Tips on Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs

Hopefully, this tip will help you avoid errors when you are using adjectives and adverbs to compare things.

We frequently use adjectives and adverbs to compare two or more things in our writing. When two things are being compared, use the comparative degree. When more than two things are being compared, use the superlative degree.

Some words use er and est to form the comparative and superlative degree.

Some words add the words more and most.
Negative comparisons use the words less and least.

Positive Degree      Comparative Degree       Superlative Degree

cheap                          cheaper                               cheapest

recent                         more recent                         most recent

expensive                   less expensive                      least expensive

The important thing is never to use both of these comparison words at the same time. In other words, do not use: er and more together; or est and most together.

Correct:  The older of my two sons is the one you met yesterday.
Incorrect:  The more older of my two sons is the one you met yesterday.

Correct:  The healthier you are, the better you look.
Incorrect:  The more healthier you are, the better you look.

If you are not sure of the correct spelling when writing a comparison structure, use a dictionary or look up the word online.

In my next post, I will discuss adjectives that are absolute and cannot be compared. 

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If your students need more help with modifiers, you will find it here.

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