Comparisons in English: Full Information with Easy Explanations and Examples

Making Comparisons with Adjectives

The most typical approach to kind comparisons in English is with adjectives. 

An adjective is a descriptive phrase that describes a noun (an individual, place, factor or concept).

Customary and Comparative Adjectives

Optimistic comparisons: [A] is [comparative adjective] than [B]

If one thing or somebody is completely different from one other factor or particular person, you possibly can evaluate them utilizing comparative adjectives adopted by the phrase “than”, like in these examples: 

The oak tree is taller than the maple tree.
My mom is nicer than my father.
Canines are extra pleasant than cats.
Pasta is more healthy than pizza.

Equal comparisons: A is as [adjective] as B

Generally two issues are related in a technique or one other. You possibly can categorical this with “as [adjective] as,” for instance:

America is as wealthy as Canada.
Canines are as pleasant as pigs.
Dinner is as essential as breakfast.

Keep in mind that if the 2 stuff you’re evaluating will not be precisely the identical, you possibly can point out the small distinction with phrases like “virtually,” “about” and “almost.” For instance: 

Rome is almost as lovely as Paris.
Tom is virtually as tall as Sonya.
The Volkswagen is about as quick as the Kia.

Damaging comparisons: A is much less [adjective] than B

If I wish to make a detrimental comparability, the essential rule could be very easy: Put “much less” earlier than the adjective:

Mexico is much less populated than Russia.
Russians are maybe much less optimistic than Mexicans.
Sheila is taller than John.
John is shorter than Sheila.

Learn how to kind comparative adjectives

If the adjective solely has one syllable, you possibly can simply add “-er” to make the comparative kind.

pink → pinker
lean → leaner
recent → recenter

If that adjective ends in “e” already, you possibly can simply add the “-r” like in these examples:

giant → giantr
pale → paler
white → whiter

If an adjective that ends with a consonant + vowel + consonant, you will need to double the ultimate consonant earlier than including the “-er.” For instance:

huge → hugeger
scorching → scorchingter
fats → fatster

If the adjective already ends in a double consonant, you possibly can simply add the “-er.” For instance: 

small → smaller

When the adjective has three or extra syllables, it’s a must to add “extra” in entrance of the adjective:

populated → extra populated
lovely → extra lovely
unimaginable → extra unimaginable

When you have got an adjective that ends in Y, it’s a must to change the Y to I after which add “-er:”

glad → happier
beautiful → lovelier
pleasant → friendlier

Irregular comparative adjectives

We’ve already mentioned the foundations for making comparative adjectives—however some adjectives are irregular, so that you simply have to recollect them.

There are three widespread irregular adjectives that don’t observe any rule in any respect, equivalent to:

good → higher
unhealthy → worse
far → farther (distance), e.g. “Anne’s ball landed farther than John’s.”
far → additional (time or idea), e.g. “Let’s talk about this additional.”

Superlative Adjectives

A superlative adjective is much like a comparative adjective, however we use superlative adjectives to point issues which can be probably the most excessive or which have the best diploma of an adjective.

pink → reddest
clear → clearest
costly → most costly
low-cost → low-costest

A is the [superlative adjective]

We use this kind to say that one thing is probably the most (or least) of one thing. It’s the adjective in its most excessive kind.

The seashore resort is the costliest.
The Porsche is the quickest.
My grandmother is the nicest particular person within the household.

Learn how to kind superlative adjectives

You’ll discover that the foundations for forming superlative adjectives are similar to the foundations for forming comparative adjectives. First, all superlative adjectives will start with “the.” Then:

If the adjective you’re utilizing has one syllable, add “-est” to the top (or simply “-st” if it already ends in “e”).

chilly  → the chillyest
large → the bigst

If the adjective ends with the letter “y,” change the “y” to “i” and add “-est.”

hungry → the hungriest

If the adjective has two or extra syllables, you may make it superlative by including “most” earlier than the adjective.

inventive → the most inventive
lovely → the most lovely

Exceptions and detrimental superlatives

The 2 greatest exceptions are additionally for the adjectives “good” and “unhealthy.” Listed below are their superlative varieties:

good → the greatest
unhealthy → the worst

Let’s have a look at an instance. Let’s say we took an examination, and I received an 88, you bought a 98 and Jenny scored a 78. This implies I can say:

You bought the most effective grade within the class on that examination. Jenny received the worst grade.

The opposite exception, “far,” turns into “the farthest” (or “the furthest”) in its superlative kind.

For detrimental superlatives, we put the phrase “the least” earlier than the adjective. 

It’s the least costly choice.
I’m the least drained of all of us.
My father is the least pleasant particular person within the household.

Making Comparisons with Adverbs

Adverbs are phrases that describe how or when issues occur. Just a few widespread examples are “shortly,” “slowly” and “fortunately.” Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives or different adverbs.

If I wish to evaluate how two issues occur, I can add the phrase “extra” or “much less” earlier than the adverb to make a comparability. For instance:

Mexico’s inhabitants is rising extra shortly than China’s.
China’s inhabitants is rising extra slowly than Mexico’s.

We may additionally use superlatives in instances like these, however they typically sound a bit complicated and unnatural.

Making Comparisons with Nouns

Comparisons with “extra” or “much less”

If you happen to’re speaking about two nouns, then you possibly can evaluate two portions with the phrases “extra,” “much less” or “fewer.”

“Extra” can work for issues which can be countable (like canines, pencils, {dollars} or bottles) and uncountable (equivalent to water, sugar, cash or milk). 

Wendy has extra money than Tim. 

It’s slightly extra difficult to make the detrimental comparability. If the stuff you wish to evaluate will not be countable, then you must use “much less”:

Tim has much less cash than Wendy.

But when the stuff you wish to evaluate are countable (like folks), then you must use “fewer”:

Mexico has fewer folks than Russia.
I’ve fewer books than my library.

Lastly, we are able to additionally use superlatives on this case, however we typically have to incorporate extra data or already perceive it from the context.

Victoria has probably the most cash.
Victoria makes probably the most cash out of all of the dancers within the state.

I hope you’re now smarter than if you began studying this text.

Utilizing the above data, you must be capable of evaluate most issues in lots of conditions. Keep in mind that these are the essential guidelines for utilizing comparatives and superlatives in English, however you possibly can all the time discover extra difficult examples and extra exceptions.