COMPARISONS

You may see sentences involving comparisons in both types of Structure items. Many of these involve the comparative or superlative forms of adjectives.

Most adjectives have three forms: the absolute (the basic adjective form), the comparative, and the superlative. Comparatives are used to show that one item has more of some quality than another does.

George is taller than his brother.

Superlatives are used to show that one item in a group of three or more has the greatest amount of some quality.

He was the tallest man in the room.

The chart explains how comparatives and superlatives are formed:

Absolute                      Comparative                 Superlative

One-syllable adjectives              warm                            warmer              the warmest

Two-syllable adjectives ending with -y funny                   funnier                         the funniest

Other two-syllable adjectives      common                       more common              the most common

Adjectives with three or more syllables important            more important              the most important

Some two-syllable adjectives have two correct forms of both the comparative and the superlative:

Narrower                                   clever                                      polite

more narrow                              more clever                              more polite

narrowest                                  cleverest                                  politest

most narrow                              most clever                              most polite

A “negative” comparison can be expressed with the words less and least. Less and least are used no matter how many syllables an adjective has.

less bright less expensive

the least bright the least expensive

The absolute form of a few adjectives ends in -er (tender, bitter, slender, clever, and so on.) Don’t confuse these with the comparative forms (more bitter or bitterer, for example).

Many adverbs also have comparative and superlative forms. The comparative and superlative forms of all -ly adverbs are formed with more and most.

more brightly                                                     more importantly

most brightly                                                     most importantly

A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms:

Irregular                                   Comparatives                Superlatives

good/well                                  better                           the best

bad/badly                                 worse                           the worst

far                                            farther the                    farthest

further                           the furthest

(Far has two comparative and superlative forms, depending on how the word is used, but the distinction

between these two forms will not be tested.

There are two main types of errors involving comparatives and superlatives:

INCORRECT CHOICE OF THE THREE FORMS

Any of the three forms—absolute, comparative, or superlative—may be incorrectly used in place of one of the other forms.

Sample Items

Basketball is played at a much fast  pace than baseball

A              B      C                         D

.The correct answer is (C). The comparative form faster is needed because two concepts—the

pace of basketball and the pace of baseball—are being compared.

The deep oceans contain some of the stranger of all living creatures.

           A                    B                                C            D

The correct answer is (C). This sentence does not compare two groups; a superlative form

(strangest) is required.

INCORRECT FORMS OF COMPARATIVES AND

SUPERLATIVES

Incorrect forms, such as more bigger, most hot, and so on, may appear.

Sample Item

The most small vessels in the circulatory system  are capillaries.

                A                        B                       C       D

The correct answer is (A). The correct form is smallest because small is a one-syllable adjective.

Focus: Identifying and correcting errors and correct forms of comparatives and superlatives.

Directions: Choose the option—(A), (B), (C), or (D)—that correctly completes the sentence. For

Error Identification items, circle the underlined portion of the sentence that would not be considered

correct.

1. The American and Canadian political systems are like in that both are dominated by two major

                                                                  A              B             C                 D

parties.

2. Wild strawberries are _______________cultivated strawberries.

(A) not sweeter

(B) not as sweet as

(C) less sweeter than

(D) not sweet as

3. The period is probably  the most easiest punctuation mark to use

.              A             B                   C                                        D

4. When metal replaced wood  in the construction of ships’ hulls, more strong ships could be built

.        A                                                 B                                            C                         D

 5. Sea bass ____________ freshwater bass.

(A) are larger than

(B) the larger the

(C) are as large

(D) than are larger

6. Charcoal is the more commonly used cooking fuel in the world

.                  A                 B                             C                  D

7. Automobiles, airplanes, and buses use more energy per passenger ____________.

(A) as do trains

(B) than trains do

(C) trains do

(D) like trains

8. Few American politicians have spoken more eloquently as William Jennings Bryan.

       A                                         B                      C            D

9. The larger a drop of water, _____________

freezing temperature.

(A) the higher its

(B) its higher

(C) higher than its

(D) the highest

10. __________ San Diego and San Francisco,

Los Angeles has no natural harbor.

(A) Dissimilar

(B) Unlike

(C) Dislike

(D) Different

11. During a depression, economic conditions are far worst than they are  during a recession.

           A                                B                                    C                D

12. The spinal column is alike the brain in that its main functions can be classified as

                                          A                                                                       B

 Either sensory or motor functions

.                       C                 D

13. The water of the Great Salt Lake is

________________ seawater.

(A) saltier than that of

(B) as salty as that of

(C) saltier than

(D) so salty as

14. Fungi are the most important decomposers of forest soil, just like bacteria are the most important

                                  A                                      B                       C

decomposers of grassland soil

                                           D

15. A psychosis is a severe mental disorder, ________________ a neurosis.

(A) the most serious

(B) as serious

(C) more serious than

(D) as though serious

16. The surfboards used thirty-five years ago were more heavy than the ones used by surfers today.

                                 A                             B                  C                     D

17. The horse chestnut has a stronger , bitter taste than other chestnuts.

         A                                        B           C                      D

18. The social system of bumblebees is not as complex __________________.

(A) than honeybees

(B) as honeybees

(C) that honeybees are

(D) as that of honeybees

19. Chicago’s Field Museum is one of the largest and better known natural history museums in the

                                              A               B                        C                                               D

United States.

20. The administration of private colleges is nearly __________ that of public colleges.

(A) same

(B) just as

(C) the same as

(D) similar