Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

by Miss Harries

​Comparative Adjectives

​A comparative adjective is used to compare one person, action, thing or state to another.

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​It adds the suffix -er to the original adjective.

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​e.g. bright - > brighter

Multiple Choice

What comparative adjective would you add to this sentence:

Your car is __________ than mine.

• big

• biggest

• bigger

• biggerest

Multiple Choice

What comparative adjective would you add to this sentence:

The girl was running __________ than her dog.

• fastest

• fasterest

• fast

• faster

​Superlative Adjectives

​A superlative adjective is used to compare one person, action, thing or state to all others in the same group.

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​It adds the suffix -est to the original adjective.

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​e.g. bright - > brightest

Multiple Choice

What superlative adjective would you add to this sentence:

The butterfly was the __________ to fly away.

• quick

• quickest

• quicker

• quickerest

Multiple Choice

What superlative adjective would you add to this sentence:

The orange is the __________ of the fruits.

• juiciest

• juicy

• juicier

• juice

​Spelling Rules

​Most words can simply have the suffix –er and –est added to the end of them without having to make any changes to the root adjective.

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However, there are some words that you need to watch out for!

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Words that end in a ‘y’ These words need to have the ‘y’ changed into an ‘i’ before adding the suffix.

e.g. heavy → heavier tiny → tiniest

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Double consonants Words that end in one vowel and then one consonant need to have the last consonant doubled.

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e.g. flat → flatter

slim → slimmest

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Words that end in an ‘e’ Words that end in an ‘e’ need to have the ‘e’ removed before the suffix is ended.

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e.g. large → larger

fine → finest

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Fill in the Blank

Today was the _____ (hot) day of the year.

Fill in the Blank

The mouse was _____ (small)than the elephant.

Fill in the Blank

Her hair is _____ (long) than mine.

Fill in the Blank

They are the _____ (funny) people.