Practice
English practice: comparatives and superlatives
Sign in to saveTwo bags are on the floor. One is heavier than the other. In a shop with many bags, you may choose the heaviest one. The ending changes because the comparison changes.
Compare two or more people, things, places, or situations by choosing a natural comparative or superlative adjective form.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The smaller café is quieter. /ðə ˈsmɔːlə kæˈfeɪ ɪz ˈkwaɪətə/
The short answer
Use a comparative when you compare two people or things, usually with than. Use a superlative when one person or thing is at one end of a group, usually with the. Short adjectives often take -er and -est; many longer adjectives use more and most.
This chair is more comfortable than the wooden one.
Why it works: More comfortable compares two chairs, so it is a comparative form.
5 more examples
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My new phone is lighter than my old phone.
Lighter compares two phones, so the short adjective light takes -er and uses than.
Not this:My new phone is
the lightestin the family. What changes: The lightest identifies one phone from a group, so it is a superlative. -
The blue bus is faster than the green bus.
Faster compares the speed of two buses.
Not this:The blue bus is
the fastestbus on this route. What changes: The fastest picks one bus from all the buses on the route. -
This exercise is easier than yesterday's exercise.
Easy ends in y, so y changes to i before -er.
Not this:This is
the easiestexercise in the book. What changes: The superlative uses iest because easy ends in y. -
A train is more reliable than a bus in this weather.
Reliable is a longer adjective, so more makes the comparative.
Not this:The train is
the most reliableway to travel today. What changes: Most reliable identifies one choice from several possible ways to travel. -
The river is wider here than near the bridge.
Wide ends in e, so it takes r to make wider.
Not this:This is
the widestpart of the river. What changes: Widest describes one part as having the greatest width in the group.
Read the full guide
First count the things in your comparison. If you are choosing between two routes, use a comparative: the shorter route. If you are choosing from every route on a map, use a superlative: the shortest route. Then check whether the adjective needs an ending or more or most.
Decide how many things you are comparing
Use a comparative for two things. Use a superlative when you look at a group of three or more. The number of choices helps you decide before you think about spelling.
This room is warmer than the kitchen.
The sentence compares two rooms, so warmer is the right form.
This is the warmest room in the house.
The sentence compares every room in the house, so it needs the superlative warmest.
You have two coats. Which form completes the sentence: This coat is ___ than that one?
Use a comparative, such as warmer, cheaper, or more comfortable.
Use -er and -est with many short adjectives
Many one-syllable adjectives take -er for a comparative and -est for a superlative. Common examples include tall, short, fast, slow, old, and new. A comparative often has than after it.
The library is quieter than the café.
Quiet is short enough here to take er: quieter.
Saturday is the busiest day at the market.
Busy changes y to i before est.
Complete the phrase: the ___ street in the neighborhood.
Use quietest: the quietest street in the neighborhood.
Watch spelling changes in short adjectives
A few spelling changes make the forms easier to read and say. Add r and st after final e. Change y to i before er or est. For a short stressed vowel followed by one consonant, double that consonant: big, bigger, biggest.
My suitcase is bigger than yours.
Big has a short vowel followed by g, so the g doubles in bigger.
The safest path has lights at night.
Safe already ends in e, so safest adds st.
What is the comparative form of happy?
Use happier. Change y to i, then add er.
Use more and most with many longer adjectives
Many adjectives with two or more syllables use more and most. This is common with words such as expensive, interesting, comfortable, and useful. Keep the adjective unchanged after more or most.
The second explanation is more useful than the first one.
More useful compares two explanations. Useful does not take er here.
That was the most interesting talk of the day.
Most interesting identifies one talk from the full group.
Correct this phrase: the most easiest answer.
Write the easiest answer. Do not use most with an est form.
Learn common irregular comparisons
A few very common adjectives do not use the usual endings. Good becomes better and the best. Bad becomes worse and the worst. These forms appear often in everyday choices and opinions.
The weather is better today than yesterday.
Better is the comparative form of good.
This is the best seat in the cinema.
Best is the superlative form of good and usually follows the.
Complete the sentence: Monday was bad, but Tuesday was ___.
Use worse. It is the comparative form of bad.
Check the comparison pattern
Before you finish a sentence, look for two useful signals. Than usually follows a comparative. The often comes before a superlative. Then check that you have used one pattern only: faster, not more faster; the most expensive, not the expensivest.
This route is shorter than the road through town.
Than shows that shorter compares two routes.
The museum is the most popular place in the area.
The most popular describes one place within a group of places.
Choose the natural sentence: This box is more heavier, or This box is heavier.
Choose This box is heavier. Heavy takes the er comparative pattern after y changes to i.
Before you go
Remember this
Compare two things with a comparative form, often followed by than. Choose one thing from a group with a superlative, often preceded by the. Use -er and -est for many short adjectives, more and most for many longer ones, and learn common irregular forms such as better and best.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: comparatives and superlatives"
What is the difference between a comparative and a superlative?
A comparative compares two people, things, or situations. A superlative identifies one person or thing as having the highest or lowest degree in a group. For example, lighter than compares two phones, while the lightest in the family selects one phone from several.
My new phone is lighter than my old phone.
When do I use than with an adjective?
Than often follows a comparative adjective when you name the second person or thing in the comparison. Say The blue bus is faster than the green bus. You do not normally use than after a superlative such as the fastest.
My new phone is the lightest in the family.
When should I use more and most?
Use more and most with many longer adjectives, including useful, comfortable, and reliable. Say more reliable than for a comparison of two choices, and the most reliable for one choice in a larger group. Do not add er or est to the same adjective.
The blue bus is faster than the green bus.
Why do some comparative adjectives change spelling?
English spelling changes in a few common patterns. Easy becomes easier because y changes to i. Big becomes bigger because the final consonant doubles. Safe becomes safer because it already ends in e. These patterns help show the comparative ending clearly.
The blue bus is the fastest bus on this route.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of good and bad?
Good becomes better and the best. Bad becomes worse and the worst. These are irregular forms, so they do not use the ordinary er and est endings. Learn them as whole forms when you compare options or describe results.
This exercise is easier than yesterday's exercise.