Comparatives and Superlatives (Los comparativos y superlativos)

Adjectives describe nouns qualities. Some of these qualities may vary in the degree or intensity. Just as in Spanish, when we make comparisons contrasted qualities or attributes using adjectives in their varying degrees.

Grades of adjetives (Grados de adjetivos)

The adjectives that can vary in the degree or intensity have comparative and superlative forms. In the next section, there are rules on how to form these comparative and superlative forms. There are three degrees of comparison for adjectives in English, the positive, comparative and superlative.

The positive degree: The quality in the simplest degree.

fast (rápido),  hard (duro),  smart (listo),  pretty (bonito), clean (limpio),
large (grande),  small (pequeño),  old (viejo), easy (fácil)

 

Examples:
Juan runs fast. (Juan corre rápido.)
Angela’s room is clean. (La habitación de Angela está limpia.)
I am tall. (Soy alto.)
New York is big. (Nueva York es grande.)

The comparative degree: When making comparisons, we highlight the superiority, inferiority or equal quality of either. The structure of each of these degrees of comparison is different.

 

1. Comparative superiority: In comparisons of superiority, the adjective, the comparative form is, is followed by "than".

Example:
Juan runs faster than Mark. (Juan corre más rápido que Mark.)
Angela’s room is cleaner than Sue’s. (La habitación de Angela está más limpia que la de Sue.)
I am taller than Beth. (Soy más alto que Beth.)
New York is bigger than Los Angeles. (Nueva York es más grande que Los Angeles.)

 

2. Comparative of inferiority: To form this type of comparison can use the conjunctions "not as ... as" or "less than ...". In both cases, the adjective is positive rating.

Example:
Mark is not as fast as Juan. (Mark no corre tan rápido como Juan.)
Sue’s room is less clean than Angela’s. (La habitación de Sue no es tan limpia como la de Angela.)
Beth is not as tall as me. (Beth no es tan alta como yo.)
Los Angeles is less big than New York. (Los Angeles no es tan grande como Nueva York.)

 

3. Comparative equal: With the adjective in the positive degree, we use the word "as ... as" to make equality comparisons.

Example:
Mark is as fast as Juan. (Mark corre tan rápido como Juan.)
Sue’s room is as clean as Angela’s. (La habitación de Sue es tan limpia como la de Angela.)
Beth is as tall as I am. (Beth es tan alta como yo.)
Los Angeles is as big as New York. (Los Angeles es tan grande como Nueva York.)

Nota: Podemos modificar un comparativo con un cuantificador (much, a lot, a little, slightly…).

Example:
Juan is a lot faster than Mark. (Juan corre mucho más rápido que Mark.)
I am a little taller than Beth. (Soy un poco más alta que Beth.)

The superlative: In superlative degree denotes the quality at the highest level and as in Spanish, "the" before the adjective used in the superlative form.

Example:
Juan is the fastest . (Juan es el más rápido.)
Angela’s room is the cleanest. (La habitación de Angela es la más limpia.)
I am the tallest. (Soy el más alto.)
New York is the biggest city in the United States. (Nueva York es la ciudad más grande de los Estados Unidos.)

Nota: Si el adjetivo es posesivo, no se usa “the”. Además no se usa “the” si comparamos algo con sí mismo.

Example:
His smartest student is Lisa. (Su estudiante más lista es Lisa.)
New York is coldest in January. (Nueva York es más frío en enero.)

Form (Formas)
 

There are rules to form the comparative and superlative.

 

1. For one-syllable adjectives is added at the end "er" or "is" whether for comparative or superlative respectively. Also the superlatives always use the word "the" before the noun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. For one-syllable adjectives ending in "e" only the letters "r" or "st" for comparative and superlative is added respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. For one-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant + vowel + consonant is added another consonant before adding "er" or "est" for comparative and superlative respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. For the adjectives that have one syllable and end "w" or "y" "er" is added and "est" for comparative and superlative respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. For the adjectives that have two syllables and end in "y" is added "er" and "est" for comparative and superlative respectively. But the letter "and" should be replaced by "i".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. adjectives of two or more syllables the words "more" or "less" are used and "the most" or "the least" for comparative and superlative respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. And finally there are the adjectives with irregular shape to comparative and superlative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¡Read this! Text with comparatives and superlatives.

Richard is the unluckiest boy in the world.  He never falls ill but if he falls ill, it happens on Sunday or when his class goes on the most exciting school trip one can imagine.  He never gets extra money, but if his granny gives him some coins he loses them. His brother is more handsome than him. His trousers’ pockets have holes in them. He is a good student but when he writes an important class test, his pen runs out of ink. His sister is a better runner than him. If he has a date with a girl, his bus breaks down. His canary is the worst singing bird he has ever had. But when he proudly invites a schoolmate to listen to it, the canary becomes the most silent bird of all.

But Richard thinks he is very lucky. He thinks he is the luckiest boy of all. He has a wonderful mum and a wonderful dad, loving grandparents, an adorable little sister and a big brother, though he is taller than his brother. His desk mate is the funniest in the school and the girls in his class are the prettiest.  He has an affectionate doggie and a wonderfully singing canary (not always). His friend's canary is funnier than his but both are very playful. Richard is always happy because he has a great heart. He’s the most generous boy in town. One day his mother gave him some money to buy an ice cream. He didn’t put it into his pocket. When he arrived at the ice cream shop, he saw a homeless man outside it. He looked hungrier than any homeless near the corner and Richard thought he is the poorest man in the world. He has very old clothes and terrible sunglasses.

His appearance is worse than any man who hasn't taken a bath in years. Richard looked at the ice cream in the shop window and then looked at the man. He decided not to buy the ice cream and gives the money to the poor man. 

The man smiles and said “Thank you very much. You are more generous than my loved ones. But I’m not a poor man. On the contrary I’m the richest man in town and I sometimes wear old clothes to see what people do.

”The eccentric millionaire took Richard the biggest to shop in the area and said to him: “Choose the present you prefer. Even the most expensive one, if you want “

Richard asked:” Can I choose two, instead?” “Of course” answered the man.

Richard chose the newest stereo because next time, when his canary keeps silent, he will at least be able to listen to music with his friends. He then chose new sunglasses for the man. The poor man thanked Richard and they became good friends.