Adjectives of three or more syllables have more and most.
- Careful / more careful / most careful
- Beautiful / more beautiful / most beautiful
- Intelligent / more intelligent / most intelligent
- Practical / more practical / most practical
There are some exceptions to this rule. The opposites of two-syllable adjectives ending in –y usually form the comparative and the superlative by adding –er and –est. Examples are: unhappy and untidy.
- Unhappy / unhappier / unhappiest
- Untidy / untidier / untidiest
Some compound-adjectives have two possible comparatives and superlatives.
- Good-looking / more good-looking / most good-looking
- Good-looking / better-looking / best-looking
- Well-known / more well-known / most well-known
- Well-known / better-known / best-known
More and most with short adjectives
Sometimes more and most are used with short adjectives which usually take –er and –est. This usually happens when a comparative is not followed immediately by than.
- The task is getting more and more hard. (OR The task is getting harder and harder.)
- You are getting more and more young. (OR You are getting younger and younger.)
When we compare two descriptions of the same person or thing, we use more.
- He is more lazy than stupid. (NOT He is lazier than stupid.)
