With adverbs ending in -ly, you must use more to form the comparative, and most to form the superlative.
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| quietly | more quietly | most quietly |
| slowly | more slowly | most slowly |
| seriously | more seriously | most seriously |
Examples
- The teacher spoke more slowly to help us to understand.
- Could you sing more quietly please?
With short adverbs that do not end in -ly comparative and superlative forms are identical to adjectives: add -er to form the comparative and -est to form the superlative. If the adverb ends in e, remove it before adding the ending.
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| hard | harder | hardest |
| fast | faster | fastest |
| late | later | latest |
Examples
- Jim works harder than his brother.
- Everyone in the race ran fast, but John ran the fastest of all.
Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
| Adverb | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| badly | worse | worst |
| far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
| little | less | least |
| well | better | best |
Examples
- The little boy ran farther than his friends.
- You're driving worse today than yesterday !
- He played the best of any player.