Comparative and superlative adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare two things whilst superlative adjectives compare more than two things. Both these terms are introduced in Lower Key Stage 2.
Usually this is just a matter of putting ‘er’ or ‘est’ at the end of the adjective e.g. strong, stronger, strongest. Of course the English language is never that simple and we have plenty of exceptions, such as little, less, least and bad, worse, worst.
I have come across many examples of children using words such as badder or baddest, which whilst being incorrect, it can be said that the child is aware of the general rule.
Another way to use comparative and superlative adjectives is to use more and most in front of the adjective. Again, more is only used to compare two things and most is only used to compare more than two things.
Perhaps our hardest sets of pages take a look at adjective phrases and adjectival clauses, terms which many adults brought up in the seventies and eighties might not be aware of.
An adjective phrase tells us something about the noun but is two or more words in length.
An adjectival clause adds more information about a noun by using a clause with a relative pronoun, such as ‘who’, ‘whom’, ‘which’, ‘that’ or ‘whose’. The adjectival clause follows the noun. This is where grammar starts to become tricky and these can be found in Upper key Stage 2
Take a look now at our very latest adjective worksheets.