• The Game of Thrones is (good) TV series that I have watched.
• Punk music is (loud) music that I have heard.
• Having a child is the (life-changing) thing that you can do.

Answers: Part A

• bigger than
• more interesting than
• worse than
• funnier than
• more crowded than
• taller than

Part B

• the most beautiful
• the hardest
• the friendliest
• the best
• the loudest
• the most life-changing