Comparative or Comparison. Comparative degree in English

Grammatical constructions for comparative / Grammatical construction for the comparative

There are three forms for comparative in English: Positive, Comparative and Superlative. We use comparative adjectives and adverbs to compare people or things, and the superlative adjectives and adverbs to show that one person or a thing has more quality than the others of the group or from another group. / There are three forms of comparative in English: positive, comparative and superlative. We use comparative adjectives and adverbs to compare people or things and the superlative to show that one person or thing has more qualities than another in the same group or in another group.

positive / Affirmative (Equality)

In Portuguese the structure to form the positive comparison includes: 'as...as', 'the same as' and 'like'. / In English the structure to form the comparison of equality includes: 'as...as', 'as much...as', 'as...as', 'the same...as' and 'as'.

When we want to say that people or things are similar in some way we use 'as...as': as + adjective or adverb + as + noun phrase clause. /

When we want to say that a person or thing is similar to something we use 'so... como': as + adjective or adverb + as + noun or pronoun/rest of the sentence.

you're at good at your brother at soccer. / You're as good as her brother at soccer.
she she is at bad at me at Math. / She's just as bad at math as I am.

You can make a negative comparison using 'not as...as', like in the examples: / You can make a negative comparison using 'not as much...as', as in the examples:

this season is grades good at the last one. / This season is not as good as the last.
​this dress was grades pretty at it appears to be. / This dress is not as beautiful as it looked.

We also use the comparative to talk about people and thing that has even less or more qualities than the other group or thing, like in the following examples: / We can also use the comparative to talk about people or things that have lesser qualities than others from another group or the same, as in the following examples:

She's less capable than he. / She is less capable than he is.

they have got fewer books than me. / They have fewer books than I do.

You're less tall then he. / You are smaller than him.

Comparative Inferiority / inferiority comparison

We use it to show people or things weakness. / Uwe are to show some weaknesses of people or things.

Strucnature:less + adjective/adverb + than. / Structure: minus + adjective/adverb + that.

Example: I have less cell phone cases than you. / I have fewer cell phone cases than you.

Comparative and Superlative with -er, -est / Comparative and Superlative with -er, -est (suffixes used to define the degree of comparison in the English language).

You add -er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form. If the word ends with -e you add -r or -st. / You add -er for the comparative form and -est for the superlative form. If the word ends in -e you add -r or -st.

Cheap – Cheaper– Cheapest / cheap - cheapest - cheapest (very cheap)

Late - Later – Latest / later - later - later still (super late)

There are right ways to use the comparative form with adjectives, we use – er/ est with the following adjectives: / There are correct ways to use comparative adjectives, we use -er, -est with the following adjectives:

1- One syllable adjectives / Adjectives that do not separate syllables

positive	comparative	superlative
close	Closer	(The) Closis
Large	widther	(The) widthis
nice	Nicer	(The) Nicis

Affirmative: close, wide, cool
Comparison: closer, wider, cooler
Superlative: the closest, the widest, the coolest

2- two syllables adjectives / Adjectives that separate syllables

We use some adjectives as a group to describe a thing when that group have a single idea and cam before the noun, in this case, they are put together (connected by hyphens or no) to make their meaning clear. The comparative form will depend on the adjectives ends, so let's check which is the correct form for each ending: / We use some adjectives as a group to describe something when that group has the same idea and comes before a noun, in this case, this group of words, in English, becomes just an adjective (linked or not by a hyphen) to make it clear its meaning.

The) Ending in - y: / Ended in -y:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending in a consonant and -y, you change the -y to -i and add -er and -est. Non-monosyllable adjectives/adverbs ending with a consonant and -y change -y to -i and add -er and -est.

positive	comparative	superlative
Heavy	Heavier	(The) Heaviis
Lucky	Luckier	(The) Luckiis
lovely	lovelier	(The) loveliis
busy	busier	(The) busiare you

Affirmative: heavy, lucky, lovely, busy
Comparison: heavier, luckier, kinder, busier
Superlative: heaviest, luckiest, kindest, busiest

B) Ending in - er: / Finished in -er:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending with – er you add -er and est. / When ending in -er add -er and -est.

positive	comparative	superlative
Clever	Cleverer	(The) Cleveris

Affirmative: Clever
Comparative: Smarter
Superlative: The smartest

ç) Ending in - le: / Finished in -le:

With two syllables adjectives and adverbs ending in -le you add -r and -st. / When ending in -le add -r and -st.

positive	comparative	superlative
Yes Pread	simpler	(The) simplest

Affirmative: Simple
Comparative: Simpler
Superlative: The simplest

3- Using comparative form in short adjectives: / Using the comparative form in short adjectives:

When the adjective is short you have to double the consonant after short vowel, and although has a consonant before – y, here – y is not changed to -i. / When adjectives are short and end in a consonant vowel, the last consonant is doubled and even if it has a consonant before the letter -y, in this case -y does not change to -i.

positive	comparative	superlative
Big	Bigger	(The) Biggandst
sThed	Sadder	(The) Saddis
Shy	Shyer	(The) Shyis

Affirmative: big, sad, shy
Comparative: Bigger, Sadder, Shier
Superlative: The biggest, The saddest, The shyest

4- The use of 'more' and 'most': / *The use of 'more' and 'more':

We use 'more'' for the comparative and 'most' for the superlative of most two-syllable adjectives. / We use 'more' more in the comparative and 'most' more in the superlative for adjectives with more than one syllable.

positive	comparative	superlative
Brilliant	More brilliant	(The) Most Brilliant
Comfortable	More Comfortable	(The) Most comfortable
Powerful	More Powerful	(The) Most powerful
stupendous	More stupendous	(The) Most stupndous

Affirmative: Bright, Comfortable, Powerbone, stupendous
Comparative: Brightest, Most Comfortable, Most Powerful, Most Stupendous Superlative: Brightest, Most Comfortable, Most Powerful, Most Stupendous

5- Add irregular adjectives: / Some irregular adjectives:

Add adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. / Some adjectives and adverbs have an irregular shape when used in comparative and superlative.

positive	comparative	superlative
good / well	better	(The) best
Bad / Badly	Worse	(The) Worse
far	Farther / Further	(The) Farthest / Furthest
old	Elder / Elder	(The) Oldest / Oldest

Affirmative: good, bad, far, old
Comparative: Better, Worse, Far, Older
Superlative: The best, The worst, The farthest, The oldest.

*In Portuguese the translation for 'more' and 'most' is the same: more. However, in English 'more' is used for comparisons: I am kinder than you! I am more amiable than you. While 'most' is used in the superlative, to refer to something that is unique, the more, the best: This is the kindest person in the world. / This is the most friendly person in the world.

By Janaína Mourão
Graduated in Letters - English