Speak good English - Get it correct

Last week we began looking at the way different adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees.

We said, for instance, that while a few mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using entirely different words altogether,  most mono-syllabic adjectives do so by adding the letters -er and -est, respectively, to the positive degree.

We also said some di-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees like the mono-syllabic adjectives  — they add the letters -er and -est, respectively, to the positive degree.

Now, there are many other di-syllabic adjectives that form their comparative and superlative degrees in  a different way  — they use the words more and most as prefixes to form the comparative and superlative degrees, respectively.

Examples:
Famous         more famous               most famous
Foolish          more foolish                most foolish
Handsome     more handsome          most handsome
Potent           more potent                 most potent
Serious          more serious                most serious
Wicked          more wicked                 most wicked
Serene           more serene                 most serene

Then there are those adjectives that have three or more syllables; we call them poly-syllabic adjectives.
Almost all poly-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using the words more and most, respectively, as prefixes.

Examples
Powerful           more powerful           most powerful
Intelligent        more intelligent         most intelligent
Dangerous        more dangerous        most dangerous
Interesting       more interesting        most interesting
Attractive         more attractive          most attractive
Palatable          more palatable           most palatable
Luxurious         more luxurious           most luxurious
Damaging        more damaging           most damaging

From the discussion so far, it can be seen that we have to be careful with the di-syllabic adjectives because some of them form their comparative and superlative degrees one way, while others form theirs in another way.

(To be continued)