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Comparative and superlative forms of adjectives...

I) COMPARATIVES: It's necessary to distinguish short adjectives and long ones: 

Adjectives qualifying nouns are often used in the comparative and in the superlative forms, when it comes to comparing qualities attributed to nouns. 

-  Short adjectives: they have only one syllable (old- fat) and adjectives formed of two syllables ending with -y  (happy - lazy);

-  Long adjectives: all others. 

1) EQUALITY / INEQUALITY:

 To express the idea that an object or a person is "comparable to" ( Comparative of  equality),  "as + adjective + as..." is used, or on the contrary, "... not comparable to..." (Comparative of inequality)"... not as/ so + adjective + as... "

·          -  Connie is as old as her husband, but she isn't so tall as he is...

     2) COMPARATIVES:  when comparing two unequal elements, you must use: 

 a) The Comparative of Superiority, depending on the length of the adjectives: 

 - Short adjectives: ( see definition above) use the pattern: ... short adjective+ ER+ THAN...

 - Derek Pierce is older than Julian. 

 - Long adjectives  ... MORE + long adjective + THAN...

 - David Pierce's car is more expensive than Connie's. 

b) The Comparative of Inferiority: "... LESS + adjective + THAN..." This pattern must be used with both long and short adjectives. 

 BEWARE!  When using an adjective ending with -y, the vowel must be turned into an -i : happy => happier=> the happiest. 

II) SUPERLATIVES: express a quality at a very high, or at its highest degree.( He's very tall! ; David is the taller of the Pierce parents! *- here, the comparison is between two people=> the comparative form must be used) 

* BEWARE! When the superlative form is used to compare only two elements, you MUST use a comparative form. 

- Look at the twins! The taller is definitely also the more attractive one! =

- Superlative of superiority: for short adjectives= THE + short adjective + -EST+ noun/ / THE MOST+ long adjective + noun... (the smallest car, the tallest boy... the most interesting lecture. )

- Superlative of inferiority: the least + adjective (short or long)...

The superlative of inferiority is less used than that of superiority. Simply choose the opposite adjective: 

- the least poor man => the richest man.../ the very rich man...

 If the adjective ends with this pattern: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant, then, the final consonant is doubled (fat => fatter)   

III)  EXCEPTIONS: only 3 adjectives have irregular comparatives and superlatives. 

Here you are, with all the comparatives in hands!   You'll easily show that you are THE BEST!  

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