Adverbs enrich our sentences by specifying how actions are performed. They add depth and detail, painting a clearer picture with words. Among the fascinating categories of adverbs are Comparative And Superlative Adverbs. These linguistic tools are essential for making comparisons, highlighting differences and extremes in how actions are carried out.
Consider these examples:
- The hare dashed faster than the tortoise.
This sentence compares the running speed of a hare and a tortoise.
- The cheetah runs the fastest of all land animals.
Here, we’re not just comparing two animals, but positioning the cheetah’s speed against all other land animals.
The adverbs “faster” and “fastest” are key to these comparisons. “Faster” is a comparative adverb, used to compare two actions. “Fastest” is a superlative adverb, used to compare an action against a multitude of others. Many of these adverbs are derived from manner adverbs—words like quickly, quietly, and fast that describe how something is done. Typically, manner adverbs in English often end in ‘-ly’, though there are notable exceptions like ‘fast’.
In this guide, we will thoroughly explore comparative and superlative adverbs. We’ll demystify their formation and demonstrate their effective use in sentences, equipping you with the knowledge to enhance your English communication. Are you ready to improve your grammar skills? Let’s begin!
What are Comparative Adverbs?
A comparative adverb is your go-to tool when you need to compare two distinct actions. Let’s break this down with some examples:
- The sparrow chirps louder than the mouse squeaks.
(sparrow’s chirping vs. mouse’s squeaking)
- He completed the marathon more quickly this year than last year.
(marathon time this year vs. marathon time last year)
- She types more efficiently than she writes by hand.
(typing efficiency vs. handwriting efficiency)
In each of these sentences, a comparative adverb—louder, more quickly, more efficiently—is used to show how one action measures up against another. Now, let’s delve into the mechanics of forming these adverbs.
Forming Comparative Adverbs: A Comprehensive Guide
Comparative adverbs come in several forms, each designed to express a different type of comparison. Here’s a breakdown of how to construct them:
| Type of Comparison | Formation | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Majority (Action X > Action Y) | adverb + -er | faster, harder, louder |
| more + adverb | more impressively, more interestingly, more efficiently | |
| Equality (Action X = Action Y) | as + adverb + as | as fast as, as impressively as, as quietly as |
| Minority (Action X < Action Y) | less + adverb + than | less quietly than, less elegantly than |
These patterns might remind you of comparative adjectives in English, and indeed, the principles are quite similar. Let’s explore each type in more detail.
Comparative Adverbs of Majority: ‘-er’ and ‘more’
These forms help us indicate when one action is performed to a greater degree than another.
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For One-Syllable Adverbs:
When an adverb consists of just one syllable, simply append the suffix -er to create its comparative form.Adverb Comparative Form fast faster hard harder high higher late later* low lower near nearer *Remember the spelling rules for suffixes starting with a vowel. For words ending in ‘e’, only add ‘-r’.
Tip: Many adverbs in this category share the same form as adjectives but function differently in a sentence.
- This sports car is incredibly fast. (Adjective – describes the car)
- She drives fast on the highway. (Adverb – describes the action of driving)
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For Adverbs with Two or More Syllables:
For adverbs containing two or more syllables, particularly those ending in ‘-ly’, use more before the adverb to form the comparative.Adverb Comparative Adverb loudly more loudly gracefully more gracefully energetically more energetically Exception! The adverb ‘early’, though having two syllables, takes the ‘-er’ form: earlier.
Tip: Some adverbs have both a formal ‘-ly’ form and a less formal version without ‘-ly’. These adverbs will have two comparative forms, one with ‘more’ and one with ‘-er’.
Formal Adverb → Comparative Informal Adverb → Comparative slowly → more slowly slow → slower quickly → more quickly quick → quicker loudly → more loudly loud → louder Informal versions are commonly used in spoken English and informal writing.
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Irregular Comparative Adverbs:
Some adverbs have irregular comparative forms that you’ll need to memorize.Root Adverb Comparative Adverb badly worse well better far farther/further* little less much more *’Farther’ generally refers to physical distance (e.g., “I walked farther”), while ‘further’ often implies metaphorical or non-physical distance (e.g., “Let’s discuss this further”).
