2. Comparison of Adjectives

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When we compare two or more nouns, we make use of comparative adjectives and superlative adjectives.We use the following three forms of comparison when we compare two or more nouns.

The absolute form

We We use the absolute degree to describe a noun or to compare two equal things or persons.

My uncle is bald.
My uncle is as bald as a cue ball.
His head is big.
His head is as big as my head.
His wife-to-be is very charming.
His ex-wife is not as charming as his wife-to-be.

The comparative form

When comparing two nouns, we use a comparative form of adjective to describe how one person

or thing is when compared to another person or thing. In making such a comparison, we have to

use the word than to show that one noun is bigger, longer, taller, etc. than the other one.

A hen's egg is bigger than a pigeon's egg.
Our fingers are longer than our toes.
This basketball player is taller than that footballer.
She says her pet hen walks faster than her pet duck.
His head is bigger than my head.

The superlative form

When comparing three or more nouns, we use a superlative form of adjective. We use the word

the when using the superlative adjective to compare.

My great grandfather is the oldest one in the family.
She has the prettiest face in the whole school.
He talks the loudest in his circle of friends.
Bozo is the funniest clown in the circus.
His head is the biggest in the family.

More and most

We can use the words more and most in front of an adjective to form respectively the comparative and superlative. Use the adverbial more with most adjectives that have two or more syllables, and most with all adjectives that have more than two or more syllables. For example, the word big has one syllable, funny has two syllables, and beautiful has three syllables. Regardless of the number of syllables, the adjective itself does not change in form when used with more or most.