{"id":2057,"date":"2020-06-17T10:12:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T14:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/?p=2057"},"modified":"2026-04-02T01:10:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T01:10:00","slug":"how-to-make-comparisons-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In any language it is an essential ability to be able to make comparisons. As humans, we do it all the time, contrasting two things to ascertain which is better, more suitable, or more desirable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, in English, making comparisons is something that, grammatically speaking, is not only easy to do, but rarely departs from the rule (the irregulars don’t vastly outnumber the regulars, as is the case in many elements of English grammar).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making positive comparisons<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Positive comparisons can be made as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number of syllables of adjective<\/strong><\/th>Comparative form<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One (fast, slim*, tall)<\/td>+ er + than<\/td>This car is faster than <\/strong>that car.<\/td><\/tr>
Two syllables ending in ‘y’ (happy, lazy, smelly)<\/td>remove the ‘y’ + ier + than<\/td>I am happier than<\/strong> I have ever been.<\/td><\/tr>
Two or more syllables (intelligent, expensive, comfortable)<\/td>more + adjective + than<\/td>People are more intelligent than<\/strong> computers. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
*double the consonant when the adjective finishes with consonant-vowel-consonant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beware, because there are a handful or irregulars<\/p>\n\n\n\n

good – better<\/p>

bad – worse<\/p>

far – further (farther is also possible, but is less-used)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n

To emphasize any difference, use the word ‘much’ plus the comparative form. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This car is much faster than<\/strong> that car.<\/p>

I am much happier than<\/strong> I have ever been.<\/p>

People are much more intelligent than<\/strong> computers. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Also note that you can make a positive comparative by substituting the word ‘more’ for ‘less’ to create the opposite meaning. This is still considered a positive comparative because the verb form (‘is’) is positive. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are less intelligent than<\/strong> computers.<\/p><\/p>

That bicycle is less expensive than<\/strong> this one. <\/p>

Making negative comparatives<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Comparatives can also be made in English by using a negative verb structure. Now the form of the comparative changes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negative verb form + as + adjective + as<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This car isn’t as fast as <\/strong>that car.<\/p>

I am not as<\/strong> happy as<\/strong> I was.<\/p>

People are<\/strong> not as intelligent as<\/strong> computers. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The positive comparison for equality<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Then, there is a way of blending the positive and negative comparative forms to create equality, meaning that the two things are of the same level. Here is the structure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

positive verb + as + adjective + as.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This car is as fast as <\/strong>that car. (they are the same)<\/p>

I am as<\/strong> happy as<\/strong> I have ever been. (my level of happiness is the same)<\/p>

People are as intelligent as<\/strong> computers. (they are the same)<\/p><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Superlatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once again, making superlatives (for when you are comparing three or more things) is relatively simple in English, and there are not too many irregulars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Number of syllables of adjective<\/strong><\/th>Superlative form<\/strong><\/th>Example<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One (fast, slim*, tall)<\/td>the + est<\/td>This car is the fastest <\/strong>in the world.<\/td><\/tr>
Two syllables ending in ‘y’ (happy, lazy, smelly)<\/td>the + remove the ‘y’ + iest<\/td>I am the happiest <\/strong>that I have ever been.<\/td><\/tr>
Two or more syllables (intelligent, expensive, comfortable)<\/td>the + most + adjective<\/td>People are the most intelligent <\/strong>animals.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
*double the consonant when the adjective finishes with consonant-vowel-consonant
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But do be aware of these irregulars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good – the best<\/p>

Bad – the worst<\/p>

Far – the furthest (the farthest is also possible, but is less common)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Quick tips for choosing the right form<\/h2>\n

Use short adjectives with -er\/-est (fast \u2192 faster, the fastest), change final -y to -i- before the ending (happy \u2192 happier), and use more\/most with most adjectives of two or more syllables (expensive \u2192 more expensive). When an adjective ends consonant-vowel-consonant, double the final consonant before adding -er\/-est (big \u2192 bigger).<\/p>\n

