Regular Comparatives and Superlatives
Introduction

Comparatives and Superlatives are special forms of adjectives. They are used to compare two or more things. Generally, comparatives are formed using -er and superlatives are formed using -est. This page will explain the rules for forming regular comparatives and superlatives, and also show some basic ways of using them.

1. Forming regular comparatives and superlatives

How these forms are created depends on how many syllables there are in the adjective. Syllables are like “sound beats”. For instance, “sing” contains one syllable, but “singing” contains two — sing and ing. Here are the rules:
Adjective form Comparative Superlative
Only one syllable, en widest, finest, cutest
Only one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end. Examples: hot, big, fat Double the consonant, and add -er: hotter, bigger, fatter Double the consonant, and add -est: hottest, biggest, fattest
Only one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end. Examples: light, neat, fast Add -er: lighter, neater, faster Add -est: lightest, neatest, fastest
Two syllables, ending in Y. Examples: happy, silly, lonely Change y to i, then add -er: happier, sillier, lonelier Change y to i, then add -est: happiest, silliest, loneliest
Two syllables or more, not ending in Y. Examples: modern, interesting, beautiful Use “more” before the adjective: more modern, more interesting, more beautiful Use “most” before the adjective: most modern, most interesting, most beautiful
2. How to use comparatives and superlatives
Comparatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things. You can use sentences with “than”, or you can use a conjunction like “but”.

Jiro is taller than Yukio.
Yukio is tall, but Jiro is taller.
Superlatives

Superlatives are used to compare more than two things. Superlative sentences usually use “the”, because there is only one superlative.

Masami is the tallest in the class.
Yukio is tall, and Jiro is taller, but Masami is the tallest.

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses of gerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement, that we throw in here, free of charge).
1

Gerunds and infintives can both function as the subject of a sentence:

1. Playing basketball takes up too much of her time.
2. To play basketball for UConn is her favorite fantasy.

2

It is not impossible for an infinitive to appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject (as in Ib), but it is more common for an infinitive to appear as a Subject Complement:

1. Her favorite fantasy is to play basketball for UConn.

The gerund can also play this role:
2. Her favorite fantasy is playing basketball for UConn.

3

Both of these verbal forms can further identify a noun when they play the role of Noun Complement and Appositive:

1. Her desire to play basketball for UConn became an obsession.
2. I could never understand her desire to play basketball for UConn.
3. Her one burning desire in life, playing basketball for UConn, seemed a goal within reach.

The infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. Try following these adjectives with an infinitive phrase (their desire to play in the championship game, a motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to do your work) to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.

advice
appeal
command
decision
desire
fact
instruction
motivation opportunity
order
permission
plan
possibility
preparation
proposal
recommendation refusal
reminder
request
requirement
suggestion
tendency
wish


4

Infinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. When this happens, the infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement. (This is not a noun function, but we will include it here nonetheless.)

1. She was hesitant to tell the coach of her plan.
2. She was reluctant to tell her parents, also.
3. But she would not have been content to play high school ball forever.

Here is a list of adjectives that you will often find in such constructions.

ahead
amazed
anxious
apt
ashamed
bound
careful
certain
content
delighted determined
disappointed
eager
eligible
fortunate
glad
happy
hesitant
liable
likely lucky
pleased
proud
ready
reluctant
sad
shocked
sorry
surprised
upset

5

Although we do not find many infinitives in this next category, it is not uncommon to find gerunds taking on the role of Object of a Preposition:

1. She wrote a newspaper article about dealing with college recruiters.
2. She thanked her coach for helping her to deal with the pressure.

Two prepositions, except and but, will sometimes take an infinitive.

1. The committee had no choice except to elect Frogbellow chairperson.
2. What is left for us but to pack up our belongings and leave?

6

And, finally, both gerunds and infinitives can act as a Direct Object:

Here, however, all kinds of decisions have to be made, and some of these decisions will seem quite arbitrary. The next section is about making the choice between gerund and infinitive forms as direct object.

Verbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that means to link, as in a chain). Catenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked constructions, as in "We agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals." Catenatives are also characterized by their tendency to describe mental processes and resolutions. (Kolln)

Although it is seldom a serious problem for native English speakers, deciding whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb can be perplexing among students for whom English is a second language. Why do we decide to run, but we would never decide running? On the other hand, we might avoid running, but we would not avoid to run. And finally, we might like running and would also like to run. It is clear that some verbs take gerunds, some verbs take infinitives, and some verbs take either. The following tables of verbs should help you understand the various options that regulate our choice of infinitive or gerund.

The verbs in the table below will be followed by an infinitive. We decided to leave. He manages, somehow, to win. It is threatening to rain. Notice that many, but not all, of these verbs suggest a potential event.

Some of the verbs in the following table may be followed by a gerund if they are describing an "actual, vivid or fulfilled action" (Frodesen). We love running. They began farming the land. These are described, also, below.

Emotion
care
desire
hate hate
like
loathe love
regret
yearn
Choice or Intent
agree
choose
decide
decide
expect hope
intend
need
plan
prefer prepare
propose
refuse
want
wish
Initiation, Completion, Incompletion
begin
cease
commence
fail get
hesitate
manage
neglect start
try
undertake
Mental Process
forget
know how learn remember
Request and Promise
demand
offer promise
swear threaten
vow
Intransitives
appear
happen seem tend
Miscellaneous
afford
arrange claim
continue pretend
wait

The verbs in the next table will often be followed by an infinitive, but they will also be accompanied by a second object. We asked the intruders to leave quietly. They taught the children to swim. The teacher convinced his students to try harder.

The verbs in blue, with an asterisk, can also follow the same pattern as the verbs in the table above (i.e., the second object is optional). We all wanted to go. They promised to be home early.

Communication
advise
ask*
beg*
challenge
command
convince forbid
invite
order
permit
persuade
promise* remind
require
tell
warn
urge
Instruction
encourage
help instruct
teach train
Causing
allow
cause
choose force
get
hire need*
would like*
Miscellaneous
dare*
expect* trust
prepare* want*

Gerunds accompany a form of the verb to go in many idiomatic expressions: Let's go shopping. We went jogging yesterday. She goes bowling every Friday night.

The following verbs will be followed by a gerund. Did I mention reading that novel last summer? I recommend leaving while we can. I have quit smoking These verbs tend to describe actual events.

Initiation, Completion and Incompletion
anticipate
avoid
begin
cease
complete delay
finish
get through
give up
postpone quit
risk
start
stop
try
Communication
admit
advise
deny
discuss encourage
mention
recommend report
suggest
urge
Continuing Action
continue
can't help practice
involve keep
keep on
Emotion
appreciate
dislike
enjoy
hate
like love
mind
don't mind
miss
prefer regret
can't stand
resent
resist
tolerate
Mental Process
anticipate
consider
forget imagine
recall
remember see
can't see
understand

The verbs in the following table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, and there will be virtually no difference in the meaning of the two sentences. I like to play basketball in the park. I like playing basketball in the park.

attempt
begin
continue
hate like
love
neglect
prefer regret
can't stand
stand
start

The verbs in this next, very small table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, but there will be a difference in meaning. I stopped smoking means something quite different, for instance, from I stopped to smoke. The infinitive form will usually describe a potential action.
forget remember stop

Finally, the verbs below will be followed by either a gerund or a simple verb and a second subject will be required. I saw the team losing its composure. I overheard my landlord discussing a rent increase. (I heard Bill sing/singing.) These verbs involve the senses.

Verbs Involving Senses
feel
hear
listen to look at
notice
observe overhear
see
watch

Verbs of perception — hear, see, watch — and a handful of other verbs — help, let, and make — will take what is called the bare infinitive, an infinitive without the particle "to." This is true of these verbs only in the active voice.

1. We watched him clear the table.
2. They heard the thief crash through the door.
3. She made me do it.
4. We helped her finish the homework.