COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
| Type of adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| one-syllable adjectives: high, fast | adjective + ER: higher, faster | the + adjective + EST: the highest/fastest |
| one-syllable adjectives ending in -e: safe, nice | adjective + R: safer, nicer | the + adjective + ST: the safest, the nicest |
| one-syllable adjective ending with one vowel + one consonant: big BUT clean (two vowels), strong (two consonants) | adjective + double consonant + ER: bigger BUT clearer, stronger | the + adjective + double consonant + EST: the biggest BUT the cleanest, the strongest |
| two-syllable adjectives ending in -y: happy, easy | adjective without -y + IER: happier, easier | the + adjective without -y + IEST: the happiest, the easiest |
| two-syllable adjectives ending in -ow, -le: narrow, simple | adjective + ER: narrower, simpler | the + adjective + EST: the narrowest, the simplest |
| adjectives with two or more syllables: important, intelligent | more + adjective: more important, more intelligent | the most + adjective: the most important, the most intelligent |
| Irregular forms: | Comparative | Superlative |
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| far | farther/further | the farthest/furthest |
| old | older/elder | the oldest/eldest |
Sentence structure:
Comparative: A psychotherapist is more specialised than a psychologist.
Superlative:The job of a psychiatrist is the most difficult of all/ in this hospital (in is generally used with groups of people or with places, of in ali the other cases).
16. Complete the following sentences with the comparative or superlative forms of the adjectives in brackets.
1. St. James’s Hospital is the ........... (big) psychiatric hospital in town, although there is a ........... (big) one in Manchester.
2. Today, the psychologist is ........... (late) than usual.
3. Dealing with young patients is ........... (easy) than with older ones.
4. I wasn’t happy with my psychologist, so I found a ........... (good) one.
5. Sigmund Freud is the ........... (famous) psychologist of all time.
6. The job of a mental health worker is ........... (hard) than that of an office employee.
7. The ........... (bad) thing you can do is to skip counselling sessions.