A: What kind of motorcycle are you going to buy?
B: I'm just going to buy a Harley. It's not as fast as a Ducati, but it's a lot cooler.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns.
The house is big.
The expensive rims were on sale.
I ate some spicy chips.
She bought a beautiful blouse.
Adverbs
Adverbs can describe adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs. In Grammar 5-3, we will focus on adverbs that describe verbs.
She sings beautifully.
He can run fast.
I went to bed late last night.
Susan drives quickly.
As + Adjective / Adverb + As
We can use this pattern to say that both parts of the comparison are equal or the same. Almost or nearly are commonly used with this pattern.
Steve can run as fast as Jim.
You look as tall as me.
I ate as much as I could last night.
Today, it is almost / nearly as hot as it was yesterday.
Not + As + Adjective / Adverb + As
The negative version of this pattern is used to say that the two are not equal. In this sense, the first noun is less in some way than the second. That is to say, the second noun is more in some way than the first.
I tried the chicken but it didn't taste as good as the beef.
Today, it doesn't feel as warm as it did yesterday.
I can't jump as high as you.
My computer isn't as new as yours.
Comparative & Superlative Adjectives & Adverbs
Additionally, we can make comparisons using the comparative or superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
Adjectives & Adverbs with One Syllable
Adjectives and adverbs with one syllable take er in their comparative form and est in their superlative form.
| Hot | Cold | Big | Warm | Old | Fast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | hotter | colder | bigger | warmer | older | faster |
| Superlative | the hottest | the coldest | the biggest | the warmest | the oldest | the fastest |
Adjectives Ending in "y"
If an adjective ends with the letter y, we usually change the y to ier for its comparative form and iest for superlative.
| Easy | Busy | Pretty | Happy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | easier | busier | prettier | happier |
| Superlative | the easiest | the busiest | the prettiest | the happiest |
Adjectives with Two or More Syllables
If an adjective has two or more syllables, we do not change the adjective. Instead, the comparative form is made with the adjective and the word more. Most is used to make the superlative form:
| Nervous | Interesting | Fashionable | Boring | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | more nervous | more interesting | more fashionable | more boring |
| Superlative | the most nervous | the most interesting | the most fashionable | the most boring |
Exceptions
For some adjectives, both er or more can be used to make the comparative form and est and most for the superlative. Both ways are okay:
| Friendly | Simple | Quiet | Narrow | Clear | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative |
more friendly friendlier |
more simple simpler |
more quiet quieter |
more narrow narrower |
more clear clearer |
| Superlative |
the most friendly the friendliest |
the most simple the simplest |
the most quiet the quietest |
the most narrow the narrowest |
the most clear the clearest |
Adverbs Ending in "ly"
If an adverbs ends with the letters ly, its comparative form uses more and superlative form uses most:
| Beautifully | Carefully | Slowly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | more beautifully | more carefully | more slowly |
| Superlative | the most beautifully | the most carefully | the most slowly |
Irregular Adjectives & Adverbs
Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms:
| Good | Bad / Badly | Far | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comparative | better | worse | farther / further |
| Superlative | the best | the worst | the farthest / furthest |
Using Comparative Adjectives & Adverbs
Below are some examples of sentences containing adjectives and adverbs in their comparative form.
- I met his sister last night. She seems nicer.
- You did well, but you can do better.
- Could you please speak more slowly?
- Canada is big, but Russia is bigger.
- It feels warm today, but it is going to feel warmer tomorrow.
We often use than when comparing two or more things.
- My class is more interesting than your class.
- She can run faster than you.
- The weather today seems nicer than it was yesterday.
- You are not a bad singer. I sing much worse than you do.
- My older brother is lazier than me.
Notice the difference in using comparative adjectives and adverbs with the not as ... as.
- Cotton isn't as expensive as silk.
- Silk is more expensive than cotton.
- Cotton is cheaper than silk.
- Peter isn't as tall as Phil.
- Phil is taller than Peter.
- Peter is shorter than Phil.
Comparatives can be modified with much, far, a lot, way (informal), a bit, a little, and slightly.
- Brazil is a big country, but China is much bigger.
- Could you speak a bit more slowly, please?
- My new car is way better than my old one. (spoken / informal English)
- I live slightly farther from school than you do.
Using Pronouns When Comparing
When using pronouns, in informal English, we can use object pronouns (me, him, her, etc.) after than or as. In more formal English, we prefer using a subject pronoun and (auxiliary) verb.
| Informal / Spoken | Formal / Written |
|---|---|
| You did better than me. | You did better than I did. |
| She can't type as fast as me. | She can't type as fast as I can. |
| He is going to arrive earlier than her. | He is going to arrive earlier than she is. |
| They dress more fashionably than us. | They dress more fashionably than we do. |
| I didn't do as well on the test as you. | I didn't do as well on the test as you did. |
Using Superlative Adjectives & Adverbs
Look at examples below of superlative adjectives and adverbs. Notice the use of the.
- Jim is the tallest student in the class.
- There are many great Italian restaurants in town, but this one is the best.
- Shelly is one of the nicest people I have ever met.
- That is one of the most expensive cars you can buy.
Superlative adjectives are often used after one of...
It is one of the hottest days of the year.
She has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard.
This is one of the most difficult things I have ever done.
Exercise
Open the exercise to begin the activity. Follow the instructions in the document.