Comparatives and superlatives · Grade 1

We use comparatives to compare two things (A car is faster than a bike.) and superlatives to pick out one from a whole group (The cheetah is the fastest animal.). Short adjectives add -er and -est; longer adjectives use more and most.

Key facts

• Short adjectives: add -er / -est: tall, taller, the tallest. Ending in e: add -r / -st: large, larger, the largest.
• One vowel then one consonant at the end: double it: big, bigger, the biggest; hot, hotter, the hottest.
• A consonant then y: change y to i: happy, happier, the happiest; easy, easier, the easiest.
• Longer adjectives use more / most: beautiful, more beautiful, the most beautiful. Never use both: not more bigger.
• Irregular: good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; far, further, furthest (or farther, farthest).
• Comparatives often go with than; superlatives with the and often in or of: the tallest in the class.

Worked examples

Other years

• Comparatives and superlatives · Grade 2
• Comparatives and superlatives · Grade 3
• Comparatives and superlatives · Grade 4
• Comparatives and superlatives · Grade 5