Describe nouns (person, place, thing or ideas.)

Usually comes before a noun. Answers the questions:How many?What kind?Which one?How much?

She’s Kind

It’s Loyal

He’s Clever

It’s Patient

He’s Generous

He’s Helpful

He’ s Funny

He’s Shy

She’s Strict

Only Qualifying adjectives may be compared.The comparison is performed for:

A. InferiorityB. EqualityC. Superiority

The points A and C above take three "Degrees of Comparison", as follows:

POSITIVE SUPERLATIVE COMPARATIVE

POSITIVE

no comparison is performed

Example:The tall man went into the restaurant.The word tall is an adjective. It describes the noun, man.

It is very common to use adjectives with nouns.Adjectives are used to describe the noun.

COMPARATIVE simple comparison

What are comparative adjectives?•Comparative adjectives are used to clarify the difference between 2 objects/nouns.•Comparative adjectives are used to compare 2 nouns.To state that one noun has more of something then the 2nd noun.•Add “-er” to the ending of the adjective OR add “more” before the beginning of the adjective.

Examples:The black dog is older than the white dog.My house is bigger than my sister's house.The yellow hat is more expensive than the green hat.

SUPERLATIVE

Relative Absolute

qualities related to others qualities of all

•Add “-est” to the ending of the adjective or “most” to the beginning of the adjective.

Examples:The summer is the hottest time of the year. Your family is the nicest that I have ever met.

A - Comparison with -er/-est

How to Use Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives

We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:1- adjectives with one syllable

cleanestcleanerclean

newestnewernew

cheapestcheapercheap

2- adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:

OR adjectives with two syllables, ending in -y

dirtiestdirtierdirty

easiesteasiereasy

happiesthappierhappy

prettiestprettierpretty

OR adjectives with two syllables, ending in –er

cleverestclevererclever

OR adjectives with two syllables, ending in -le

simplestsimplersimple

OR adjectives with two syllables, ending in -ow

narrowestnarrowernarrow

• Comparison with more/less – most/least

•difficult- most/least difficult•honest – most/least honest•modern – most/least modern

•expensive – most/leastexpensive•comfortable – most/least comfortable

•difficult- more/less difficult•honest – more/less honest•modern – more/less modern

•expensive – more/lessexpensive•comfortable - more /lesscomfortable

"more/less - most/least"is used for words that :•have 2 syllables, if the word doesn't end in -y.

*have 3 or more syllables

C -Irregular adjectives

bestbettergood

worstworsebad

uncountable nounsmostmoremuch

countable nounsmostmoremany

leastlesslittle

smallestsmallerlittle

D - Special adjectivesSome adjectives have two possible forms of comparison.

commonest / most commoncommoner / more commoncommon

likeliest / most likelylikelier / more likelylikely

pleasantest / most pleasantpleasanter / more pleasantpleasant

politest / most politepoliter / more politepolite

simplest / most simplesimpler / more simplesimple

stupidest / most stupidstupider / more stupidstupid

subtlestsubtler / more subtlesubtle

surest / most suresurer / more suresure

Difference in meaning with adjectives:

distancefarthestfartherfar distance or

timefurthestfurther

latestlater

late xlatter

lastx

people and thingsoldestolderold

people (family(eldestelder

distancenearestnearernear

ordernextx

Prepared by: Samah EidReferences :http://www.englisch-hilfen.dehttp://www.corollarytheorems.com/Grammarhttp://www.english-the-easy-way.com/Adjectives/Adjectives_Page.htm