Comparison of Adjectives
Adjectives (and adverbs) come in three forms: positive, comparative, and superlative.
The positive is the basic form. The comparative, as the name implies, shows a greater or lesser degree. The superlative shows the greatest or least degree. Here are some examples:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| blue | bluer | bluest |
| funny | funnier | funniest |
| remarkable | more/less remarkable | most/least remarkable |
Clearly not all adjectives follow the same pattern. That’s why it’s helpful to know the basic rules.
1. If an adjective consists of a single syllable, add -er for the comparative and –est for the superlative.
2. If an adjective has three or more syllables, add most or least.
3. If an adjective has two syllables, you’ll have to choose between adding -er/-est and most/least. It depends on what sounds better:
Zealous, more zealous, most zealous.
Tiny, tinier, tiniest
If you’re not sure which form to use, consult a dictionary.
Let’s finish with a few exceptions and additional rules.
Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives don’t follow the normal rules for showing comparison. These are considered irregular adjectives:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| bad | worse | worst |
| good | better | best |
| little | less | least |
| much/many/some | more | most |
| far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
Adjectives Without a Comparative Form
Other adjectives simply don’t have a comparative form. These words describe an absolute condition, in which case comparison does not work:
final
impossible
perfect
unique
whole
…
It would be illogical to say that something is the most perfect or more unique since perfection and uniqueness do not allow for degrees of comparison.
Using the Comparative and Superlative
Grammar books will tell you that the comparative is used to compare two things, whereas the superlative is meant for three or more things:
Your grandmother is older than mine.
Which is the longest of the six Oksa Pollock books?
This is a somewhat tricky rule. Take the following example:
Her huskies are more resilient than his.
There are likely more than two huskies involved, but we still use the comparative. One way to make sense of this is to consider that a “thing” (e.g., huskies) might be plural. In other words, we are still comparing just two things (her huskies and his huskies).
Another approach is to understand what is really at issue with this rule. The main thing to watch out for is that you don’t use the superlative to compare two things:
Incorrect: Of these two brands of coffee, which do you like best?
Instead, use the comparative form (better).