Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs

Rules at a Glance

Adjectives and adverbs are words the modify other words. The comparative form of an adjective or adverb compares two things. The superlative form of an adjective or adverb compares three of more things.

Examples: Adjective

----------superlative-----------
---------comparative-----------
large	larger	largest

The first apple is large.

The second apple is larger than the first.

The third apple is the largest of the three.

-----------superlative----------
-----------comparative-----------
fast	faster	fastest

The jalopy is a fast car.

The racecar is the faster car.

The dragster is the fastest car.

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To make comparative and superlative forms of adjectives some rules must be followed.

Rules at a Glance

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Like adjectives some adverbs can take comparative and superlative forms, with -er and -est:  

Examples

-----------superlative----------
-----------comparative-----------
hard	harder	hardest

Sally works hard.

Steve works harder than Sally

Kathy and Sue work the hardest of all.

 

-----------superlative----------
-----------comparative-----------
loud	louder	loudest

The bird sings loud.

The moose sang louder than the bird.

Pete sang the loudest of them all.

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List of Adverbs in Which -er and -est May Be Added

Adverb	Comparative	Superlative
proud	prouder	proudest
fast	faster	fastest
sloppy	sloppier	sloppiest
slow	slower	slowest
quick	quicker	quickest
early	earlier	earliest
bright	brighter	brightest
high	higher	highest

However, the majority of adverbs do not take these endings. Instead, they form the comparative using more and the superlative using most:  

Practice

Write the comparative form of the following.

1. often _____________________
2. old _____________________
3. empty _____________________
4. lousy _____________________
5. dark _____________________
6. important _____________________
7. late _____________________
8. slow _____________________
9. careful  _____________________
10. supportive_____________________

Write the superlative form of the following.

11. graceful _____________________
12. ugly _____________________
13. rare _____________________
14. reasonable _____________________
15. successful _____________________
16. gradual _____________________
17. recent _____________________
18. hard _____________________
19. frequent _____________________
20. soon _____________________

Complete the chart.

Multiple Choice

30. Which sentence is written correctly?
    a. Nathan was most courageous than his friend, Colin Whitefield
    b. Nathan was the most courageous boy in the settlement.
    c. Weasel was the less courageous than any of the government agents.
    d. Pa was the most courageous man of the two.
     
31. Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
    a. Nathan had the most cunning plan to capture Weasel.
    b. Ezra was more cunning than Pa.
    c. Job was the most cunning animal in the barn yard.
    d. Duffy and Win were more cunninger than Miz Tizz.
     
32. Which of the following sentences is NOT correct?
    a. Job was less afraid of Weasel than all of the other animals.
    b. Nathan is the most fastest runner of all the boys.
    c. Molly was the sassiest one of the bunch.
    d. Ezra was braver than Weasel in fighting evil.
     
33. Challenging Activity
    Below are some situations that appeared in the book Weasel. Read each one and think about the best and worst description of each.  After each situation write a description. The word list below may help you.
    
     

    modern ugly tiny clean dull picturesque historical exciting noisy peaceful vast lively delicious unappetizing fantastic disgusting enormous scary terrifying friendly worry sick brave frightening

• seeing Ezra making blue biscuits and eating them
  best __most delicious tasting blue biscuits_     worst ___most disgusting looking biscuits__
• Nathan learning that Weasel was a real person

  best ________________________________   worst ________________________________  

• Molly and Nathan seeing their sick Pa in Ezra's wegiwa

  best ________________________________   worst ________________________________  

• Nathan being captures by Weasel

  best ________________________________   worst ________________________________  

• Learning about Daniel Boone

  best ________________________________   worst ________________________________  

• Going to the fiddle contest

  best ________________________________   worst ________________________________  

   

-----------Key-----------

1. more often
2. older
3. emptier
4. lousier
5. darker
6. more important
7. later
8. slower
9. more careful
10. more supportive

11. most graceful
12. ugliest
13. rarest
14. most reasonable
15. most successful
16. most gradual
17. most recent
18. hardest
19. most frequent
20. soonest

30. b
31. d
32. b
33. answers will vary.
     

Resource for Additional Practice

Worksheet Works http://www.worksheetworks.com/english/partsofspeech/adverbs/comparative-superlative.html