Comparatives and superlatives
Comparing things
- Use comparatives to compare two things.
- Use superlatives for the "most" in a group of three or more.
- taller than … · the tallest
Comparatives: -er / more … than
- Short adjectives: -er → tall → taller, big → bigger.
- Long adjectives: more … → more expensive.
- Add than to compare: My bag is bigger than yours.
- Irregular: good → better, bad → worse.
Comparative: -er or more?
Short adjectives add -er; longer adjectives use 'more'.
Choose the comparative: This bag is ___ than that one.
Short adjective → add -er (and double the g): big → bigger.
Translate into English: 我的包比你的大。
Comparing two bags → comparative + than: “My bag is bigger than yours.”
Superlatives: the -est / the most
- Short: the + -est → the tallest.
- Long: the most … → the most beautiful.
- Don't forget the: He is the tallest in the class.
- Irregular: good → the best, bad → the worst.
Complete the superlative: It is ___ film of the year. (good)
“good” is irregular: the best. Don't forget “the”.
as … as
- as + adjective + as = "the same as".
- She is as tall as her mother.
- Negative not as … as = "less than": Today isn't as hot as yesterday.
- Keep the adjective in its base form, not the comparative.
Complete: She is as ___ as her sister.
Between as ... as, use the base adjective: “as tall as”.
Common mistakes
- ❌ It is more cheap. → ✓ It is cheaper. — short adjectives take -er.
- ❌ He is taller than me a lot. → ✓ He is much taller than me. — much goes before.
- ❌ bigger than your → ✓ bigger than yours.
Match the adjective to its comparative.
good / bad are irregular; happy → happier (y → i); long adjectives take more.
Complete: This film is ___ interesting than that one.
interesting is a long adjective → more interesting.
- Comparative (two things): -er / more … than.
- Superlative (three or more): the -est / the most.
- as … as = the same; use the base adjective.
Compare two things (two cities, two foods, two people…). Write one sentence with a comparative and “than”.
Example: “Shanghai is bigger than my hometown.”