Unit 8.2
Irregular Comparative and Superlative
Introduction
Comparative are used to compare two things, people or actions while superlative express the superiority of one thing, person or action.
There are some adjectives and adverbs with irregular comparative and superlative.
Form
Irregular comparative and superlative do not follow the general formation rule, we have to learn them by heart. The most commonly used irregular comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs are:
| Adjectives | Adverbs | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| bad (adj.) | badly (adv.) | worse | the worst |
| good (adj.) | well (adv.) | better | the best |
| far | far | farther/further | the farthest/furthest |
| little | little | less | the least |
| much | much | more | the most |
Example
Comparative
- Susan is a better assistant than her sister.
- You have to go farther to get to the lawyer’s office.
- Peter is going to talk to him later about the house.
Superlative
- John is the best assistant in the office.
- This is the furthest point I’ve ever reached in the agency!
- They come to the garage the latest.
Use
We use irregular comparative and superlative in the same way as the regular ones.
Summary
With irregular adjectives/adverbs, the comparative and superlative forms cannot be created in the same way as the regular ones and they should be learned by heart.
The most commonly used are:
- Bad (adj.) – badly (adv.) ⇒ worse (comp.) – the worst (super.);
- Good (adj.) – well (adv.) ⇒ better (comp.) – the best (super.).
For example:
— Comparative: “You can write a good CV.” ⇒ “You can write a better CV.” / “You can write a gooder CV.“
— Superlative: “You can write a good CV.” ⇒ “You can write the best CV.” / “You can write the goodest CV.“
Let’s revise this content within the {Form} section. Take a look at the {Example} section that shows its use within a context.