Page 147 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

comparison (5): using comparatives and superlatives 139
Thank you very much indeed. That is most kind ofyou. (NOT ••• That is lei,ttlest &jJ'fJu.)
Real, right, wrong and like always have more and most.
She's more like her mother than herfather. (NOT .•• liket- Iter mother ...)
For information about how to use comparatives and superlatives, see 139. 141.
For modification of comparatives and superlatives (e.g. much older, far the best), see 140.
138 comparison (4):
comparative and superlative adverbs
Most comparative and superlative adverbs are made with more and most. Could you talk more quietly? (NOT ••• quietlier)
Adverbs that have the same form as adjectives (see 27), and a few others, have comparatives and superlatives with -er and -est. The most common are: fast, early, late, hard, long, near, high, low, soon, well (better, best), badly (worse, worst), and in informal English easy, slow, loud and quick.
Can't you drive any faster? Can you come earlier? Talk loudlJr. (informal)
We've all got terrible voices, but I sing worst ofall.
Note also the irregular comparatives and superlatives of far C/arther/further, farthest/furthest, see 201), much (more, most, see 355 and 356), little (less, least, see 320 and 318).
For the use of comparatives and superlatives. see the foUowing sections.
139 comparison (5):
using comparatives and superlatives
1 than
After comparatives we use than, not that or as.
Today'shotterthanyesterday. (NOT ••• hotterto"r:at•••0R .•. hotte,tiS •••) 2 the difference between comparatives and superlatives
We use a comparative to compare one person, thing, action, event or group with another person, thing etc. We use a superlative to compare somebody/ something with the whole group that he/she/it belongs to.
Compare:
- Mary's taller than her three sisters.
Mary's the tallest ofthe four girls. (NOT ••• the talle, ...)
- Your accent is worse than mine.
Your accent is the worst in the class. (NOT ••• the ftJ6rse ...)
- He plays better than everybody else in the team. He's the best in the team.
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