Comparing Items
(“Comparatives & Superlatives” for Adjectives)
“Comparative” = the adjective form used when comparing just two (2) people/things (“taller”)
“Superlative” = the adjective form used when comparing more than two (2+) people/things (“tallest”)
When deciding which form of an adjective to use when you’re comparing two things or people
together or more than two things or people together, ask yourself two questions:
1. How many syllables are in my comparing word?
2. How many things or people am I comparing?
One syllable word = add “er” (two people or things) or “est” (more than two people or things)
Example: tall = taller (two people) ; tallest (more than two people)
More than one syllable in word = use “more” (two people or things) plus the word or “most” (more
than two people or things) plus the word
Example: energetic = more energetic (two); most energetic (more than
two)
NEVER USE BOTH STYLES AT THE SAME TIME!!!
Example: big = more bigger (two); most biggest (more than two)
These are WRONG…no, no, no, no, no, no!!
NOTE: If you have a word that ends in the letter “y”, if the rule calls for adding an “er” or an “est”,
then you MUST change the “y” to an “i” and then add the ending of either “er” or “est”. Even
though lots of “y”-ending words sound like two syllables or more, many of these words use the
“er”/”est” style (following the “one-syllable rule form”).
Ex: “happy” = “happier” and “happiest”
“lucky = “luckier” and “luckiest”
Other notable exceptions:
“fun” = “more fun” & “most fun”
“bad” = “worse” & “worst”
“good” = “better” & “best”
*** Another notable exception ***
When the wording “one of the…” or “one of my…” is used in front of an adjective for a comparison,
use the “comparative” (two people or objects) form of the word.
Ex.: “Mr. Moffatt is one of the weirder teachers in our school,” said Mason.
Ex.: “Softball is one of the better sports to play!” yelled Monica.
In this case, you have to assume (that even though there are more than two teachers and sports,
respectively, you are actually making a comparison of one teacher to just another at a time, and the
same for softball to another sport at a time. We as speakers are not used to saying it correctly,
however.