Group: Grammar and

Student use of English

“Leer, Hablar, Contar.”

Degrees of Comparison in General English

There are two ways of forming Degrees of Comparison. One is By adding er and est to the positive. This
method is called Synthetic method. The second By using more and most before the positive. This method
is called Analytic method.
A detailed classification of the ways of forming Degrees of Comparison is given below.
Comparative +
Positive The +Superlative
than
High Higher Highest
(1)Add er and est to the positive, if the adjectives Tall Taller Tallest
of one syllable and a few adjectives of two Young Younger Youngest
syllables, do not end in e. Soft Softer Softest
Hard Harder Hardest
Wise Wiser Wisest
2. When the positive ends in e, only r and st are Pure Purer Purest
added. Large Larger Largest
Dense Denser Densest
Wide Wider Widest
Big Bigger Biggest
3. Double the final consonant before adding er
Sad Sadder Saddest
and est. If the adjectives ending in a single
Hot Hotter Hottest
consonant (d, m, t, n, g) preceded by a short
Thin Thinner Thinnest
vowel.
Fat Fatter Fattest
4.If adjectives ending in ‘y’ preceded by a Silly Sillier Silliest
consonant, change y into in before adding er and Dry Drier Driest
est. Lovely Lovelier Loveliest
5. If the y preceded by a vowel, it is not changed
Grey Greyer Greyest
into i
Wonderful
More wonderful Most wonderful
6. Adjectives of two syllables and more than two
syllables take more and most before them to form Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful
the comparative and superlative degrees. Honest More honest Most honest
Difficult More difficult Most difficult
Top ----- Topmost
Fore Former Foremost
Irregular Comparison: Some adjectives have a
Innermost /
superlative ending in most, and a comparative In Inner
inmost
which is more or less irregular or no comparative
at all. Outermost /
Out Outer
outmost
Southern ---- Southernmost
Fore Further Furthest
Sometimes irregularities are caused by certain Late Later / latter Latest / last
sound changes Old Older/elder Oldest/eldest
Near Nearer Nearest
Bad Worse Worst
A few adjectives have comparatives and Good Better Best
superlatives of different roots : Little Lesser Least
Much More Most

Note: Some Comparative Adjectives which are derived from Latin are followed by to and not
than: Inferior, Superior, Junior, Senior.

Professor David Escudero e-mail: vacuidero@gmail.com