how to form comparative and superlative

Comparative and Superlative:

1. One syllable adjectives:

Comparative : + er : smaller

Superlative: + est :  the smallest

2. One syllable adjectives ending in 'e': brave

Comparative : + r : braver

Superlative:   + st : the bravest

3. One syllable adjectives  ending in consonant - vowel - consonant: big

Comparative : add consonant + er : big + g + er = bigger

Superlative: add consonant + est : the + big + g + est = the biggest

4. Two syllable adjectives ending in 'y': happy

Comparative :  delete “ y”  and add   -ier : happier

Superlative: delete “y”  and add --iest : the happiest

5. Two or more syllable adjectives: interesting

Comparative : add “ more ” to adjective: more interesting

Superlative : add “the most ” to adjective: the most interesting

Summary:

Comparative and superlative of adjectives
	Adjective	Comparative	Superlative
One-syllable adjectives	old long	older longer	the oldest the longest
Adjectives ending in one vowel and one consonant	big hot	bigger hotter	the biggest the hottest
Adjectives ending in "y"	ugly noisy	uglier noisier	the ugliest the noisiest
Adjectives with two or more syllables	expensive beautiful	more expensive more beautiful	the most expensive the most beautiful

6. Irregular adjectives

Irregular adjectives
good	better	the best
bad	worse	the worst
far	farther/further	the farthest/furthest

Use:

1. We use comparatives to compare two things.

Samir is taller than Ali.

Reading a book is more interesting than watching TV.

My car is faster than my friend's car.

2. We use superlatives to compare one thing with the rest of the group it belongs to.

Farid is the tallest in the class.

Fatima is the best student in our class.

My father’s car is the most expensive carin the world 

how to compare things in English

Comparative:

A. short adjectives (one syllable adjectives)

a)   To short adjectives, we add “er” .

                                Cheap  +  er  =  cheaper  

                               This book is cheaper than this chair

                                Tall + er =  taller  

                                Ali is taller than Ahmed

b)   One syllable adjective ending in “e” + “r”.

                                  Brave  + r  =  braver  

                                Samira is braver than Ahmed

                                 large  + r  =  larger  

                                 My house is larger than our class

c)   One syllable adjective ending in: “consonant + y” =  ier

                                   Easy  =  easier  

                                 English is easier than French

                                  Heavy  =  heavier  

                                 The desk is heavier than the chair.

d)   One syllable adjective ending in one vowel + consonant, we double the consonant and add “er”

                                    Hot  =  hot + t + er +   =  hotter    

                                  Fes is hotter than Rabat

                                   big  =  big + g + er   =  bigger  

                                  The bus is bigger than the car

B.   To long adjectives(with two or more syllables), we add “more”

                                   more  expensive/    more interesting

                                  Reading a book is more interesting than watching TV

C.   Irregular comparatives:

  good  = better / bad  =   worse / far =   farther / little = less / well  = better

D.   As + adjective + as:

                   Fatima is as good as Ahmed

                  Ali is as tall as Ahmed

  We use “as + adjective + as” to say that two things or persons are equal in some way.

E.   Not as + adjective + as:

                  Ahmed is not as good as Fatima

                  Ahmed is not as short as Driss

  We use “ not as + adjective + as” to say that two things or persons are not equal in some way.

English Articles

Articles:

	The definite article: “the” → specific	The indefinite articles: “a / an” → non- specific
	This one / that one	anyone/ one of many
Singular countable nouns	The apple The bird	An apple  A bird
Plural countable nouns	The apples The birds	ᴓ Apples → some apples     ᴓ Birds   →  some birds
Uncountable nouns	The water The milk	ᴓ Water → some water   ᴓ Milk  → some milk

              a/ an → indefinite articles: 

−  “a” is used before singular countable nouns beginning with a consonant: a book/ a student.

−  “an” is used before singular countable nouns beginning with a vowel: an apple/ an orange.

−  “a” and “an” are used with nouns that have not been known before by both the speaker and the listener.

 The → definite article:   “the” is used with singular and plural countable nouns, and uncountable nouns. It is used with nouns which have been known before by both the speaker and the listener.

   No article:

--  Uncountable nouns and plural countable nouns are without articles: a dog → ᴓ dogs/ ᴓ water

− Sports :  ᴓ football/ ᴓ tennis/ ᴓ basketball……. 

−  Before names of meals:   ᴓ lunch/ ᴓ dinner……

−  Before names of countries and cities: ᴓ Morocco/ ᴓ Rabat……

−  Before names of languages:   ᴓ Arabic/ ᴓ English……

−  Before names of academic subjects:   ᴓ maths/ ᴓ  geography/  ᴓ physics