Superlativi e comparativi

Farther/further and farthest/furthest are both used to talk about distance. We use further to mean additional in some expression.

She lives three miles farther away from the office than I do.
Further education, further information, further discussion.

Elder and eldest are used with brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter.

Jonh’s my elder brother.

Irregular comparison

Good/well – better – best
Bad – worse – worst
Far – farther/further – farthest/furthest
Old – older/elder – oldest/eldest
Little – less – least
Much/many – more – most

Before comparatives, we can use much, far, very much, a little, a bit, a lot/lots, any, no and even.

He’s mach/far older thant her.
She’s very much happier in the new job.
I feel a litte/a bit better.
These grapes are a lot sweeter than the others.
The train’s no quicker than the bus or the train isnt any quicker than the bus.
You look even more beautiful than usual.

Comparative and superlative adverbs normally have more and most.

Could you drive more slowly?
French is the language he speaks the most easely.

But the following adverbs have –er,-est like adjectives:

Early – earlier – earliest
Fast – faster – fastest
Hard – harder – hardest
Late – later – latest
Near – nearer – nearest
Soon – sooner – soonest

Better, best, worse and worst con be used as adverbs.

AS...AS

We use as...as to say that people or things are equal in some way.

She’s as tall as her brother.
Is it as good as you expected?
She speaks French as well as the rest of us.

After not, we can use so...as instead as...as.

He’s not so/as successful as his father.

Other useful structures:

I haven’t got as much time as I tought.
We need as many poeple as possible.
She earns twice as much money as me/as I do.
He went to the same school as me/as I did.

As slow as a brocken down snail
As dirty as a dustbin lid
As thick as two short planks ( = stupid)
As black as two o’clock in the morning
As ugly as home-made soap
As happy as a dog with two tails

As poor as a church mouse
As croocked as a dog’s hind leg
As croocked as a barrel of fish hooks
As nervous as a brick wall
As brave as the first man who ate an oyster
As cold as an ex-wife’s heart
As big as the little end of nothing
As welcome as a wet shoe
As noisy as two skeletons dancing on a tin roof
As dark as the inside of a wolf
As scarce as hen’s teeth
As exciting as watching paint dry