Comparatives and Superlatives

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Note:  The example constructions and explanations for comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs can usually be used for either form of modifier.

Comparative Adjectives

Adjectives are able to express degrees of modification, or comparison:   (Zsa Zsa is pretty, but Elizabeth is prettier, and Angelique is the prettiest of all.)  These degrees of comparison are:  1) the positive, 2) the comparative, and 3) the superlative.  The comparative is used for comparing two things and the superlative is used for comparing more than two things.  Notice that the word than frequently accompanies the comparative and the word the  precedes the superlative.  You are always correct in using more or most if you are unsure about words with two or more syllables.

Here’s how to form comparative adjectives (those that compare two things) 

Note:  With some longer adjectives, you have the choice of using the er form or the word more.  DO NOT USE BOTH TOGETHER!  clever = cleverer/more clever (NOT more cleverer), pleasant = pleasanter/more pleasant (NOT more pleasanter), simple, narrow, and quiet are some more adjective that you can use both ways.  There is no rule as to which adjectives can be used both ways in the comparative form, and no reference that I know of that lists them.  If you are unsure, please look at a dictionary.

Some adjectives and adverbs do not follow the rules.  They have irregular forms of the comparative.

Superlative Adjectives

Note:  With some longer adjectives, you have the choice of using the est form or the word most.  DO NOT USE BOTH TOGETHER!  clever = cleverest/most clever (NOT most cleverest), pleasant = pleasantest/most pleasant (NOT most pleasantest), simple, narrow, and quiet are some more adjective that you can use both ways.  There is no rule as to which adjectives can be used both ways in the superlative form, and no reference that I know of that lists them.  If you are unsure, please look at a dictionary.

Some adjectives and adverbs do not follow the rules.  They have irregular forms of the superlative.

Other Notes, Hints, and Exceptions:

Some adjectives already express an extreme form of comparison, for example unique or pregnant, so cannot be used in a comparative or a superlative form.  Other adjectives of a similar nature (full, perfect) seem absolutely correct when used as fuller or most perfect.  

 The as ____ as phrase is used when expressing equality in a comparison.

• She is as smart as she is pretty.

• He is as irrational as his father.

 Less or fewer:  Less is used usually when we are speaking of uncountable nouns (less love, less  freedom), although less is the proper term to use for numerical or statistical expressions.  Notice how than is used in the sentences.

• I have less than three hours left until curfew. 

• We drove less than 200 miles the first day of vacation.

• Florida has less snow than Colorado.  (Snow is an uncountable noun)

We use fewer when we are speaking of countable things (fewer apples, fewer troubles).

• Shelly has fewer pairs of shoes than Mimi.

• Amy did fewer push-ups Tuesday.

• Buffy has few bad habits.

 More than :  American English uses more than (in excess of, over a certain amount) in countable monetary or statistical numerical expressions

• We are more than $10,000 in debt.  

• The holiday traffic deaths were more than 600 this year.) 

Over:  Over  is often used in expressions of time, age, height, and weight. 

• He is over fifty years of age.

• Bob waited over seven days for the letter from his lawyer.

The words real, right, wrong, and like ALWAYS use more or most.

• He is more right than wrong.  (Incorrect: He is righter than wrong.)

• She is more like a pal than a mother.  (Incorrect:  She is liker a pal.)

 Most can be used with any adjectives expressing approval and disapproval to mean very. 

• That was most kind of you to compliment my mother.

• You said a most unkind thing just now.

• My roommate is most awake after supper.  (Incorrect:  My roommate is the most awake after supper.)
• Florida is warmest in August.   (Incorrect:  Florida is the warmest in August.).

Comparative Adverbs

Comparative adverbs are formed the same way as comparative adjectives, that is by adding er or whatever the spelling rule is for the word (See Comparative Adjectives).  Some adverbs have irregular forms.  These must just be learned.

NOTE:  An ellipsis may be used when you are making a comparison using adverbs. An ellipsis is when you either drop the main verb in the second part of the comparison and only use the auxiliary verb, or when you omit the entire verb in the second part.  The verb is implied or 'understood'.  The verb that can be left out of the second part of the comparison is in brackets.

• Steve can jump as high as Rob can [jump].       She runs as fast as a deer [runs].

•  Barb's hair feels as soft as a kitten's [feels].    

• The brass buttons on his coat sparkled more brightly than gold [sparkles].

Using than in comparisons:

The most common form of making comparisons using adverbs is to use the comparative form of the adverb followed by than.  You can use an ellipsis as shown above.

• Norman can tap dance faster than Bert [can tap dance].

• Marcy waltzes better than Norman [waltzes], however.

You can use than with single adverbs or with adverb phrases and clauses:

• Murielle reads faster when she is alone than she does when she is in front of other people. (adverb clauses)

• Peter writes more neatly for his boss than he does for his mother.  (Adverb phrases.  Note the ellipsis.  The auxiliary verb does is used instead of repeating reads or writes.)

Try rewriting these sentences to show comparison.  You may use ellipses if you want.  There are no answers, but here's a hint: THAN!

Example:   The river flows fast.  (the brook)  becomes "The river flows faster than the brook."

1. At sunset, the clouds start getting dark.  (at sunrise)

2. His father played hard.  (his brother)

3. Melvin sings loud.  (Leroy)

4. Dylan retired early.  (Henry did)

5. The hurricane hit close.  (we thought)

Using more and more in comparisons:

• She shopped for clothes more and more determinedly.  

• Carl left work late more and more often.

These sentences may also be phrased as : 

• She shopped for clothes increasingly determinedly.  (This sentence is awkward, so you can see the more and more construction is a better choice.)   

