Comparative and Superlative Adverbs [PDF]

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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 Joe (did). Can’t we go any faster? The company performed better this year (than last year). I made my cough 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 divorce passes the most quickly. We need people who are determined, not just those who can run the fastest. He’s playing the kind of role that suits him best. Worst of all, we didn’t have the rights to our own films. 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

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)