Comparative and superlative adverbs

 Comparative and superlative adverbs - English Grammar Lessons Guide

With adverbs ending in -ly, you must use more to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative.

Comparative and superlative adverbs

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Adverb   - Comparative - Superlative

quietly - more quietly - most quietly

slowly - more slowly - most slowly

seriously - more seriously - most seriously

Examples

The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.

Could you sing more quietly please?

With short adverbs that do not end in -ly comparative and superlative forms are identical to adjectives: add -er to form the comparative and -est to form the superlative. If the adverb ends in e, remove it before adding the ending.

Adverb - Comparative - Superlative

hard - harder - hardest

fast - faster - fastest

late - later - latest

Examples

Jim works harder than his brother.

Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.

Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Adverb Comparative Superlative

badly worse worst

far farther/further farthest/furthest

little less least

well better best

Examples

The little boy ran farther than his friends.

You're driving worse today than yesterday !

He played the best of any player.

Exercise on Comparison of Adverbs

Fill in the correct adverb form (comparative or superlative) of the adjectives in brackets.

1. I speak English (fluent) more fluently now than last year.
2. She greeted me (polite) ____________of all.
3. She smiled (happy) _____________than before.
4. This girl dances (graceful) ________________of all.
5. Could you write (clear) _____________?
6. Planes can fly (high) _____________than birds.
7. He had an accident last year. Now, he drives (careful) ___________than before.
8. Jim can run (fast) ______________than John.
9. Our team played (bad) ___________of all.
10. He worked (hard) ________________than ever before.

Answers:

1. I speak English more fluently now than last year.
2. She greeted me most politely of all.
3. She smiled more happily than before.
4. This girl dances most gracefully of all.
5. Could you write more clearly?
6. Planes can fly higher than birds.
7. He had an accident last year. Now, he drives more carefully than before.
8. Jim can run faster than John.
9. Our team played worst of all.
10. He worked harder than ever before.