48. Making Comparisons (Comparative and Superlative)

Lesson 48: Making Comparisons (Comparative and Superlative)

Welcome to Lesson 48 of our Basic English A1 course. In this lesson, we will explore how to make comparisons using comparative and superlative forms. This is an essential part of English grammar that helps us describe differences and similarities between people, places, things, or ideas. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs in your sentences.

Understanding Comparatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things. When we want to say that something has more or less of a quality than another thing, we use the comparative form of adjectives or adverbs. For most one-syllable adjectives, we form the comparative by adding -er to the end of the adjective.

• Fast becomes faster: "A car is faster than a bicycle."
• Tall becomes taller: "Tom is taller than Jerry."

For adjectives with two syllables that end in -y, we change the -y to -i and add -er.

• Happy becomes happier: "She is happier today than yesterday."
• Busy becomes busier: "This week is busier than last week."

For adjectives with two or more syllables (not ending in -y), we use the word more before the adjective.

• Beautiful becomes more beautiful: "The painting is more beautiful than the photograph."
• Interesting becomes more interesting: "This book is more interesting than that one."

Irregular Comparatives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms. These do not follow the standard rules and must be memorized.

• Good becomes better: "This restaurant is better than the other one."
• Bad becomes worse: "This weather is worse than yesterday."
• Far becomes farther/further: "His house is farther than mine."

Understanding Superlatives

Superlatives are used to describe the extreme quality of something in a group of three or more. To form the superlative for most one-syllable adjectives, we add -est to the end of the adjective.

• Fast becomes fastest: "He is the fastest runner in the team."
• Tall becomes tallest: "She is the tallest in her class."

For adjectives with two syllables ending in -y, we change the -y to -i and add -est.

• Happy becomes happiest: "This is the happiest day of my life."
• Busy becomes busiest: "December is the busiest month for shopping."

For adjectives with two or more syllables (not ending in -y), we use the word most before the adjective.

• Beautiful becomes most beautiful: "She is the most beautiful woman at the party."
• Interesting becomes most interesting: "This is the most interesting story I've ever heard."

Irregular Superlatives

Just like comparatives, some adjectives have irregular superlative forms.

• Good becomes best: "This is the best cake I've ever tasted."
• Bad becomes worst: "This is the worst movie I've seen."
• Far becomes farthest/furthest: "This is the farthest I've traveled."

Making Comparisons with Adverbs

We can also make comparisons using adverbs. The rules are similar to those for adjectives. For most one-syllable adverbs, add -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative.

• Fast becomes faster: "She runs faster than her brother."
• Hard becomes hardest: "He works hardest of all the employees."

For adverbs ending in -ly, use more for the comparative and most for the superlative.

• Carefully becomes more carefully: "She paints more carefully than her friend."
• Quickly becomes most quickly: "He finished the test most quickly of all students."

Practice Exercises

Now that you understand the rules for forming comparatives and superlatives, let's practice with some exercises. Try to form the correct comparative and superlative forms for the following adjectives and adverbs:

1. High
2. Friendly
3. Expensive
4. Little
5. Quietly

Answers:

1. Higher, Highest
2. Friendlier, Friendliest
3. More expensive, Most expensive
4. Less, Least
5. More quietly, Most quietly

Conclusion

Comparatives and superlatives are fundamental in describing and comparing the world around us. By mastering these forms, you can express differences and similarities more precisely. Remember to pay attention to the number of syllables in adjectives and adverbs, as this will guide you in forming the correct comparative and superlative forms. Practice regularly, and soon you will be using comparatives and superlatives with ease!

Thank you for joining this lesson on making comparisons. Keep practicing, and see you in the next lesson!

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