1. Comparing things: the main idea
We use adjectives to describe people and things. We use comparative forms to compare two people or things, and superlative forms to identify the highest or lowest member of a group.
General: Good restaurants are often expensive.
Comparative: This restaurant is more expensive than that one.
Particular: This is the most expensive restaurant in the town.
Notice how the examples move from a general statement to a comparison between particular restaurants, and then to the identification of one restaurant within a group. Comparison is connected with the distinction between general reference and particular reference studied in Unit 1.
2. How we form comparatives and superlatives
Many short adjectives form the comparative with -er and the superlative with -est.
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| small | smaller | the smallest |
| cheap | cheaper | the cheapest |
| large | larger | the largest |
| hot | hotter | the hottest |
| happy | happier | the happiest |
With many longer adjectives, we use more and the most.
comfortable → more comfortable → the most comfortable
expensive → more expensive → the most expensive
We usually use than after a comparative when we name the second person or thing: A train is usually faster than a bus.
Important irregular forms
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| much / many | more | the most |
| little (amount) | less | the least |
| far | farther / further | the farthest / furthest |
We say better, not *gooder*, and worse, not *badder*.
3. Comparatives, superlatives and particular reference
A comparative does not automatically take the. The choice depends on what we mean.
General comparison: This car is cheaper than that one.
Identifying one of two: This is the cheaper of the two cars.
General statement: Better schools are needed.
Identifying a particular school: This is the better school for your children.
When we say the better of the two, we identify one particular member of a pair. The same applies to the cheaper, the older and similar expressions.
A superlative normally identifies one person or thing as having the highest or lowest degree of a quality within a particular group. This is why we usually use the.
Good restaurants are difficult to find. (general)
This is the best restaurant in the town. (one particular restaurant)
Tall buildings are expensive to maintain. (general)
The tallest building in the city is over 200 metres high. (one particular building)
Three useful patterns
| General | Comparison | Particular identification |
|---|---|---|
| Good teachers are important. | Maria is a better teacher than John. | Maria is the best teacher in the school. |
| Cheap hotels are popular. | This hotel is cheaper than that one. | This is the cheaper of the two hotels. |
| Dangerous roads need attention. | This road is more dangerous than the other. | This is the most dangerous road in the area. |
4. Equality, less and least
We express equality with as + adjective + as.
To say that something is not equal, use not as + adjective + as: The bus is not as fast as the train.
We can also use less with adjectives. It means the opposite of more in this kind of comparison.
Little, less and the least
Little can describe a small amount. Its comparative and superlative forms are less and the least.
We have little time. We have less time than yesterday. We have the least time of all the groups.
There is little information available. There is less information here than in the report. This source gives us the least information.
Use less with uncountable nouns: less money, less time, less information. With plural countable nouns, we normally use fewer: fewer mistakes, fewer people, fewer cars.
The lesser of two evils
The lesser of two evils is a familiar expression. It means that two choices are both bad or unpleasant, but one is not as bad as the other.
Lesser is related to less. It is often used when comparing the degree, importance or seriousness of two things: the lesser problem, a lesser risk, the lesser of two evils.
5. Using comparison accurately
- Use than after a comparative in a direct comparison: older than me.
- Use the when identifying a particular member of a pair or group: the older of the two, the oldest in the family.
- Use as … as to express equality: as useful as.
- Use less with uncountable nouns and fewer with plural countable nouns: less traffic, fewer cars.
- Remember the irregular forms: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; little, less, least.
Practice 1 – Choose the correct form
Read each situation and choose the best answer. Press Check when you have finished.
Practice 2 – General or particular?
Choose the sentence that best fits the context. Think about whether it makes a general statement or identifies a particular person or thing.
Practice 3 – Less, least, fewer or lesser?
Choose the word or phrase that completes each sentence.
6. Reading – Choosing a place to live
Three friends, Anna, Ben and Chris, are looking for somewhere to live. They visit three towns: Millford, Lakeside and Westbury.
Millford is the smallest of the three towns. It is quieter than Westbury, but it has fewer shops. Lakeside is more attractive than Millford and has the best public transport. However, it is also the most expensive place to live. Westbury is larger and busier than the other two towns. It has more shops and more entertainment, but it is less peaceful.
Anna thinks Lakeside is the best choice because she does not have a car. Ben prefers Millford because it is the cheaper of the three towns. Chris thinks Westbury offers more opportunities, although he agrees that it is the least relaxing place.
They do not all agree. Each town has advantages and disadvantages, and the best choice depends on what matters most to each person.