Comparatives normally compare two items and are followed by than; superlatives identify the single highest degree among three or more and usually take the before them (the best, the most comfortable). To emphasize degree, add modifiers such as much, far, or a lot before the comparative.<\/p>\n

Watch out for irregular forms (good\/better\/best, bad\/worse\/worst, far\/further\/furthest) and avoid common errors like using two comparative markers together (no “more better” or “most smartest”).<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Remember: as … as expresses equality; not as … as expresses a negative comparison.<\/li>\n
  • Use less + adjective to express the opposite of more (less useful, less expensive).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    FAQ<\/h2>\n

    When should I use farther vs. further?<\/h3>\n

    Both are used, but farther is traditionally for physical distance and further for metaphorical or additional extent. In many contexts they are interchangeable.<\/p>\n

    Can I use more with short adjectives (like more fun instead of funnier)?<\/h3>\n

    Sometimes. Some short adjectives have acceptable alternatives (more fun, funnier) with slight differences in tone or meaning. Follow common usage-use the standard comparative unless a particular phrasing sounds more natural.<\/p>\n

    Is it ever correct to stack comparatives (e.g., more faster)?<\/h3>\n

    No. Combine one comparative form with optional modifiers (much, far, a lot), but don’t use two comparative markers together.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In any language it is an essential ability to be able to make comparisons. As humans, we do it all the time, contrasting two things to ascertain which is better, more suitable, or more desirable. Fortunately, in English, making comparisons is something that, grammatically speaking, is not only easy to do, but rarely departs from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10,572],"tags":[637,15,568,574],"class_list":["post-2057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grammar","category-vocabulary","tag-comparisons","tag-grammar","tag-vocabulary","tag-writing-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives - Linguix Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In any language it is an essential ability to be able to make comparisons. As humans, we do it all the time, contrasting two things to ascertain which is better, more suitable, or more desirable. Fortunately, in English, making comparisons is something that, grammatically speaking, is not only easy to do, but rarely departs from […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Linguix Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"alex\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-06-17T14:12:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-02T01:10:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linguix Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Linguix Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/\",\"name\":\"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives - Linguix Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-06-17T14:12:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-02T01:10:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d590aa68d2f4501903ed1a7676c7f97f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":750},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Make Comparisons in English\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Linguix Blog\",\"description\":\"Writing about using technology to create content and build effective communications.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d590aa68d2f4501903ed1a7676c7f97f\",\"name\":\"Linguix Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"Linguix Team\"},\"description\":\"Linguix.com co-founder\",\"sameAs\":[\"alex\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/author\/vitaly\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives - Linguix Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives","og_description":"In any language it is an essential ability to be able to make comparisons. As humans, we do it all the time, contrasting two things to ascertain which is better, more suitable, or more desirable. Fortunately, in English, making comparisons is something that, grammatically speaking, is not only easy to do, but rarely departs from […]","og_url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/","og_site_name":"Linguix Blog","article_author":"alex","article_published_time":"2020-06-17T14:12:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-02T01:10:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":750,"url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Linguix Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Linguix Team","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/","url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/","name":"How to Make Comparisons in English: Comparatives, Equality & Superlatives - Linguix Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png","datePublished":"2020-06-17T14:12:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-02T01:10:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d590aa68d2f4501903ed1a7676c7f97f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/comparison2-1.png","width":1200,"height":750},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/how-to-make-comparisons-in-english\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Make Comparisons in English"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/","name":"Linguix Blog","description":"Writing about using technology to create content and build effective communications.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d590aa68d2f4501903ed1a7676c7f97f","name":"Linguix Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-96x96.png","caption":"Linguix Team"},"description":"Linguix.com co-founder","sameAs":["alex"],"url":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/author\/vitaly\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2057"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2085,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057\/revisions\/2085"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguix.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}