Comparative versus superlative
Which sentences are correct?
- Which of these options is best?
- Which of these options is better?
- Which is the best option: A or B?
- Which is the better option: A or B?
- The game is for two players. The player with the higher score wins.
- The game is for two players. The player with the highest score wins.
- The game is for three players or more. The player with the higher score wins.
- The game is for three players or more. The player with the highest score wins.
The correct sentences are A, D, E, and H.
Why?
Most adjectives and many adverbs can be written in three degrees of comparison that describe the intensity of the quality—for example, fast, faster, fastest.
The three degrees of comparison are positive, comparative, and superlative. The base form of an adjective or an adverb is the positive degree of the quality, used when there is no comparison—in other words, when describing only one item or action. When exactly two items or actions are compared (either explicitly or implicitly), the comparative degree identifies which has more of the specific quality. When at least three items or actions are compared, the superlative degree identifies which shows the extreme form of the quality. Use the superlative as well when the size of the group is unspecified and potentially more than two (see sentence A). Notably, the three degrees do not always share the same root—for example, good, better, best.
Which sentence is correct?
- André is the better duelist.
- André is the best duelist.
Each sentence is correct in the right context. If André is fighting a duel, then the correct sentence is I. If André is in a fencing class with other students, then the correct sentence is J.
The degrees of comparison can take two forms, using suffixes or modifiers. Typically, short, one- and two-syllable words take the –er and –est suffixes, such as hard, harder, hardest, or easy, easier, easiest. Longer base terms tend to be preceded by the modifiers more and most or less and least, such as valuable, more valuable, most valuable, or qualified, less qualified, least qualified. Some adjectives and adverbs flexibly take both forms—for example, likely, likelier, likeliest, and also likely, more likely, most likely. With these flexible terms, choose the form that sounds most natural to you.
All three degrees can be modified by intensifiers, words that adjust the strength of another word, for example, pretty good, much better, the very best. Note that the double comparative more better is not allowed.
So remember, use the comparative form when comparing exactly two items or actions and the superlative form when comparing three or more.
