Unit 10: Comparatives and Superlatives

Grammar Focus: Comparing Things

Comparatives are used to compare twothings. We often use than after the comparative adjective. Superlatives are used to compare one thing against a group (three or more). We usually use the before the superlative adjective.

Spelling Rules for Regular Adjectives

  • One syllable: Add -er or -est (e.g., old → older → oldest). If it ends in vowel + consonant, double the consonant (e.g., hot → hotter → hottest).
  • Two syllables ending in ‘y’: Change ‘y’ to’i’ and add -er or -est (e.g., easy → easier → easiest).
  • Two or more syllables: Use more or the most (e.g., beautiful → more beautiful → the most beautiful).

Irregular Forms

Some adjectives do not follow the rules:

  • Good → better → thebest
  • Bad → worse → the worst
  • Far → farther/further → the farthest/furthest
  • Little → less → the least
  • Much/Many → more → the most

Parallel Progression: The more… the more…

We use this structure to show that two things change together:”The older I get, the happier I am.”

Exercise 1: Form Completion

Complete the table with the correct comparative and superlative forms.

AdjectiveComparativeSuperlative
1. Old____________________
2. Difficult____________________
3. Heavy____________________
4. Good____________________
5. Big____________________
6. Bad____________________
7. Interesting____________________
8. Far____________________
Exercise 2: Choose the Correct Form

Circle or underline the correct adjective form to complete the sentence.

  1. The Pacific Ocean is (deeper / deepest) than the Atlantic Ocean.
  2. This is the (worse / worst) movie I have ever seen.
  3. My brother is (younger / more young) than I am.
  4. That was the (most boring / boringest) book in the library.
  5. Gold is (more expensive / expensiver) than silver.
  6. Who is the (fastest / faster) runner on the team?
  7. The weather today is (bad / worse) than it was yesterday.
  8. She is the (intelligenter / most intelligent) student in the class.
Exercise 3: Irregular Comparisons

Fill in the blanks using the comparative or superlative form of the irregular adjectives in brackets.

  1. Your cold looks __________ (bad) than itdid yesterday.
  2. This is the __________ (good) pizza I have ever tasted.
  3. He lives __________ (far) from the school than me.
  4. I have __________ (little) money than my sister.
  5. Of allthe players, Tom played the __________ (bad) today.
  6. We have __________ (many) problems than we expected.
  7. For health, vegetables are __________ (good) than candy.
  8. This is the __________ (little) expensive item on the menu.
Exercise 4: “The more… the more…”

Match the first half of the sentence with the logical second half.

  1. The faster you pedal, … (a) the more you learn.
  2. The older I get, … (b) the better you speak.
  3. The more she reads, … (c) the less time we have.
  4. The longer we wait, … (d) the faster you go.
  5. The more you practice English, … (e) thehappier I am.
  6. The less you study, … (f) the higher it goes.
  7. The harder you push the swing, … (g) the more tired you feel.
  8. The earlier you wake up, … (h) the worse your grades will be.
Exercise 5: Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the sentences using a comparative structure so they mean the same thing.

  1. The blue car is not as fast as the red car. (The red car is…)
  2. Algebra is more difficult than geometry. (Geometry is…)
  3. No other river in the world is as long as the Nile. (The Nile is…)
  4. I don’t play tennis as well as my brother. (My brother plays…)
  5. This painting is not as valuable as the Mona Lisa. (The Mona Lisa is…)
  6. Playing video games is not as good as exercising. (Exercising is…)
  7. A film is usually not as long as a play. (A play is usually…)
  8. The first exercise is easy, but this one is not. (Thisexercise is…)
Exercise 6: Error Correction

Find the mistake in each sentence and write the correct version.

  1. He is the most cleverest boy in the school.
  2. This house is more big than yours.
  3. She is the better singer of the three girls.
  4. The weather is getting badder and badder.
  5. My dog is friendlier that your cat.
  6. This flower is the most pretty in the garden.
  7. It was the worsest day of my life.
  8. The more you eat, the fatest you get.
Bài trướcBài sau