Collins Cobuild English Grammar (188 page)

Forming comparative and superlative adjectives

R20
    Information on how to use the
comparatives
and
superlatives
of adjectives is given in
Chapter 2
(
2.103
to
2.122
).

R21
    The comparative of an adjective is formed either by adding
er
to the end of the normal form of the adjective, or by putting
more
in front of it. The superlative is formed by adding
est
to the end of the adjective, or by putting
most
in front of it.

The choice between adding
er
and
est
or using
more
and
most
usually depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.

Superlatives are usually preceded by
the
.

R22
    With one-syllable adjectives, you usually add
er
and
est
to the end of the normal form of the adjective.

tall		taller		the tallest
quick		quicker		the quickest

Here is a list of common one-syllable adjectives that form their comparatives and superlatives usually, or always, by adding
er
and
est
:

big

bright

broad

cheap

clean

clear

close

cold

cool

cross

dark

deep

dry

dull

fair

fast

fat

fine

firm

flat

fresh

full

great

hard

high

hot

large

late

light

long

loose

loud

low

new

nice

old

pale

plain

poor

proud

quick

rare

rich

rough

sad

safe

sharp

short

sick

slow

small

soft

strong

sweet

tall

thick

thin

tight

tough

warm

weak

wet

wide

wild

young

Note that when
er
and
est
are added to some adjectives, a spelling change needs to be made.

The patterns of spelling change in forming comparatives and superlatives from adjectives are explained in paragraph
R27
.

R23
    You usually add
er
and
est
to two-syllable adjectives ending in
y
, such as
funny
,
dirty
, and
silly
.

happy		happier		the happiest
easy		easier		the easiest

Note that there is a spelling change here, which is explained in paragraph
R27
.

Some other two-syllable adjectives, not ending in
y
, also have comparatives and superlatives that are usually formed with
er
and
est
.

Here is a list of common two-syllable adjectives whose comparatives and superlatives are usually formed like this:

busy