Comparative Adjectives in English - Superlative Adjectives in English

Hello students. I'm so glad to see you again. I'm teacher Sarah and today we're

going to learn more about using adjectives to express yourself. Last time

we learned how to use more adjectives in our English speaking and writing to help

others better understand what we think and mean. There's a link to that video in

the description below. If you haven't seen it already, be sure to check it out

and to subscribe for more English lessons from our team of real English

teachers. Today we're going to talk about a very helpful thing called comparative

adjectives. Let's get started.

Okay everyone, let's talk about how to compare things using adjectives. First,

what does it mean to compare? To compare means to talk about what is the same and

what is different between two or more things. Let's look at some pictures for a

few examples. Let's compare these two animals: a mouse and an elephant. First,

let's describe each with some adjectives. Small, cute, fast: big, strong, smart. There we

go. Now let's compare. The mouse is smaller than the elephant. Elephants are

bigger than mice. The elephant is stronger than the mouse. I think mice are

cuter than elephants. Before we discuss this more, let's look at one more example.

Okay here we have an apartment and mansion. Let's describe each with some

adjectives. Cheap, tiny: large expensive beautiful. Alright,

let's compare. The mansion is more expensive than the apartment. I think the

apartment is less beautiful than the mansion. The apartment is tinier than the Mansion.

You may have noticed in our example sentences that not every comparing

sentence is the same. Sometimes we use ___er than and other times we use more____ than or

less____ than to compare two things. How can you tell which one to use? Luckily

there's a simple way to figure it out. Every word has a certain number of

syllables. Syllables are the number of vowel sounds you hear in a word. In

English, vowels are the letters a, e, i, o, and u, but this idea can be a little

confusing so let's make it even easier with something called the clap test.

Here are some adjectives, let's see if we can hear how many syllables there are in

each of the following adjectives. There are two vowel sounds a and E and few

clacks so two syllables cute cute one vowel sound you one clap one syllable

tiny tiny too strong strong one beautiful beautiful three expensive

expensive three comfortable for exciting exciting three now you try repeat after

me and clap while you say the words funny

funny did you hear it there are two syllables funny

big big there's just one syllable in this word big

interesting interesting in this word there are four syllables in turn

knowing how many syllables there are in an adjective it's the trick to knowing

which comparative form to use if a word has one or two syllables we use the form

per then these are words like big big hot funny happy and you here's how we

would use these words to compare big one bigger them the dog is bigger than the

cat hot one hotter their summer is hotter than winter funny two funnier

than Dave is funnier than bill happy happy - happier than she is happier than

she was yesterday - easier them walking is easier than

running when an adjective has three or more syllables we use the form more than

or less than these are words like expensive delicious beautiful difficult

and interests here is how we would use words with three or more syllables to

compare expensive three more expensive than less expensive than the car is more

expensive than the bike the bike is less expensive than the car delicious

three more delicious then less delicious then pairs are more delicious than

apples apples are less delicious than pears beautiful three more beautiful

then less beautiful than this painting is more beautiful than that one that

pain is less beautiful than this one

difficult three more difficult than less difficult than science is more difficult

than math math is less difficult than science interests for more interesting

than less interesting than watching a movie is more interesting than watching

TV watching TV is less interesting than watching a movie / then and more than

are all useful when comparing things but what if we want to talk about the

highest quality or degree of something when we compare in this case we would

use superlative adjectives just like comparative adjectives the superlative

form follows the same clack test rules if an adjective has one or two syllables

we use the gist if an adjective has three or more syllables we use the most

let's look at some pictures for a few examples here we see a mouse and

elephant and a whip let's put some adjectives up to describe each small

smart Pig there we go each word small smart and big have one

syllable so we will use the issed in our sentences let's use some proactive

additives to compare them the mouse is the smallest the elephant is the

smartest the whale is the biggest let's take a look at another example here we

see a famous actress a huge house in some great food let's put up some

adjectives to describe each beautiful expensive delicious beautiful expensive

and delicious have three syllables so we will use the most

in our sentences let's give it a try if you ask me she is the most beautiful

actress in Hollywood this is the most expensive house in the city these are

the most delicious noodles I have ever had as you can see we use superlatives

to talk about when something is the highest quality or degree of something

let's try making some superlative sentences with some of the same

adjectives from earlier in today's lesson two syllables so the happiest she

is the happiest student Kate one syllable so the cutest you have the

cutest pet right two syllables so the tiniest that's the tiniest phone I've

ever seen gone through four syllables so the most comfortable my bed is the most

comfortable excited three syllables so the most exciting basketball is the most

exciting sport to watch remember one or two syllables means we use the S and

three or more syllables means we use the most of exception alert the class test

is a good way to know which comparative or superlative form to use when you

compare things but like many rules in English there are some exceptions first

let's look at the adjectives good and back although these words each have one

syllable good and bad we do not say good are them or the goodest batter them or

the baddest here's what we use instead good better the best that car is good

this car is better than that car this car is the best that

worse the worst this song is bad that song is worse than this one that

song is the worst the words much and many are also exceptions to this rule

instead of much or than or the many Astaire is what we would use much many

more than the most I have many books you have more books she has the most books

much and many refer to quantity the word little can to it is another exception

here's what we would use little less the least I have little patience you have

less patience he has the least patience finally words that end in ing IDI ful or

le SS will always use the more or less than or the most forms no matter how

many syllables the adjective has here are some examples boring this word has

two syllables but Anson ing so we would say this class is more boring than that

class or this class is the most boring right tired has two syllables but ends

in E d so we would say he is more tired than me or he is the most tired you this

word also has two syllables but ends in fu F so we would say this act is more

useful than that one or this app is the most useful fearless this word has two

syllables but ends in le SS so we would say she is more fearless than you or she

is the most fearless okay my wonderful students that concludes our lesson today

on comparative and superlative adjectives when you watch our videos

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