Comparative and superlative adjectives - worksheet - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to fill in the comparative and superlative forms for each adjective.

We’ll use these general rules:

1. Short adjectives (1-2 syllables):
- Comparative: add “-er” → e.g., big → bigger
- Superlative: add “-est” → e.g., big → biggest

2. Adjectives ending in “y”:
- Change “y” to “i”, then add “-er” or “-est” → e.g., happy → happier → happiest

3. Longer adjectives (2+ syllables, especially 3+):
- Use “more” for comparative → e.g., beautiful → more beautiful
- Use “most” for superlative → e.g., beautiful → most beautiful

4. Irregular adjectives (must memorize):
- good → better → best
- bad → worse → worst
- far → farther/further → farthest/furthest
- little → less → least
- many/much → more → most

Now let’s apply this to every word on the list.

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Starting with left column:

attractive → already done: more attractive than / the most attractive
bad → irregular → worse / the worst
beautiful → long → more beautiful / the most beautiful
big → short → bigger / the biggest
boring → 2 syllables, but often uses “more” → more boring / the most boring
*(Note: Some say “boringer”, but standard is “more boring”)*
busy → ends in y → busier / the busiest
cheap → short → cheaper / the cheapest
clever → can be both → cleverer OR more clever → we’ll use “cleverer” / “the cleverest” *(common in British English; American sometimes prefers “more clever”) — but since it’s 2 syllables, we’ll go with -er/-est*
Actually, let’s check: “clever” is often treated as regular → cleverer / cleverest ✔
close → close → closer / closest
cloudy → ends in y → cloudier / cloudiest
cold → cold → colder / coldest
comfortable → long → more comfortable / the most comfortable
crowded → 2 syllables, but usually “more crowded” → more crowded / the most crowded
dangerous → long → more dangerous / the most dangerous
deep → deep → deeper / deepest
difficult → long → more difficult / the most difficult
dry → dry → drier / driest *(change y to i)*
easy → easy → easier / easiest
exciting → exciting → more exciting / the most exciting
expensive → expensive → more expensive / the most expensive
famous → famous → more famous / the most famous
far → irregular → farther / the farthest *(or further/furthest — we’ll use farther/farthest for distance)*
fast → fast → faster / fastest
fattening → fattening → more fattening / the most fattening
fierce → fierce → fiercer / fiercest
friendly → friendly → friendlier / friendliest *(ends in y → change to i)*
funny → funny → funnier / funniest
good → irregular → better / the best
happy → happy → happier / happiest
healthy → healthy → healthier / healthiest
heavy → heavy → heavier / heaviest
high → high → higher / highest
hot → hot → hotter / hottest *(double t because CVC pattern)*
intelligent → intelligent → more intelligent / the most intelligent
interesting → interesting → more interesting / the most interesting

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Right column:

large → large → larger / largest
light → light → lighter / lightest
long → long → longer / longest
low → low → lower / lowest
modern → modern → more modern / the most modern
mean → mean → meaner / meanest
near → near → nearer / nearest
nice → nice → nicer / nicest
noisy → noisy → noisier / noisiest
old → old → older / oldest *(also “elder/eldest” for people, but here we use older/oldest)*
popular → popular → more popular / the most popular
poor → poor → poorer / poorest
pretty → pretty → prettier / prettiest
quiet → quiet → quieter / quietest
rich → rich → richer / richest
safe → safe → safer / safest
salty → salty → saltier / saltiest
scary → scary → scarier / scariest
short → short → shorter / shortest
small → small → smaller / smallest
straight → straight → straighter / straightest
strange → strange → stranger / strangest
strong → strong → stronger / strongest
sunny → sunny → sunnier / sunniest
talented → talented → more talented / the most talented
tall → tall → taller / tallest
tasty → tasty → tastier / tastiest
thin → thin → thinner / thinnest *(double n)*
ugly → ugly → uglier / ugliest
warm → warm → warmer / warmest
wet → wet → wetter / wettest *(double t)*
wide → wide → wider / widest
young → young → younger / youngest

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Double-checking tricky ones:

- “clever”: Yes, “cleverer” and “cleverest” are acceptable.
- “far”: We used “farther/farthest” — correct for physical distance.
- “hot”, “thin”, “wet”: doubled consonant before -er/-est → correct.
- All “y” endings changed to “i” → correct.
- Long adjectives all got “more/most” → correct.

Everything looks consistent.

Final Answer:

| Adjective | Comparative adjective | Superlative adjective | Adjective | Comparative adjective | Superlative adjective |
|---------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------|---------------|-----------------------------|------------------------------|
| attractive | more attractive than | the most attractive | large | larger | the largest |
| bad | worse | the worst | light | lighter | the lightest |
| beautiful | more beautiful | the most beautiful | long | longer | the longest |
| big | bigger | the biggest | low | lower | the lowest |
| boring | more boring | the most boring | modern | more modern | the most modern |
| busy | busier | the busiest | mean | meaner | the meanest |
| cheap | cheaper | the cheapest | near | nearer | the nearest |
| clever | cleverer | the cleverest | nice | nicer | the nicest |
| close | closer | the closest | noisy | noisier | the noisiest |
| cloudy | cloudier | the cloudiest | old | older | the oldest |
| cold | colder | the coldest | popular | more popular | the most popular |
| comfortable | more comfortable | the most comfortable | poor | poorer | the poorest |
| crowded | more crowded | the most crowded | pretty | prettier | the prettiest |
| dangerous | more dangerous | the most dangerous | quiet | quieter | the quietest |
| deep | deeper | the deepest | rich | richer | the richest |
| difficult | more difficult | the most difficult | safe | safer | the safest |
| dry | drier | the driest | salty | saltier | the saltiest |
| easy | easier | the easiest | scary | scarier | the scariest |
| exciting | more exciting | the most exciting | short | shorter | the shortest |
| expensive | more expensive | the most expensive | small | smaller | the smallest |
| famous | more famous | the most famous | straight | straighter | the straightest |
| far | farther | the farthest | strange | stranger | the strangest |
| fast | faster | the fastest | strong | stronger | the strongest |
| fattening | more fattening | the most fattening | sunny | sunnier | the sunniest |
| fierce | fiercer | the fiercest | talented | more talented | the most talented |
| friendly | friendlier | the friendliest | tall | taller | the tallest |
| funny | funnier | the funniest | tasty | tastier | the tastiest |
| good | better | the best | thin | thinner | the thinnest |
| happy | happier | the happiest | ugly | uglier | the ugliest |
| healthy | healthier | the healthiest | warm | warmer | the warmest |
| heavy | heavier | the heaviest | wet | wetter | the wettest |
| high | higher | the highest | wide | wider | the widest |
| hot | hotter | the hottest | young | younger | the youngest |
| intelligent | more intelligent | the most intelligent | | | |
| interesting | more interesting | the most interesting | | | |