Guide to Comparatives and Superlatives – TOEIC® Preparation
Flow Exam team
Comparative and superlative structures are essential grammatical tools for establishing comparisons and precisely characterizing individuals, items, or living beings.
- The comparative form is used to relate two elements: one entity is shown to be "greater than", "less than", or "equal to" another.
- Mary is taller than John. (Marie is taller than John)
- The superlative form expresses the extreme position ("the most..." or "the least...") of an element within a group comprising at least three members.
- Mary is the tallest student in her class. (Mary has the greatest height among the students in her class)
In English, the construction of comparative and superlative forms follows several principles determined by the length of the adjective used and its nature (standard or irregular). To optimize clarity and readability, we have structured this resource into two distinct modules, accessible via the links presented below.
The Comparative
- 🔗 Lesson on the Comparative for the TOEIC®
The Superlative
- 🔗 Lesson on the Superlative for the TOEIC®
Quick Summary
- Comparative:
- Short Adjective: adjective + -er + than → taller than
- Long Adjective: more + adjective + than → more expensive than
- Irregular Forms: better than, worse than, farther than/further than, etc.
- Superlative:
- Short Adjective: the + adjective + -est → the tallest
- Long Adjective: the most + adjective → the most expensive
- Irregular Forms: the best, the worst, the farthest/furthest, etc.
Additional Resources to Succeed on the TOEIC®
Ready to take action?
Every rule about the comparative and superlative you just discovered here, FlowExam helps you transform into concrete points on the TOEIC®, thanks to an intelligent method focused on your real weaknesses. Knowing the -er than and the most structures is a start. Applying them without hesitation in parts 5, 6, and 7 of the TOEIC® is another story. FlowExam analyzes you, corrects you, and guides you toward the most profitable areas for improvement. Your training becomes targeted, strategic, and effective.
Some superpowers of the FlowExam platform:
- 150 exclusive tips derived from the experience of over 200 candidates who scored over 950 on the TOEIC®: clear, concrete, tested, and validated in the field.
- Automatic analysis of your most penalizing errors so you can practice where you lose the most points, without wasting energy.
- Intelligent training system that adapts exercises to your profile and makes you progress faster, without going in circles.
- Flashcards automatically generated from your own mistakes, and optimized by the J method (spaced repetition) for lasting memorization and zero forgetting.
- Personalized learning path, built from your results, to save you time and take you directly toward quick +X points.