Page 58 - Starting Strong: English Essentials

Forms of Regular Comparatives and Superlatives

One Syllable Adjectives
• Add -er for the comparative and the -est for the superlative.
Base Comparative Superlative
safe safer the safest
hard harder the hardest
strong stronger the strongest

Two Syllable Adjectives

• Add –er or more for comparative and the –est or the most for superlative.
• For adjectives ending in -y, change the -y to an -i before adding the ending.
Base Comparative Superlative
easy easier the easiest
busy busier the busiest
risky riskier the riskiest

friendly friendlier the friendliest
social more social the most social
intense more intense the most intense

active more active the most active

relaxed more relaxed the most relaxed

Three or More Syllable Adjectives
• Add more for the comparative and the most for the superlative in front of the adjectives.
Base Comparative Superlative

creative more creative the most creative
serious more serious the most serious
flexible more flexible the most flexible
competitive more competitive the most competitive

collaborative more collaborative the most collaborative

Forms of Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

• There are some adjectives that have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Base Comparative Superlative
good better the best
bad worse the worst
far father/further the farthest/the farthest

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