Some words cannot be compared in the usual ways you have learned. These words need to be used in a different, special way. These words are underlined within the word groups below.

Go through the word groups carefully to understand how they work in comparison.

Read each group of words (examples) 4-5 times — aloud.

1. He fights well. She fights better than him (he does). You fight the best.
2. He swung the stick fast. I swung it faster than him (he did). They swung it the fastest.
3. This cloth will shrink much. That cloth will shrink more than this one. The cloth over there will shrink the most.
4. This insect stings badly. That insect stings worse than this one. The insect you see there stings the worst.
5. Her balloon burst early. His balloon burst earlier than hers. Her balloon burst the earliest.
6. The fall hurt her a little. The fall hurt him less than it did her. The fall hurt me the least.
7. He knelt near the pulpit. She knelt nearer to the pulpit than him (he did). You knelt the nearest.
8. His plane landed early Ours landed earlier than his. The one to our left landed the earliest.
9. Today he recorded the minutes late. Last week, he recorded them later than he did. Today. Week before last, he recorded them the
10. He approved the proposal soon. She approved it sooner than he (did). You approved it the soonest.
11. We have advanced far in this new field. You have advanced farther than us (we do). They have advanced the farthest.