COMPARISONS
Like / as
“like“: to express similarity (when describing similarities).
He can write very fast like him.
She looks like her mother.
“As” (when describing a person’s role or function)
He works as a manager for this company.
Comparatives and Superlatives
We use the comparative to compare one person or thing with another.
We use the superlative to compare one person or thing with more than one person or thing from the same group.
We often use “than” after a comparative and “the” before a superlative. For superlatives related to places, we use “in.”
I am more realistic than you. (comparative, comparing two individuals)
John M. is the richest person in the city. (superlative, comparing to many people)
This is the most expensive car in the world.
Use
Formation of comparatives and superlatives from adjectives and adverbs:
Comparative (-er) and -(e)st to form the superlative (for one-syllable adjectives)
hard – harder – hardest
cheap – cheaper – the cheapest
For two-syllable adjectives ending in -ly, -y, or -w, add -er/-est:
early – earlier – earliest
heavy – heavier – heaviest
For adjectives with two or more syllables (like syllabus), use “more” and “the most” for comparison:
beautiful – more beautiful – the most beautiful
popular – more popular – the most popular
Irregular forms (These adjectives don’t follow the above rules):
good – better – best
bad – worse – worst
much – more – most
many – more – most
little – less – least
far – farther – farthest
Types of comparisons:
as + adjective + as (to describe the similarity between two things)
Usain Bolt is as fast as a cheetah.
less + adjective + than (to describe a difference)
He thinks lions are less dangerous than bears.
comparative + and + comparative (to describe increasing or decreasing trends)
The car prices get higher and higher.
by far + the + superlative (to emphasize the difference of one person or thing from the same group)
Ronaldo is by far the best footballer in the world.