Degrees of Adjectives: Positive, Equative, Comparative and Superlative

Every time you say that one thing is taller, that another is the best, or that a third is as good as the rest, you are using the degrees of adjectives. They are among the most useful tools in English, because they let you compare people, places, objects and ideas.

This guide explains the degrees of adjectives (also called the degrees of comparison): the positive, the equative, the comparative and the superlative. It covers every formation rule, the spelling changes, irregular adjectives, the correct use of than, as … as and the, adjectives that cannot be compared, and common mistakes. At the end you will find a complete reference list of 240 adjectives with all four degrees in four columns.

It builds on Parts of Speech and Sentence Structure. Spelling in this guide follows British English.

1.What Are the Degrees of Adjectives?

An adjective describes a noun: a tall boy, a bright idea, an expensive watch. Most adjectives can change form, or take a helper word, to show how much of a quality something has compared with something else. These changes are called the degrees of comparison.

Traditional school grammar teaches three degrees: positive, comparative and superlative. Many modern grammars also describe the equative pattern (as tall as), which expresses equality. This guide shows the equative as a fourth degree so that you can see the whole system.

2.The Four Degrees at a Glance

A simple rule helps: use the comparative for two things and the superlative for three or more.

3.How the Degrees Are Formed

There are two ways to form the comparative and superlative: add -er / -est to the adjective, or put more / most before it. The choice depends mainly on the number of syllables.

4.Spelling Rules for -er and -est

Which two-syllable adjectives take -er and -est?

There is no perfect rule, but these groups usually take -er / -est: adjectives ending in -y (lazy, lazier), in -le (simple, simpler), in -ow (narrow, narrower), in -er (clever, cleverer) and some others such as quiet and common. Many two-syllable adjectives accept both forms (pleasanter or more pleasant). When in doubt, use more / most, which is never wrong for a two-syllable adjective in careful writing, or check a dictionary.

5.Irregular Adjectives

A small group of very common adjectives has comparative and superlative forms that do not follow the rules. The forms of good and bad come from different word roots in Old English, which is why better and worse look nothing like their positive forms. You simply have to learn them.

Words that are often confused

• Farther and further. Farther usually refers to physical distance (We walked farther than we planned). Further also means "more" or "additional" (further information, further education). In British English the two are often interchangeable for distance, but only further is used for the meaning "additional".
• Older and elder. Older is the normal comparative of old (an older building). Elder and eldest are used mainly for family members, usually before a noun (my elder sister, the eldest son), and elder is not used with than.
• Later and latter; latest and last. Later and latest refer to time (the latest news). Latter means the second of two things named (Of tea and coffee, I prefer the latter). Last means final in a series.
• Less and fewer. Fewer goes with countable nouns (fewer mistakes) and less with uncountable nouns (less water) in careful writing.
• Little. Little meaning "small" is regular (littler, littlest), but little meaning "not much" is irregular (less, least).

6.The Positive and the Equative: as … as

The positive degree is the plain form of the adjective, used when you describe something without comparing it: a calm sea, a difficult question. The equative compares two things that are equal in some quality.

• Affirmative: as + adjective + as. This room is as large as that one.
• Negative: not as … as or not so … as. This room is not as large as that one. The form with so is slightly more formal.
• With modifiers: just as clever as, nearly as old as, almost as heavy as, twice as long as, half as expensive as.
• Pronoun after as: She is as tall as I am (formal) or as tall as me (informal, very common).
• Same words: the same height as and equal to express similar ideas, but they are not adjective degrees.

7.Using the Comparative

• Use than to introduce what you compare with: Her results are better than mine.
• Compare like with like. Write The climate of Murree is cooler than that of Lahore, not …cooler than Lahore, which compares a climate with a city.
• Use modifiers to show the size of the difference: much taller, far better, a lot cheaper, slightly warmer, a little less, even worse, still harder. Do not use very with a comparative (very taller is wrong).
• The double comparative shows that two things change together: The more you practise, the better you become.
• Repeated comparatives show steady change: The weather is getting colder and colder. Prices are becoming more and more unpredictable.
• Two things only. Traditionally, choose the comparative for two: She is the taller of the two sisters.

8.Using the Superlative

• Use the before the superlative: the longest river, the most reliable method.
• Use in or of to show the group: the tallest girl in the class (a place or group), the best of all (a set of things).
• One of the takes a plural noun: one of the oldest universities in the world.
• Add by far or easily for emphasis: by far the largest city, easily the best answer.
• Possessive instead of the: my best friend, her youngest brother.
• With ever: a present perfect often follows: It is the most interesting book I have ever read.
• Without the when the adjective is not compared with others: The lake is deepest at this point.

9.Less and Least: Comparing Downward

The -er / -est and more / most patterns show a higher degree. To show a lower degree, use less and least, which work with adjectives of any length: This route is less dangerous than the main road. It was the least expensive option. For one-syllable adjectives, speakers usually prefer the opposite adjective (shorter instead of less tall).

10.Adjectives That Cannot Be Compared

Some adjectives describe an absolute quality: something either has it or does not. Such adjectives are called non-gradable or absolute, and careful writers usually avoid giving them comparative or superlative forms.

In practice, everyday English sometimes breaks this rule, and a famous example is the phrase "a more perfect Union" in the opening of the United States Constitution. In formal writing and examinations, however, it is safer to follow the traditional rule.

11.Compound Adjectives and Adverbs

Compound adjectives. If the first part is an adjective or adverb that can change, change that part: good-looking, better-looking, best-looking; well-known, better known, best known. When the compound contains a noun or verb, use more / most: hard-working, more hard-working, most hard-working.

Adverbs also have degrees. Short adverbs follow the adjective pattern (fast, faster, fastest; early, earlier, earliest; hard, harder, hardest). Adverbs ending in -ly use more / most (quickly, more quickly, most quickly). Well and badly are irregular (well, better, best; badly, worse, worst).

12.Common Mistakes with Degrees of Adjectives

It is worth knowing that double forms were once acceptable. Shakespeare wrote "the most unkindest cut of all" in Julius Caesar, but modern standard English avoids them.

13.Complete Reference Lists: All Degrees in Four Columns

Use these lists to check the correct forms. The superlative is normally used with the (the tallest, the most beautiful), which is left out of the tables to keep them tidy. Where two forms are correct, both are shown.

List 1: One-syllable adjectives (add -er / -est)

List 2: Adjectives ending in -e (add -r / -st)

List 3: Adjectives ending in consonant + y (y changes to i)

List 4: Adjectives that double the final consonant

List 5: Two-syllable adjectives that accept both forms

List 6: Longer adjectives (more / most)

List 7: Irregular adjectives