Big, better best – how to compare things with adjectives


An adjective describes something – a long business trip, an expensive product, a famous person and so on. But if you want to compare two or more things, you have to know how to make the comparative and superlative form of adjectives.

This is how you do it erfahren Sie im Spezial-Fernkurs für Sekretärinnen und Assistentinnen Let’s talk Business English.

You use the comparative form of adjectives when you want to compare two things with each other.

Some comparatives and superlatives are formed by adding –er oder -est onto the adjective. Others are formed by putting more or most in front of the adjective.

In general, you add –er or –est to short adjectives (one or two syllables), and put more and most before longer adjectives (more than two syllables).

If you want to say that something is smaller or less important, you use less or least.

  • The insurance premium for Area 2 is cheaper than the one for Area 3.
  • The insurance premium for Area 2 is more expensive than the one for Area 1.
  • The new director is less popular than the old one.

You use the superlative form of adjectives when you want to point out that one thing has the top rank or the lowest rank in a group of things.

  • The insurance premium for Area 4 is the most expensive.
  • Insurance cover for Area 1 is the least expensive.
  • Frank has got the smallest desk in our office.

Note these other rules

If an adjective ends in a vowel + consonant, you double the consonant. If an adjective ends in –y, this changes to –ie so the comparative is –ier and the superlative –iest.

adjective comparative superlative
one syllable long
fine 
longer
finer 
longest
finest 
one syllable ending in
vowel + consonant 
big
wet
bigger
wetter 
biggest
wettest 
two syllables
ending in -y 
busy
easy 
busier
easier 
busiest
easiest 
two or more syllables famous
modern
commercial 
more/less famous
more/less modern
more/less commercial 
most/least famous
most/least modern
most/least commercial

Exceptions to the rule

Some adjectives of two syllables can form the comparative and superlative with either –er/-est or with more and most. Examples:

clevercleverer / more clever cleverest / most clever
common commoner / more common commonest / most common
quiet quieter / more quiet quietest / most quiet

Make sure you know two important exceptions

Even people who speak and wirite good English sometimes forget how to use two of the most common – and important – adjectives: good and bad. Getting them wrong (for example, by saying badder) is very bad!

goodbetter best
bad worse the worst

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