Get it correct: Degrees of comparison
Last week we looked at the three degrees of comparison — positive, comparative and superlative.
We also learnt that different adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees in different ways, and that adjectives do not have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to comparing them.
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Today, we are going to look at how the various adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees.
In this attempt at looking at how the various adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees, we will categorise adjectives according to the number of syllables they have — one syllable (mono-syllabic), two syllables (dy-syllabic) and three or more syllables (poly-syllabic).
Now, a few mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using different words altogether.
These adjectives include:
good, bad, little, many, much and well.
Egs:
Good better best
Bad worse worst
Little less least
Well better best
Apart from these few mono-syllabic adjectives which form their comparative and superlative degrees in a different way, almost all the other mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative degrees by adding the letters -er to the positive degree and the superlative form by adding -est to the positive degree.
Egs:
Fair fairer fairest
Hard harder hardest
Cheap cheaper cheapest
Big bigger biggest
Sad sadder saddest
Rich richer richest
When it comes to the di-syllabic adjectives, some of them form their comparative and superlative degrees like the mono-syllabic adjectives — they add the letters -er and -est to the positive degree.
Egs:
Simple simpler simplest
Lazy lazier laziest
Busy busier busiest
Heavy heavier heaviest
Crazy crazier craziest
Dirty dirtier dirtiest
Pretty prettier prettiest
Note that if the di-syllabic adjective ends with the letter -y, that letter changes to -i before we add the -er and the -est to form the comparative and the superlative degrees of that particular adjective.
(To be continued)