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Comparative and superlative adjectives

A2 (Pre-Intermediate)

Rule details

Comparative and superlative adjectives

A2 (Pre-Intermediate)

1. How they are formed

Comparative:

short adj + -er + than → taller than
more + long adj + than → more interesting than

Superlative:

the + short adj + -est → the tallest
the most + long adj → the most interesting

2. When to use

  • Use comparatives to compare two people or things.
  • Use superlatives to identify the highest degree in a group.
  • Use than with comparatives and the with superlatives.

3. Examples

Comparative (comparing two):

My car is faster than yours.

Superlative (from a group):

She is the smartest student in the class.

Quality comparison:

This exercise is more difficult than the previous one.

4. Differences and notes

Short vs long adjectives

Short adjectives usually take -er/-est; long adjectives use more/most.

Irregular forms

good → better → best, bad → worse → worst, far → farther/further → farthest/furthest.

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