20.    Comparison

A.     There are three degrees of comparison:

B.     One-syllable adjectives form their comparative and superlative by adding er and est to the positive form:

bright      brighter      brightest

Adjectives ending in e add r and st: brave      braver      bravest

C.     Adjectives of three or more syllables form their comparative and superlative by putting more and most before the positive:

interested           more interested          most interested

frightening         more frightening        most frightening

D.     Adjectives of two syllables follow one or other of the above rules.

Those ending in ful or re usually take more and most: doubtful         more doubtful       most doubtful obscure          more obscure        most obscure

Those ending in er, y or ly usually add er, est: clever       cleverer       cleverest

pretty        prettier       prettiest (note that the y becomes i) silly          sillier          silliest

E.    Irregular comparisons:

bad                    worse          worst

far                    farther        farthest (of distance only)

further        furthest (used more widely; see F, G)

good                  better          best

little                   less             least

many/much        more           most

old                     elder           eldest (of people only)

older           oldest (of people and things)

F.    farther/farthest and further/furthest

Both forms can be used of distances:

York is farther/further than Lincoln or Selby.

York is the farthest/furthest town or

York is the farthest/furthest of the three.

(In the last sentence farthest/furthest are pronouns. See 24 B.) further can also be used, mainly with abstract nouns, to mean 'additional/extra':

Further supplies will soon be available.

Further discussion/debate would be pointless.

Similarly: further enquiries/delays/demands/information/instructions etc. furthest can be used similarly, with abstract nouns:

This was the furthest point they reached in their discussion.

This was the furthest concession he would make. (For adverb use, see 32.)

G.    far (used for distance) and near

In the comparative and superlative both can be used quite freely:

the farthest/furthest mountain      the nearest river But in the positive form they have a limited use. far and near are used chiefly with bank, end, side, wall etc.:

the far bank (the bank on the other side)

the near bank (the bank on this side of the river) near can also be used with east, and far with north, south, east and west.

With other nouns far is usually replaced by distant/remote and near by nearby/neighbouring: a remote island, the neighbouring village. For far (adverb), see 32; for near (adverb or preposition), see 30 C.

H.     elder, eldest; older, oldest

elder, eldest imply seniority rather than age. They are chiefly used for comparisons within a family: my elder brother, her eldest boy/girl; but elder is not used with than, so older is necessary here:

He is older than I am. (elder would not be possible.) In colloquial English eldest, oldest and youngest are often used of only two boys/girls/children etc.:

His eldest boy's at school; the other is still at home. This is particularly common when eldest, oldest are used as pronouns: