THE COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

THE COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

There are three degrees of comparison:
POSITIVE degree, COMPARATIVE degree, SUPERLATIVE degree:

01. COMPARATIVE OF EQUALITY

AS .... AS (for positive comparisons),
(NOT) SO .... AS (for negative comparisons).

Her pronunciation is AS good AS yours.
His pronunciation is NOT SO good AS yours.

Note: We may say NOT AS .... AS, especially after a contracted form: Her pronunciation isn't AS good AS yours.

02. COMPARATIVE OF INFERIORITY

LESS ..... THAN + the adjective.

It is LESS cold today THAN it was yesterday.
Kelly is LESS old THAN Sandra.

03. SUPERLATIVE OF INFERIORITY

THE LEAST ....... OF (or IN) + the adjective.

Sunday was THE LEAST cold day of the week.
Christina is THE LEAST old girl in that class.

04. COMPARATIVE and SUPERLATIVE OF SUPERIORITY

a) Monosyllabic adjectives form their COMPARATIVE and SUPERLATIVE by adding - ER and - EST to the POSITIVE degree.

Exceptions:

b) Adjectives with more than two syllables form their COMPARATIVE and SUPERLATIVE by putting MORE and THE MOST in front of the adjective.

c) Disyllabic (two syllables) adjectives form their COMPARATIVE and SUPERLATIVE in two different ways:

1. Adjectives ending in ED, ING, RE, FUL, OUS and those with the stress on the first syllable usually take MORE and THE MOST:

2. Adjectives ending in ER, Y, LE, OW and those with the stress on the second syllable add ER and EST to the POSITIVE degree.

Note: Adjectives ending in SOME and the words cheerful, common, cruel, pleasant, quiet, civil may be compared by adding ER and EST or by MORE and MOST.

or

05. ORTHOGRAPHIC NOTES a) Add R and ST to adjectives ending in E.

b) VOWEL SANDWICH (VOWEL + CONSONANT + VOWEL) (THE LAST VOWEL IS DOUBLED)

NO SANDWICH (JUST THE SUFFIX)

c) Adjectives ending in - y preceded by a consonant, change Y into I before ER and EST.

Exceptions:

6. IRREGULAR COMPARISONS

NOTES: 1. FARTHER and FARTHEST generally refer to distance; FURTHER and FURTHEST also refer to distance but they may have the meaning of "additional".
I live farther from here than you do.
Give me further details.

2. OLDER and OLDEST refer to persons or things; ELDER and ELDEST can only be used for members of the same family:
My elder sister is afraid of mice.
My older friend is afraid of wasps.

but ELDER can not be placed before THAN so OLDER is used:
My sister is two years older than I am.

7. CONSTRUCTIONS WITH COMPARATIVES

a) Gradual increase: Those exercises are getting EASIER AND EASIER. OR Those exercises are getting MORE AND MORE EASY.

The weather is getting NICER AND NICER. OR The weather is getting MORE AND MORE NICE.

The rent of our flat is getting MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE.

B) Parallel increase: (THE + comparative ...... THE + comparative). THE MORE I see you THE MORE I want you.
THE HOTTER, THE BETTER.
THE MORE he studies, THE BETTER he becomes.

COMPARISON OF ADVERBS

1. COMPARATIVE and SUPERLATIVE of SUPERIORITY.

a) Monosyllabic adverbs from their comparative and superlative of superiority in the same way as monosyllabic adjectives.

b) Adverbs of more than one syllable take MORE and MOST.

Exception:

2. IRREGULAR COMPARISONS