English Grammar, Third edition (2011)

Reference Section

Forming comparative and superlative adjectives

R20 Information on how to use the comparatives and superlatives of adjectives is given in Chapter 2 (2.103 to 2.122).

R21 The comparative of an adjective is formed either by adding er to the end of the normal form of the adjective, or by putting more in front of it. The superlative is formed by adding est to the end of the adjective, or by putting most in front of it.

The choice between adding er and est or using more and most usually depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.

Superlatives are usually preceded by the.

R22 With one-syllable adjectives, you usually add er and est to the end of the normal form of the adjective.

Here is a list of common one-syllable adjectives that form their comparatives and superlatives usually, or always, by adding er and est:

big

bright

broad

cheap

clean

clear

close

cold

cool

cross

dark

deep

dry

dull

fair

fast

fat

fine

firm

flat

fresh

full

great

hard

high

hot

large

late

light

long

loose

loud

low

new

nice

old

pale

plain

poor

proud

quick

rare

rich

rough

sad

safe

sharp

short

sick

slow

small

soft

strong

sweet

tall

thick

thin

tight

tough

warm

weak

wet

wide

wild

young

Note that when er and est are added to some adjectives, a spelling change needs to be made.

The patterns of spelling change in forming comparatives and superlatives from adjectives are explained in paragraph R27.

R23 You usually add er and est to two-syllable adjectives ending in y, such as funny, dirty, and silly.

Note that there is a spelling change here, which is explained in paragraph R27.

Some other two-syllable adjectives, not ending in y, also have comparatives and superlatives that are usually formed with er and est.

Here is a list of common two-syllable adjectives whose comparatives and superlatives are usually formed like this:

busy

dirty

clever

easy

funny

happy

heavy

lovely

lucky

pretty

quiet

silly

simple

steady

tiny

R24 Some other two-syllable adjectives usually have comparatives and superlatives formed with more and most.

Here is a list of common adjectives whose comparative and superlative forms are usually formed with more and most:

careful

common

famous

handsome

likely

mature

obscure

pleasant

polite

sudden

R25 Many two-syllable adjectives can have comparatives and superlatives with either the endings er and est, or more and most. In many cases, the er and est forms are more commonly found directly before the noun (in attributive position), and the more and most forms more commonly follow a linking verb such as be or become (in predicative position). For more information about attributive and predicative adjectives, see paragraphs 2.42 to 2.52.

…major hurricanes such as Katrina, the costliest disaster in U.S. history.
Energy is becoming more costly and supplies are drying up.

Less space seemed to make for a friendlier neighborhood feeling.
We are encouraging employers to be more friendly to the local environment.

Here is a list of common adjectives that can have either type of comparative and superlative:

angry

costly

cruel

friendly

gentle

narrow

remote

risky

shallow

stupid

subtle

R26 Adjectives that have three or more syllables usually have comparatives and superlatives with more and most.

However, some three-syllable adjectives are formed by adding un to the beginning of other adjectives. For example, unhappy is related to happy and unlucky to lucky. These three-syllable adjectives have comparatives and superlatives formed either by adding er and est or by using more and most.

He felt crosser and unhappier than ever.

R27 When you add er or est to an adjective, you sometimes need to make another change to the end of the adjective as well.

If a one-syllable adjective ends in a single vowel letter followed by a single consonant letter, you double the consonant letter when adding er or est.

However, you do not do this with two-syllable adjectives.

If an adjective ends in e, you remove the e when adding er or est.

Note that with adjectives ending in le, the comparative and superlative have two syllables, not three. For example, simpler (from simple /′SImpǝl/) is pronounced /′SImpǝl/.

If an adjective ends in a consonant letter followed by y, you replace the y with i when adding er or est.

Note that with shy, sly, and spry, you add er and est in the ordinary way.

R28 Good and bad have special comparatives and superlatives, which are not formed by adding er and est or by using more and most.

Good has the comparative better and the superlative the best.

There might be better ways of doing it.
This is the best museum we’ve visited yet.

Bad has the comparative worse and the superlative the worst.

Things are worse than they used to be.
The airport there was the worst place in the world.

Note that ill does not have a comparative form and so worse is used instead.

Each day Kunta felt a little worse.

R29 The adjective old has regular comparative and superlative forms but, in addition, it has the forms elder and the eldest. These forms are used only to talk about people, usually relatives.

…the death of his two elder brothers in the First World War.
Bill’s eldest daughter is a doctor.

Note that unlike older, elder never has than after it.

R30 There is no comparative or superlative of little in Standard English, although children sometimes say littler and the littlest. When you want to make a comparison, you use smaller and the smallest.

R31 The comparatives and superlatives of compound adjectives are usually formed by putting more and most in front of the adjective.

Some compound adjectives have adjectives as their first part. Comparatives and superlatives of these compounds are sometimes formed using the comparative and superlative of the adjective.

Similarly, some compound adjectives have adverbs as their first part. Their comparatives and superlatives are sometimes formed using the comparative and superlative of the adverb.

The comparatives and superlatives of adverbs are explained in paragraphs R150 to R154.