DEGREES OF COMPARISON

ADJECTIVES

SUPERIORITYSUPERIORITY

SHORT ADJECTIVES

ADJECTIVE + -ER + THAN

BIG – BIGGER THANBUSY – BUSIER

THAN

LONG ADJECTIVESMORE + ADJECTIVE

+ THAN

MORE INTERESTING THAN

MORE VALUABLE THAN

THE COMPARATIVE

INFERIORITYINFERIORITY

SHORT ADJECTIVES

LESS + ADJECTIVE + THAN

LESS BUSY THAN

LONG ADJECTIVES

LESS + ADJECTIVE + THAN

LESS INTERESTING THAN

THE COMPARATIVE

COMPARATIVE OF EQUALITY

AS ADJECTIVE ASAS BIG ASAS INTERESTING AS

! IDIOMS IN ENGLISH FOLLOWING THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMPARATIVE OF EQUALITY

AS FRESH AS A DAISY AS DRUNK AS A LANDLORD

AS POOR AS A CHURCHMOUSE AS DEAF AS A DOORKNOBAS UGLY AS SIN AS BLIND AS A BATAS RIGHT AS RAIN AS COOL AS A

CUCUMBERAS PRETTY AS A PICTURE

SHORT ADJECTIVESSHORT ADJECTIVES LONG ADJECTIVESLONG ADJECTIVES

THE ADJECTIVE + -EST

BIG – THE BIGGESTBUSY – THE BUSIEST

THE LEAST + ADJECTIVE

THE LEAST BUSY

THE MOST + ADJECTIVE

THE MOST BEAUTIFULTHE MOST EXCITING

THE LEAST + ADJECTIVE

THE LEAST BEAUTIFUL

THE SUPERLATIVE

RULES TO REMEMBER

1. SPELLING RULESa. ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN E TAKE -R IN THE

COMPARATIVE AND –ST IN THE SUPERLATIVENICE-NICER – THE NICESTb. TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES ENDING IN Y TURN THE Y

INTO -I AND ADD THE ENDING -ER OR -ESTPRETTY - PRETTIER – THE PRETTIESTc. ADJECTIVES ENDING IN A STRESSED VOWEL BETWEEN 2

CONSONANTS DOUBLE THE FINAL CONSONANT BEFORE THE ENDING

BIG - BIGGER FAT – THE FATTEST

RULES TO REMEMBER

2. OTHER RULES

a. NO DOUBLE COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE MARKERSMORE BIGGER → BIGGERTHE MOST BUSIEST → THE BUSIEST

b. IRREGUALR ADJECTIVESGOOD-BETTER-THE BESTBAD-WORSE-THE WORSTMUCH-MORE-THE MOSTFAR-FURTHER-THE FURTHESTLITTLE-LESS-THE LEAST