English Comparative and Superlative. English ESL Worksheets. English grammar with exercises. Free eBook and Free printable PDF
English Comparative and Superlative
English Comparative and Superlative
We use comparative adjectives to show change or make comparisons:
This car is certainly better,but it’s much more expensive.
I’m feeling happier now.
We need a bigger garden.
We use than when we want to compare one thing with another:
She is two years older than me.
New York is much bigger than Boston.
He is a better player than Ronaldo.
France is a bigger country than Britain.
When we want to describe how something or someone changes we can use two comparatives with and:
The balloon got bigger and bigger.
Everything is getting more and more expensive.
Grandfather is looking older and older.
We often use the with comparative adjectives to show that one thing depends on another:
The faster you drive, the more dangerous it is.
(= When you drive faster, it is more dangerous.)
The higher they climbed, the colder it got.
(= When they climbed higher, it got colder.)
Superlative adjectives
We use the with superlative adjectives:
It was the happiest day of my life.
Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
That’s the best film I have seen this year.
I have three sisters: Jan is the oldest and Angela is the youngest.
How to form comparative and superlative adjectives
We usually add –er and –est to one-syllable words to make comparatives and superlatives:
| old | older | oldest |
| long | longer | longest |
If an adjective ends in –e, we add –r or –st:
| nice | nicer | nicest |
| large | larger | largest |
If an adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant, we double the consonant:
| big | bigger | biggest |
| fat | fatter | fattest |
If an adjective ends in a consonant and –y, we change –y to –i and add –er or –est:
| happy | happier | happiest |
| silly | sillier | silliest |
We use more and most to make comparatives and superlatives for most two syllable adjectives and for all adjectives with three or more syllables:
| careful | more careful | most careful |
| interesting | more interesting | most interesting |
However, with these common two-syllable adjectives, you can either add –er/–r and –est/–st or use more and most:
| common cruel gentle handsome likely | narrow pleasant polite simple stupid |
He is certainly handsomer than his brother.
His brother is handsome, but he is more handsome.
She is one of the politest people I have ever met.
She is the most polite person I have ever met.
The adjectives good, bad and far have irregular comparatives and superlatives:
| good | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
Exercises
English Comparative and Superlative
COMPARATIVES
EXERCISE 1.
Complete the sentences by writing the correct adjective in the comparative form in the spaces provided.
cold tall expensive good sweet young bad fast
e.g. England is 10 degrees in the summer. Italy is 25 degrees in the summer .
England is colder than Italy.
Helen is 1m 80cm. Dave is 1m 50cm.
A pair of shoes costs £40. A pair of sunglasses costs £10.
Dave is 60 years old. Jane is 79 years old.
Sarah got 40% in her English exam. Tom got 67% in his English exam.
A Mercedes has a speed of 200mph. A BMW has a speed of 170mph.
Jane’s sister is 10 years old. Helen’s sister is 5 years old.
Laura has 2 sugars in her coffee. Sonia has 5 sugars in her coffee.
I speak excellent English. Tom speaks terrible English.
EXERCISE 2
Rewrite the sentences using ‘the + comparative __________ the + comparative’ form.
Example:
If you drive faster, you will arrive sooner.
The faster you drive, the sooner you arrive.
If you eat more you will get fatter.
If it is difficult, he likes it more.
When it gets darker she gets more frightened.
If a house is big you will have to spend more money to heat it.
If you come earlier, we will enjoy our party longer.
EXERCISE 3.
Complete the following passage with ‘more and more’ or ‘______er and ________er’
Example:
Paul is feeling more and more depressed.Lucy is feeling happier and happier.
Mr Brown is making _______________money. He is becoming (successful) ____________ in his job. His children are very diligent and he is (pleased with) _________________ them. Life is getting (easy) ________________ and his wife is (proud) ______________________ of her husband. Mr Brown’s house is getting (big) __________________ and (grand) _______________.
EXERCISE 4.
Complete the following sentences using the appropriate word
White cool quickly hard sick red dry thick brown easy
e.g. She was late so she drove as fast as she could.
The bed was as………………as a rock.
In the desert, the sand is as………………..as a bone.
He said that the taxi would be over as…………………as possible.
Learning another language is as……………….as riding a bike.
When she realised that she made a mistake she went as………………as a beetroot.
In the exam, he was as………………as a cucumber.
When he came back from he was as……………….as a berry.
After partying all night, the morning after he felt as………………..as a parrot.
After explaining the situation 5 times, I realised he was as…………………as two short planks of wood.
After surprising her she went as…………………as a ghost.
EXERCISE 5.
Re-write the following sentences using “as”.
Susan is no taller than John.
The Ford Escort is slower than a Ferrari F40
The Antelope is slower than the leopard
David Coulthard was faster than Michael Schumacher
The 747 is slower than the Concord.
THE SUPERLATIVE
EXERCISE 1.
Complete the sentences by writing the superlative of the given adjectives.
E.g. This is the best restaurant in town.
Which is the ________ city in the world? (big)
Mary is the ___________ student at school. (clever)
I want the _________ house you have. (beautiful)
That’s the __________ book I have. (funny)
Who is the _________ man in the world? (tall)
It’s the _________ video I have. (frightening)
EXERCISE 2.
Answer the questions.
1. John is 1 metre 75 tall; Sarah is 1 metre 60 tall; Mary is 1 metre 55 tall.
Who is the tallest? ________________________.
Who is the shortest? ________________________.
2. Madrid is 30 degrees; Rome is 25 degrees; Dublin is 23 degrees.
Which is the hottest? ________________________.
Which is the coldest? ________________________.
Bob is 24 years old; Patricia is 30 years old; Nick is 28 years old.
Who is the oldest? ________________________.
Who is the youngest? ________________________.
London tourist guide costs £ 10.00; Paris tourist guide costs £ 5.00; Rome tourist guide costs £ 4.00.
Which is the most expensive?________________________.
Which is the cheapest? ________________________.
COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE
EXERCISE 1.
e.g. Typing is as easy as
Speaking English is easier than speaking Italian.
Joan is the tallest girl in the class.
The _______ I study the ______ I know. (more/less)
This exercise is _________ than the previous. (hard)
Riding a horse is not ___ _____ ___ (easy) riding bike.
These computers are _______ (new) than those.
You are _________ (good) teacher I’ve ever had.
The world problems are getting _____ and _____ (more/more) difficult to solve.
John is _______ ___________ (popular) student in his class. All the girls want to date him.
Bob is _________ (shy) than his brother.
This time he’s made ________ (few) mistakes.
All the poems you selected are good, but only the _________ (good) one will get the prize.
Who is ________ (pretty), Mary or Jane?
Excuse me, where is the _________ (near) drugstore?
Are you sure that Sydney is ________ (large) than Anchorage?
Your glasses are ___ ________ ___ (ugly) mine.
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