Comparisons

Hello, everyone!
Although comparisons are odious, they are helpful to make the picture when someone is explaining something to you.
You’ve been studying comparisons for years now but, this year, we are going to pay attention to  modifiers which highlight how big the difference is.

So far, you all knew:

1. We use comparatives to compare two things.

My house is smaller than my friend’s house.

2. We use superlatives to compare one thing with the rest of the group it belongs to.

This is the most expensive hotel I’ve ever stayed in.

How are they formed? Easy peasy…


1. One syllable adjectives: cheap. comparative: add –er (cheaper) –   superlative: add –est (the cheapest)

2. One syllable adjectives ending in ‘e’: nice. comparative: add –r (nicer) –  superlative: add –st (the nicest)

3. One syllable adjectives ending in consonant – vowel – consonant: hot. comparative: add consonant + er (hotter) — Superlative: add consonant + est (the hottest)

4. Two syllable adjectives ending in ‘y’: happy. Comparative: replace y with –ier (happier) –  Superlative: replace y with –iest (the happiest)

5. Two or more syllable adjectives: beautiful. Comparative: add more / less (more / less beautiful) –  Superlative: add the most / the least (the most / least beautiful)

6. Irregular adjectives are good – better – the best /bad – worse – the worst /far – further – the furthest /old-elder-the eldest (for people)

The new information you need to bear in mind is:

1. We do not use the with the superlative if there is a possessive –  His strongest point is his ambition.
2. We use as + adjective + as to say that two things are equal in some way — He’s as tall as me.
3. We use not as/ so to say that two things are not equal in some way — He’s not as tall as me.
4. We can modify comparatives with much, a lot, far, a great deal, a little, a bit, slightly, not any, no, considerably.

This car is a great deal cheaper than the other
This house is slightly bigger.

Bob is much richer than I am.
My mother’s hair is slightly longer than mine.

5. We can modify superlatives with by far, easily and nearly.

Mario’s is by far the best restaurant in town.
I’m nearly the oldest in the class.

6. We can modify equal comparisons with nowhere near as, not nearly as, not quite as.

This car is nowhere near as cheap as the other
His son wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as mine.

7. If the second part of a comparative or superlative sentence is clear from what comes before or from the context, we can omit it.

Going by bus is very fast, but the train is more comfortable.

8. We can repeat comparatives to say that something is continuously changing.

These exams are getting worse and worse every year.
She gets more and more beautiful every time I see her.

9. We can use the + comparatives, the + comparative  to say that one thing depends on the other.

The sooner, the better.
The more I learn about English, the more interested I become.

What about having some practice? Try these rewrites about comparisons. 

See you!
Teacher Jô