Comparative Adverbs of Equality: ‘as…as’
To express that two actions are performed equally, use the structure as + adverb + as. This is straightforward and works with virtually any adverb.
- fast → as fast as
- energetically → as energetically as
- badly → as badly as
This form even works with adverbs that have irregular comparative forms.
Comparative Adverbs of Minority: ‘less…than’
To indicate that an action is performed to a lesser degree compared to another, use less + adverb. This form is typically used with ‘-ly’ adverbs.
- loudly → less loudly than
- energetically → less energetically than
While grammatically correct, comparative adverbs of minority are less common. Often, it’s more effective to rephrase the sentence using a comparison of majority or a negated comparison of equality for clarity and natural flow.
- Original: He speaks less clearly than his brother.
- Improved (Majority): His brother speaks more clearly than him.
- Improved (Equality Negated): He does not speak as clearly as his brother.
Important Note: For adverbs like ‘fast’ and ‘hard’ that don’t end in ‘-ly’, a ‘less’ comparative form isn’t typically used. Rephrasing is necessary.
- Incorrect: She runs less fast than her competitor.
- Correct (Majority): Her competitor runs faster than her.
- Correct (Equality Negated): She does not run as fast as her competitor.
How to Build Comparisons Using English Comparative Adverbs?
There are two main sentence structures for using comparative adverbs: one for comparisons of majority and minority (‘more/less…than’), and another for equality (‘as…as’).
‘More…than’ and ‘less… than’ Comparisons with Adverbs
Use than following the comparative adverb to construct comparisons with ‘more/-er’ or ‘less’. The basic structure is:
Subject 1 + Verb 1 + Comparative Adverb + than + Subject 2 + Verb 2
Examples:
- Elephants move more slowly than horses move.
- Horses move less slowly than elephants move.
- She sings more beautifully than he plays the guitar.
- He works harder than she relaxes.
To make sentences more concise and elegant, you can often eliminate redundant words.
- Full: John is running more quickly than Mary is running.
- Concise: John is running more quickly than Mary is.
- Even More Concise: John is running more quickly than Mary.
Retaining an auxiliary verb (like ‘is’ in the example) can sometimes enhance clarity. If the verb is in a simple tense, you can use the auxiliary ‘do’ to replace the deleted verb.
- Full: Elephants move more slowly than horses move.
- Concise: Elephants move more slowly than horses do.
- Even More Concise: Elephants move more slowly than horses.
When the same subject performs the same action at different times, you can also remove the second subject.
- Original: Today, he worked harder than he worked yesterday.
- Concise: Today, he worked harder than yesterday.
In context, the ‘than’ clause can sometimes be omitted entirely if the comparison is implied.
- “After practice, she played the piece more confidently.” (Implied: After practice vs. Before practice).
Tip: Words and phrases can be added before the comparative adverb to intensify or mitigate the difference.
- Intensifiers:
- He runs much faster than I do.
- She speaks far more eloquently than her peers.
- Mitigators:
- She walks a bit more slowly now due to her injury.
- He works a little more cautiously after the accident.
Explore a detailed list of intensifiers and mitigators for comparisons to expand your vocabulary.
‘As… as…’ Comparisons with Adverbs
Use as both before and after the adverb to create comparisons of equality, indicating that two actions are performed to the same degree.
Subject 1 + Verb 1 + as + Adverb + as + Subject 2 + Verb 2
Examples:
- He walks as quietly as a mouse walks.
- Today, she sings as beautifully as she sang last night.
- He behaves as politely as she expects.
Similar to ‘more…than’ comparisons, you can shorten ‘as…as…’ sentences by removing repeated elements.
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Full: He walks as quietly as she walks.
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Concise: He walks as quietly as she does.
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Even More Concise: He walks as quietly as she.
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Full: Today, she sang as beautifully as she sang yesterday.
-
Concise: Today, she sang as beautifully as she did yesterday.
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Even More Concise: Today, she sang as beautifully as yesterday.
Important Note: Negating an ‘as…as…’ comparison implies that the first action possesses less of the quality than the second.
- “He does not sing as well as he plays the piano.” (Implies: Singing ability < Piano playing ability).
