The comparative and the superlative

The comparative and the superlative

1. COMPARATIVE:

   • 11. Comparative superiority. In comparisons of superiority, the adjective, which is in the comparative form (see below), is followed by "than". Examples: John runs faster than Mark. Angela's room is cleaner than Sue's. (Angela's room is cleaner than Sue's.) I am taller than Beth.
     • 2. Comparative of inferiority. To form this type of comparison we can use the conjunctions "not as ... as" or "less ... than". In both cases, the adjective is in the positive degree. Mark is not as fast as John. Sue's room is less clean than Angela's. (Sue's room is not as clean as Angela's.) Beth is not as tall as me. Los Angeles is not as big as New York
       • Comparative equality. With the adjective in the positive degree, we use the conjunction "as ... as" to form comparisons of equality. Mark is as fast as John. Sue's room is as clean as Angela's. (Sue's room is as clean as Angela's.) Beth is as tall as I am. Los Angeles is as big as New York

2. SUPERLATIVE:

   • The superlative degree The superlative grade denotes quality in the highest degree and as in Spanish, the "front" is used in front of the adjective in the superlative form (see below). Examples: Juan is the fastest. (Juan is the fastest.) Angela's room is the cleanest. (Angela's room is the cleanest.) I am the tallest. New York is the biggest city in the United States
     • The superlative is always preceded by the definite article: the fastest, the tallest, the most intelligent. In the case of the adjectives of a syllable, we form the superlative by adding -est to the end: tall --- tallest. If the adjective has two syllables, we can add-est or put most in front of the adjective
       • example: He is the smartest boy in the class. They are the fastest runners in the world. My dog ​​is the smallest pet in the park.
         • To understand the superlative in English, the first thing you need to know is that adjectives have three different grades: An adjective in positive degree is limited to describing a quality. Sandra is tall. An adjective in comparative degree emphasizes the inferiority, equality or superiority of one person or thing with respect to another. Sandra is taller than Mike. And finally, an adjective in superlative degree indicates that the subject possesses the quality in the highest degree and above all the others. Sandra is the tallest person in her office. Therefore, we use the superlative when we want to emphasize that the subject is at the upper or lower end of a quality.