Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

ONE-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES

461

One-syllable adjectives normally form comparatives and superlatives with -er and

-est.

Examples of the comparative and superlative of one-syllable adjectives

adjective

comparative

superlative

cold

colder

coldest 

strong

stronger

strongest

fine

finer

finest

rich

richer

richest

big

bigger

biggest

thin

thinner

thinnest

✪

More

and most are not normally used before one-syllable adjectives:

She is two years 

older than her sister.

(She is two years more old than her sister.)

The 

strongest businesses in the region have also contracted in the last six

months. 

(The most strong businesses in the region …)

That’s the 

fattest pigeon I’ve ever seen.

In informal contexts, more and most can be used with some short adjectives,

often when followed by than. When spoken, the stress normally falls on the

word more:

It’s 

more cold in the North than it is in the South.

She looked 

more thin today than I’ve ever seen her.

More

and most do have to be used with the single-syllable adjectives apt, real,

right

and wrong:

He made what he was teaching seem 

more real, didn’t he?

(He made what he was teaching seem realer, didn’t he?)

You couldn’t be 

more wrong. 

(You couldn’t be wronger.)

760 | Comparison

Cambridge Grammar of English

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TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES

462

Two-syllable adjectives which end in -er, -le or -ow can have comparatives and

superlatives either with -er and -est or with more and most. Such adjectives

include able, clever, hollow, narrow, simple: 

Peter is the 

cleverer brother.

(or: Peter is the more clever brother.)

The 

simplest approach is often the best approach.

(or: The most simple approach is often the best approach.)

The comparative and superlative forms of two-syllable adjectives ending in -y are

spelled -ier, -iest. Among the most frequent are: angry, busy, clumsy, easy, friendly,

funny

, happy, lovely, lucky, pretty, silly, windy.

Examples of the comparative and superlative of two-syllable adjectives ending in -y

adjective

comparative

superlative

friendly

friendlier

friendliest

lucky

luckier

luckiest

angry

angrier

angriest

Be careful! He’s 

clumsier than you think.

It’s been one of the 

windiest days on record, with gusts reaching 100 miles per

hour.

MULTI-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES

463

Multi-syllable adjectives form their comparative and superlative with more and

most

:

He is 

more interesting than his brother.

(He is interestinger than his brother.)

The 

most intelligent solution would be to do nothing. 

(The intelligentest solution would be to do nothing.)

Some negatively prefixed forms are exceptions. They can take either more and

most

or -er and -est:

She’s one of the 

untidier guests.

(or: She’s one of the more untidy guests.)

Yesterday was the 

unpleasantest day of my life.

(or: Yesterday was the most unpleasant day of my life.)