1. Comparatives & superlatives (Short adjectives)
Primary Longman Elect
4A Chapter 2
Comparatives & superlatives (Short adjectives)

2. Comparatives Comparison of a quality between two people or things
Mr Jolly
Mrs Bell
Mr Jolly is tall. He is taller than Mrs Bell.
Mrs Bell is short. She is shorter than Mr Jolly.

3. Comparatives: short adjectives
Short adjectives Spelling rules Examples
Usually
+ er
long  longer
short  shorter
small  smaller
large  larger
nice  nicer
Ending in -e
+ r
Ending in a consonant + y
heavy  heavier
happy  happier
funny  funnier
–y  -i + er
Ending in a vowel a consonant
double the consonant + er
big  bigger
fat  fatter
thin  thinner

4. Practice light lighter long longer old older short shorter small
smaller
young
younger

5. Practice large larger nice nicer funny funnier heavy heavier big
bigger
fat
fatter
thin
thinner

6. comparative (adjective + er)
Key structure
Comparatives are used in sentences with than.
Mary is
younger
than
Jane.
Mary’s ears
are
bigger
Jane’s.
verb
comparative (adjective + er)
than

7. Practice Joe’s tail is shorter than Bobby’s.
Bobby’s tail is longer than Joe’s.

8. Practice The cheetah is lighter than the tiger.
190 kg
cheetah
69 kg
The cheetah is lighter than the tiger.
The tiger is heavier than the cheetah.

9. Practice The pumpkin is larger than the tomato.
The tomato is smaller than the pumpkin.

10. Superlatives
Comparison of a quality among three or more people / things
Jill
9 years old
Timmy
5 years old
Sam
7 years old
Jill is the oldest.
Timmy is the youngest.

11. Superlatives: Short adjectives
Short adjectives Spelling rules Examples
+ est
Usually
slow  the slowest
fast  the fastest
tall  the tallest
Ending in -e
+ st
large  the largest
nice  the nicest
Ending in a consonant
+ y
–y  -i + est
hungry  the hungriest
happy  the happiest
funny  the funniest
Ending in a vowel
+ a consonant
double the consonant + est
big  the biggest
fat  the fattest
fit  the fittest

12. Practice light lighter lightest long longer longest old older oldest
short
shorter
shortest
small
smaller
smallest
young
younger
youngest

13. Practice large larger largest nice nicer nicest funny funnier funniest
heavy
heavier
heaviest
big
bigger
biggest
fat
fatter
fattest
thin
thinner
thinnest

14. comparative (adjective + er) superlative (adjective + est)
Key structure
Comparatives are used in sentences with than.
Mary is
younger
than
Jane.
Mary’s ears
are
bigger
Jane’s.
verb
comparative (adjective + er)
than
Always use the before superlatives.
Betty is
the youngest.
Her eyes
are
the biggest.
the
superlative (adjective + est)
noun

15. Practice Joe’s tail is long. Bobby’s tail is longer.
Mimi
Joe
Joe’s tail is long.
Bobby’s tail is longer.
Mimi’s tail is the longest.

16. Practice The cheetah is heavy. The tiger is heavier.
190 kg
cheetah
69 kg
lion
200 kg
The cheetah is heavy.
The tiger is heavier.
The lion is the heaviest.

17. Practice Tony is young. Danny is younger. Mark is the youngest. Mark
1 year old
Tony
8 years old
Danny
6 years old
Tony is young.
Danny is younger.
Mark is the youngest.

18. Practice The peach is small. The strawberry is smaller.
The cherry is the smallest.

19. Practice Henry is funny. May is funnier. Ben is the funniest. Ben May

20. Practice Harry is thin. John is thinner. Bill is the thinnest. Bill

21. The End