Page 114 - New Grammar with a Smile 5

Comparison
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of Adverbs

You have learnt that adjectives have three degrees of comparison. Like adjectives,
adverbs too have three degrees—the positive, the comparative and the superlative.
For example,

y Ravi works hard. (positive)

y Praveen works harder than Ravi. (comparative)
y Syed works the hardest of all. (superlative)

Let us now study how adverbs form their comparatives and superlatives.

1. Adverbs with a single syllable usually use er to form the comparative form and est to
form their superlative form. For example,

Positive Comparative Superlative

fast faster fastest

high higher highest

loud louder loudest

soon sooner soonest

2. Adverbs which end in ly take more to form the comparative form and most to form
their superlative form. For example,

Positive Comparative Superlative

softly more softly most softly

happily more happily most happily

swiftly more swiftly most swiftly

certainly more certainly most certainly

Exception

Positive Comparative Superlative
early earlier earliest
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