This construction is a natural and polite way to express a comparison of minority, often preferred over using ‘less’.
What are Superlative Adverbs?
Superlative adverbs are used to compare one action against three or more actions. They pinpoint the action performed to the highest (or lowest) degree within a group.
- The snail moves the most slowly of all garden creatures.
(snail’s movement vs. movements of all other garden creatures)
- She performs best under pressure.
(performance under pressure vs. performance in other conditions)
Let’s learn how to form and use superlative adverbs to express these extremes effectively.
Forming Superlative Adverbs in English?
Superlative adverbs are formed in ways that parallel superlative adjectives in English. There are two primary types:
- Superlatives of Majority: indicating the highest degree of an action (e.g., the fastest, the most quietly, the worst).
- Superlatives of Minority: indicating the lowest degree of an action (e.g., the least quietly).
Both types typically include the word the, although it can sometimes be omitted in specific contexts (explained below).
Let’s explore the formation of these two types:
Superlative Adverbs of Majority: ‘-est’ and ‘most’
To express the highest degree of an action, use ‘-est’ for short adverbs and ‘most’ for longer ones.
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For One-Syllable Adverbs:
Add -est or -st to one-syllable adverbs to form the superlative.Adverb Superlative Form fast the fastest high the highest late the latest* near the nearest *Remember the spelling rules for suffixes starting with a vowel. For words ending in ‘e’, just add ‘-st’.
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For Adverbs with More Than One Syllable:
Use most before adverbs with more than one syllable.Adverb Superlative Form quietly the most quietly patiently the most patiently courageously the most courageously Exception! For ‘early’, use earliest as the superlative form.
Similar to comparative adverbs, informal adverbs without ‘-ly’ can also take ‘-est’ for their superlative form.
- Formal: He drives slowly. → Superlative: I drive the most slowly.
- Informal: He drives slow. → Superlative: I drive the slowest.
Certain irregular adverbs have unique superlative forms.
Adverb Superlative Form badly the worst well the best far the farthest/furthest little the least much the most
Superlative Adverbs of Minority: ‘the least’
To express the lowest degree of an action, use the least before the adverb.
| Adverb | Superlative Minority |
| :------------ | :------------------- |
| quietly | the least quietly |
| patiently | the least patiently |
| courageously | the least courageously |
**Important Note:** One-syllable adverbs typically **do not have a superlative of minority**. Rephrasing is necessary.
- Incorrect: He walks **the least fast** in the group.
- Correct: He walks **the slowest** in the group.How to Use a Superlative Adverb in a Sentence?
The typical sentence structure for superlative adverbs is:
Subject + Verb + Superlative Adverb
Examples:
- She sings the best in the choir.
- He speaks the most quietly in the entire class.
- This machine operates the least efficiently.
Key points to remember:
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To compare one action to a group, use of + group.
- “She sings the best of all the sopranos.” (Her singing vs. all soprano singers).
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When comparing different actions by the same subject, ‘the’ can often be omitted.
- “He performs best under pressure.” (Performance under pressure vs. performance in other situations).
- “She cooks best with fresh ingredients.” (Cooking with fresh ingredients vs. cooking with other ingredients).
However, when comparing different subjects, it’s generally better to include ‘the’ for clarity.
- Correct: “This car runs the least efficiently.” (This car vs. other cars).
- Less Common: “This car runs least efficiently.”
Conclusion: Key Takeaways on Comparative and Superlative Adverbs
Let’s recap the essential points about comparative and superlative adverbs in English:
- Comparative and superlative adverbs are formed similarly to comparative and superlative adjectives, but they modify verbs, adverbs, or clauses rather than nouns.
- Three Types of Comparative Adverbs:
- Majority: more + adverb + than… / adverb-er + than…
- Equality: as + adverb + as…
- Minority: less + adverb + than…
- Two Types of Superlative Adverbs:
- Majority: the most + adverb / the + adverb-est
- Minority: the least + adverb
- Common Irregular Adverbs to Remember:
- well → better → the best
- badly → worse → the worst
Ready to solidify your understanding? Practice using these forms with comparative and superlative adverb exercises to master their use in your English communication!
