The word “smart” is an adjective that describes intelligence, cleverness, or the quality of being quick-witted or bright. To form its comparative and superlative forms, we follow typical patterns for adjectives that are one syllable or two syllables (like “smart”). Here’s an explanation:
Comparative: Smarter
The comparative form is used to compare two things or people. It indicates that one is more intelligent or clever than the other.
- Example sentence: “Lara is smarter than her classmates in math.”
In this case, we are comparing the intelligence of Lara with her classmates. “Smarter” shows that Lara has a higher level of intelligence than the other students.
Superlative: Smartest
The superlative form is used when comparing three or more things or people. It indicates that something or someone has the highest degree of the quality being described.
- Example sentence: “Out of all the contestants, Sarah is the smartest.”
Here, we’re comparing Sarah to all the contestants, and she is at the top in terms of intelligence.
Formation rules:
- For many adjectives that are short or two syllables (like “smart”), you typically form the comparative by adding -er and the superlative by adding -est.
- For example:
- “Taller” (comparative of “tall”)
- “Most beautiful” (if the adjective has more than two syllables, like “beautiful”)
Irregular forms:
- Some adjectives have irregular forms for comparison (e.g., “good” becomes “better” in the comparative and “best” in the superlative), but “smart” follows the regular pattern.
Important note:
- You might also hear people use phrases like “more smart” or “most smart” in casual speech, but these are technically less correct than “smarter” and “smartest.” It’s always best to use the regular comparative and superlative forms.