Skip to main content

Understanding comparative and superlative adverbs.

 


Comparative And Superlative Adverbs

Many adverbs can have three different forms, the positive, the comparative, and the superlative:

Positive
Comparative
Superlative
loudly
more loudly
most loudly
fast
faster
fastest
well
better
best

The comparative form is used for comparing two actions or states:

She ate her lunch more quickly than Carlos (did).

Can’t we walk any faster?

The students performed better this year (than last year).

I made my flu sound worse than it actually was.

The superlative is used for comparing one action or state with all the others in the same category:

The first stage of a proceedure passes the most quickly.

We need people who are determined, not just those who can write the fastest.

He’s playing the acting part that suits him best.

Worst of all, we didn’t have the rights to our own manuscript.

Note that it’s not possible to have comparatives or superlatives of certain adverbs, especially those of time (e.g. yesterday, daily, then), place (e.g. here, up, down), and degree (e.g. very, really, almost).

Forming comparative and superlative adverbs

There are three ways in which the comparative and superlative of adverbs are formed, depending on the spelling of the base adverb:

Adverbs ending in -ly

Add the word more to make the comparative, and the word most to make the superlative:

adverb
comparative
superlative
slowly
more slowly
most slowly
happily
more happily
most happily


Adverbs with the same form as an adjective

These form their comparatives and superlatives by adding the endings -er and -est. If the adverb ends in -y, then you change the y to an i before adding -er or -est; if the adverb has one syllable and ends in -e, then you just add the ending -r or -st:

The most common adverbs of this type are:

early
earlier
earliest
fast
faster
fastest
hard
harder
hardest
high
higher
highest
late
later
latest
long
longer
longest
low
lower
lowest
near
nearer
nearest
soon
sooner
soonest
Everything that you need to know about conjunctions
Everything that you need to know about verbs
Everything that you need to know about pronouns
Everything that you need to know about prepositions
Tips for making vocabulary easier to learn

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

Some common adverbs have irregular comparatives and superlatives that you just have to learn. Most dictionaries will also give these spellings if you’re not sure:

badly
worse
worst
well
better
best
little
less
least
much
more
most
far
farther (or further)
farthest (or furthest)

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 50 Most Important Idioms for Achieving a B2 to C2 Level of English.

  Due to the complexities of English, nobody, native or second language learner can honestly brag about having a proficient level of the language without a solid knowledge of Idioms.  Every day, in almost every conversation, native speakers will use idioms more than someone who is new to the language, simply because they are more familiar with them and know the context in which they should be used. Therefore, this means that when you, the second language learner uses an idiom in the correct context, that you have a more proficient level of English and therefore you sound more like a native speaker. Below is a list of 50 of the most important general idioms necessary for traveling the B2 to C2 language learning journey. With these idioms, you will be able to listen and speak more like a native speaker, therefore, enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. Study tips for how to learn idioms. The 60 most important phrasal verbs for achieving a B2 to C2 level of English. It also he
7 comments
Read more

The 60 Most Important Phrasal Verbs for Achieving a B2 to C2 Level of English.

  Due to the complexities of English, nobody can honestly brag about having a proficient level of the language without a solid knowledge of phrasal verbs and Idioms.  Every day, in almost every conversation, native speakers will use phrasal verbs idioms more than someone who is new to the language, simply because they are more familiar with them and know the context in which they should be used. Therefore, this means that when you, the second language learner uses a phrasal verb or idiom in the correct context, that you have a more proficient level of English and therefore you sound more like a native speaker. Below is a list of 60 of the most important general phrasal verbs necessary for traveling the B2 to C2 language learning journey. With these phrasal verbs, you will be able to listen and speak more like a native speaker, therefore, enhancing your ability to communicate effectively. The 50 Most Important Idioms for Achieving a B2 to C2 Level of English. Study tips for how to learn
4 comments
Read more

The List of Essential Vocabulary to Help You to Pass Your B2 to C2 English Exams.

As an English teacher, I have been preparing students for international exams for more than 20 years, and no matter which exam you wish to take, be it the University of Cambridge, the University of Michigan, or any of the many other exams, there is no doubt that your knowledge of vocabulary plays a huge role in your level of success. A robust knowledge of vocabulary improves all areas of communication. For students who are planning to undertake an international exam, vocabulary helps you to understand what you are reading and listening to, it helps you to include the best words in your writing and to be able to confidently and fluently answer the questions in your speaking interview .  Expanding your knowledge of words provides you with unlimited access to new information and ultimate success with your exams. Whilst it is true that there is no single list of vocabulary that is guaranteed to perfectly prepare you for every exam, the list below is one of the lists that I always use for m
Post a Comment
Read more