Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
Bigger, the biggest. More expensive, the most expensive. And good, better, best.
දේවල් දෙකක් සසඳන්න comparative (bigger, more expensive) පාවිච්චි කරනවා. ඒකට පස්සේ than එනවා. කණ්ඩායමක ඉහළම හෝ පහළම එක කියන්න superlative (the biggest, the most expensive). ඒකට ඉස්සරහින් the එනවා.
The patterns
A + verb + comparative + than + B
A + verb + the + superlative (+ in / of …)
Comparatives
- Kandy is cooler than Colombo.
- The train is cheaper than the bus.
- My brother is taller than me.
Superlatives
- Pidurutalagala is the highest mountain in Sri Lanka.
- This is the worst day of my life! 😫
- She's the smartest student in the class.
How to make them
| Adjective | Rule | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| one syllable | add -er / -est | tall → taller | the tallest |
| ends in -e | add -r / -st | nice → nicer | the nicest |
| short vowel + consonant | double it | big → bigger, hot → hotter | the biggest, the hottest |
| two syllables, ends in -y | -ier / -iest | happy → happier, busy → busier | the happiest, the busiest |
| two or more syllables | more / most | expensive → more expensive | the most expensive |
A few two-syllable words can go either way: simpler / more simple, quieter / more quiet. Both are fine.
The irregular ones
| Adjective | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | the best |
| bad | worse | the worst |
| far | further / farther | the furthest / farthest |
| little (amount) | less | the least |
| much / many | more | the most |
The opposite: less and the least
less / the least
- This phone is less expensive than the other one.
- That's the least interesting part.
Quick check
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Jaffna is than Nuwara Eliya.
Ella is place I've ever been to.
Your English is getting !
A tuk-tuk is faster a bus in traffic.
Pettah is on weekdays.
That was the film I've ever seen.
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