MNW English Grammar » Adverbs » Comparative & Superlative
Comparative & Superlative
Rule
In general, comparative and superlative forms of adverbs are the same as for adjectives:
- add -er or -est to short adverbs:
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|
hard |
harder |
the hardest |
Example:
- Jim works harder than his brother.
- Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.
Rule
With adverbs ending in -ly, use more for the comparative and most for the superlative:
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|
quietly |
more quietly |
most quietly |
Example:
- The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.
- Could you sing more quietly please?
Rule
Some adverbs have irregular comparative forms:
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
| badly far little well |
worse farther/further less better |
worst farthest/furthest least best |
Example:
- The little boy ran further than his friends.
- You're driving worse today than yesterday !
BE CAREFUL! Sometimes 'most' can mean 'very':
- We were most grateful for your help
- I am most impressed by this application.
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