- Study the following sentences:
- John is a tall boy.
- John is taller than Jack.
- John is the tallest boy in the class.
- The first sentence is a statement. We are not comparing John with any other boy. We simply say that John is a tall boy.
- In the second sentence, we use the word taller. It shows comparison between two boys John and Jack. We show that one is taller than the other.
- In the third sentence, we use the words the tallest. It shows that no one in the class is as tall as John. He is the tallest boy in the class.
- Let us look at some more examples:
- Grandfather is older than grandfather.
- Fanny is prettier than Lizzy.
- The poor are happier than the rich.
- Tina’s dress is more beautiful than Kuku’s dress.
- An elephant is bigger than a lion.
These sentences show comparisons between two things. We use the -er form of the word or we use more. We also use the word than.
- Now look at these sentences:
- The whale is the largest animal.
- This is the finest silk.
- Sam is the fastest child I have ever seen.
- The giraffe has the tallest neck.
- He is the most intelligent boy in the class.
We show comparison among more than two objects by using the –est form of an adjective – smallest, shortest, bravest. Sometimes, we use most with the adjective – most beautiful, most interesting. We also use the with the –est form.