• Carl left work late increasingly often.

Using less and less in comparisons:

 less and less means the opposite of more and more.

• She shopped for clothes less and less determinedly.  

• Carl left work late less and less often.

These sentences may also be phrased as : 

• She shopped for clothes decreasingly determinedly.  (This sentence is awkward, so you can see the less and less construction is a better choice.)   

• Carl left work late decreasingly often.

Try rewriting these sentences substituting "more and more" or "less and less" as appropriate.

1. As the Queen watched interestedly, the team played increasingly intensely.

2. The sirens wailed increasingly shrilly.

3. The class answered decreasingly correctly.

4. As we waited increasingly impatiently, the food grew cold.

5. His new car ran increasingly badly.

6. The stars twinkled decreasingly brightly.

7. As Miss Snodgrass teaches longer, she speaks increasingly hoarsely.

Using The . . .the in comparisons:

You can show a type of comparison by joining two clauses, each beginning with the also.  Each clause has a comparative adjective or adverb, and together they show a cause and effect between two different things.

• The slower he walked, the more impatiently she scolded him.            
• The more Aunt Tilly complained, the grumpier Uncle Fester acted.

• The more viciously the dog barked, the more quickly the thief ran.

• The better beaten the batter, the better baked the brioche.

  Remember that this type of sentence always needs a comma separating the two clauses!

Superlative Adverbs

Superlative adverbs are formed the same way as superlative adjectives, that is by adding est or whatever the spelling rule is for the word (see Superlative Adjectives).  Some adverbs have irregular forms.  These must just be learned.

Note:  The generally come right before the superlative form of an adverb, but the adverb can also be preceded by a possessive pronoun (which is acting as an adjective).

• She yells the loudest of anyone in the crowd.     

• Cora's class works the hardest of any class I know.

• Brazil plays the best soccer in the world, according to Brazilians.

• "On my honor, I will do my duty to do my best to do my duty. . ."

• Sarah worked her hardest, but she still didn't finish on deadline.

Least and most

Least and most are the superlative forms of less and more.  When you are using these adverbs, precede them with the.  Unlike less and more however, you cannot say least and least or most and most.  ("She exercised least and least."  This sounds awkward.  "She exercised less and less" is correct.)

• Ted complains the least often of all his friends.

• Shelly smiles the most sweetly of anyone I know.

• They travel the least frequently of the whole neighborhood.

• Dracula drinks his blood the most neatly of all the vampires.

A.  Re-write these sentence changing the adverb to the superlative and using the.  

1. Harold studies hard.  (of everyone else in the class)

2. Ray cooks well.  (of all the people in his family

3. She considered his offer seriously.  (of all the others she received)

4. Sam plays his guitar easily.  (of the rest of his friends)

5. This river flows swiftly.  (of all the rivers in the area)

6. Cecelia dances gracefully.   (of all the women in Brazil)

7. Lilly teaches English well.  (of all her colleagues)

8. Robin Hood's arrow came closest.  (to the bull's eye)

9. Superman flies high.  (of all the super heroes)  

10. The crowd moved near.  (to the more popular movie star) 

11. Cinderella dresses well.  (of any woman in the kingdom)  

12. The Martians fought bravely.  (of all the alien invaders) 

13. The tortoise moved slowly.  (of all the racers) 

Answers

B.  Now re-write these sentences putting in whatever correct form of adverb is needed.

1. Murphy talks  __________________of anyone I have heard.  (fast) 

2. She screamed as _________________as she was able.  (loud) 

3. Beginning weight lifters finish their sets _______ _______ than experienced weight lifters.  (slow)  

4. Ryan  exercises ________________ devotedly.  (decreasingly)  

5. The ___________ you eat, the thinner you will get.  (much) 

6. Horses run ___________ than chickens do.  (swift)  

7. Robert shaves __________ of all his brothers.  (less)  

8. Men wait __________while women shop.  (impatient)  

9. His new Rolls rode ____________of any car he had owned before. (smooth)  

10. The ______________ she ages, the smarter she becomes. (much)

11. A spider spins  ____________ than a caterpillar.  (complex) 

12. Dr. Quack examined the patient __________________ than Dr. Fee did. (thoroughly) 

  Answers

Absolute Terms:  An absolute term indicates an attribute or concept that a thing either has or doesn't have.  Traditionally, the word is an "either/or"--either thing is fatal/immortal/identical/perfect/etc. or it is not.  Some of these "absolute terms" are:  absolute, overwhelmed, straight, opposite, right, dead, entirely, eternal, fatal, final, identical, infinite, pregnant, mortal, opposite, perfect, immortal, finite, unique, irrevocable, always, at no time, matchless, flawless, complete, equal, parallel, innumerable, and similar words.  According to some editors, teachers, and other grammar buffs, words showing an "absolute" condition should not be used in comparisons (Something cannot be "deader" than something else), nor should they be modified by words like "extremely", "so", and "very".  Identical is identical, unique is unique--something cannot be "very" identical or "extremely" unique.  It is illogical to describe an absolute in such terms.  But definitions and usage change over time, and despite the purists, it is now considered standard usage to say things like: "most perfect", "nearly equal", and "almost complete".   The exception seems to be "unique".  According to The American Heritage® Book of English Usage, 1996, eighty percent of their Usage Panel agreed that using a modifier with "unique" is not acceptable.   Many writers however, blithely sprinkle "rathers", "lesses", "mores", and "quites" in front of their "uniques",  and I think this will become standard usage in time also.  In the meanwhile, try NOT to use modifiers with absolute terms in formal speech or writing.

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