Comparatives and Superlatives
Add -er + than for short adjectives (bigger than) or put more before long adjectives (more expensive than) to compare two things; add -est or most, with "the", to say something is the extreme in a group (the biggest, the most expensive).
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Comparing two people, things, or groups
- •Showing superiority among all in a group
- •Using more/less with longer adjectives
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →When do you use -er/-est and when do you use more/most?
Short adjectives (one syllable, or two syllables ending in -y) add -er for comparatives and -est for superlatives: fast → faster → the fastest, happy → happier → the happiest.
Long adjectives (three or more syllables, and most two-syllable ones) use more/most instead of changing the word: beautiful → more beautiful → the most beautiful, expensive → more expensive → the most expensive.
How do you compare two things that are equal?
Use as + adjective + as to say two things are the same: "She's as tall as her brother." Use not as + adjective + as for inequality: "This car is not as fast as my old one." Neither form changes the adjective — no -er, no more.
"As...as" is a native-speaker default for equality that many learners underuse, reaching instead for awkward workarounds with "more" or "less".
Comparison Table
| Form | Comparative (2 things) | Superlative (group) | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short adjective (1 syllable) | + er + than | the + est | fast → faster than → the fastest |
| Short adjective ending in -y | y → ier + than | the + y → iest | happy → happier than → the happiest |
| Long adjective (3+ syllables) | more + adj + than | the most + adj | expensive → more expensive than → the most expensive |
| Irregular | good → better than | the best | bad → worse than → the worst |
| Equality | as + adj + as | not as + adj + as | as tall as / not as fast as |
Save this comparison chart
More Examples
My bag is heavier than yours.
Comparing two objects (short adjective + er)
This is the most beautiful view I've ever seen.
Saying something is the most ...
She's as tall as her brother.
Saying two things are the same amount
It's less expensive than I thought.
Saying something has less of a quality
Common Mistakes
- ✗❌ "more big" → ✓ "bigger" (short adjectives use -er, not "more")
- ✗❌ "the most fast" → ✓ "the fastest" (short adjectives use -est)
- ✗❌ "She is more taller" → ✓ "She is taller" (never "more" + -er together)
- ✗❌ Irregular: "more good" → ✓ "better"; "more bad" → ✓ "worse"
Tips
- ✓Short adjectives (1-2 syllables): add -er/-est (fast→faster→fastest).
- ✓Long adjectives (3+ syllables): use more/most (beautiful→more beautiful→most beautiful).
Forms Reference
65 adjectives — Short · Double · -y → -ier · Long · Irregular
| Base form | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Short adjectives (+ er / est) | ||
| fast | faster | fastest |
| tall | taller | tallest |
| old | older | oldest |
| young | younger | youngest |
| small | smaller | smallest |
| cheap | cheaper | cheapest |
| cold | colder | coldest |
| clean | cleaner | cleanest |
| short | shorter | shortest |
| long | longer | longest |
| new | newer | newest |
| bright | brighter | brightest |
| dark | darker | darkest |
| hard | harder | hardest |
| light | lighter | lightest |
| quick | quicker | quickest |
| rich | richer | richest |
| smart | smarter | smartest |
| soft | softer | softest |
| sweet | sweeter | sweetest |
| weak | weaker | weakest |
| strong | stronger | strongest |
| Short adjectives ending CVC — double the consonant | ||
| big | bigger | biggest |
| hot | hotter | hottest |
| thin | thinner | thinnest |
| fat | fatter | fattest |
| sad | sadder | saddest |
| fit | fitter | fittest |
| wet | wetter | wettest |
| slim | slimmer | slimmest |
| flat | flatter | flattest |
| Adjectives ending in -y (y → ier / iest) | ||
| happy | happier | happiest |
| easy | easier | easiest |
| funny | funnier | funniest |
| heavy | heavier | heaviest |
| lucky | luckier | luckiest |
| busy | busier | busiest |
| dirty | dirtier | dirtiest |
| early | earlier | earliest |
| lazy | lazier | laziest |
| friendly | friendlier | friendliest |
| angry | angrier | angriest |
| noisy | noisier | noisiest |
| pretty | prettier | prettiest |
| Long adjectives (3+ syllables — more / most) | ||
| beautiful | more beautiful | most beautiful |
| expensive | more expensive | most expensive |
| interesting | more interesting | most interesting |
| comfortable | more comfortable | most comfortable |
| important | more important | most important |
| dangerous | more dangerous | most dangerous |
| difficult | more difficult | most difficult |
| modern | more modern | most modern |
| popular | more popular | most popular |
| serious | more serious | most serious |
| careful | more careful | most careful |
| powerful | more powerful | most powerful |
| wonderful | more wonderful | most wonderful |
| Irregular forms | ||
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| far | farther / further | farthest / furthest |
| little | less | least |
| many / much | more | most |
| old (family) | elder | eldest |
63 adjectives shown
Advanced Notes
Spelling rules trip up learners with comparatives: double the final consonant for short CVC adjectives (big→bigger, hot→hotter), and drop the -e before -er/-est (large→larger). Irregular forms must be memorised: good→better→best, bad→worse→worst, far→farther/further→farthest/furthest. "As...as" for equality and "not as...as" for inequality are native speaker defaults that learners underuse in favour of "more/less". Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, -er, -ow, -le take -er (happy→happier, clever→cleverer).
FAQ
Why is "more big" wrong?
Big is a short adjective (one syllable), and short adjectives take -er instead of more: bigger, not more big. More/most is reserved for longer adjectives (three or more syllables), like more expensive or more beautiful.
Why is "the most fast" wrong?
Fast is a short adjective, so the superlative adds -est: the fastest. "The most fast" wrongly applies the long-adjective rule (most) to a short adjective.
Why can't you say "more taller"?
-er and more do the same job — they can never combine. Use one or the other: "taller" or, for a long adjective, "more expensive" — never both together in the same comparison.
What are the irregular comparatives and superlatives?
The most common irregular forms don't follow -er/-est or more/most: good → better → best, bad → worse → worst, far → farther/further → farthest/furthest. These have to be memorized individually.
What is the difference between a comparative and a superlative?
A comparative (adjective + -er, or more + adjective) compares two things: "This book is more interesting than that one." A superlative (the + adjective + -est, or the most + adjective) picks out the extreme within a group of three or more: "This is the most interesting book I've read."
Practice
- 1.This bag is than mine.
- 2.That was film I've ever seen.
- 3.She is her brother — they're both 1.80m.
- 4.This phone is than that one — I paid less.
- 5.My English is bad, but his is even .
Compare With
Other A2 Topics
Present Continuous
Used for actions happening now or temporary situations
Past Continuous
Used for interrupted past actions or background description
Future with Going to
Used for decided plans and evidence-based predictions
Prepositions of Time and Place
Used for time and location relationships using in, on, at
Can / Could
Expresses ability, possibility, or polite requests
Adverbs of Frequency
Used for stating how often something happens
Possessive 's
Used for showing ownership or association using apostrophe + s
Quantifiers: Some, Any, Much, Many, A Lot Of
Used for unspecified quantities in positive, negative, and question contexts
Basic Linkers: And, But, Or, Because, So
Used for connecting ideas within or between sentences
Object Pronouns: Me, You, Him, Her, It, Us, Them
Used for replacing nouns as the object of a verb or preposition
Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Countable nouns can be counted (a book, two books); uncountable nouns cannot (water, money).
Too and Enough
Say when something is more than needed (too) or exactly enough (enough).
Adverbs of Manner
Adverbs of manner describe how an action happens.