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Comparative and superlative forms of adjectives...
I) COMPARATIVES: It's necessary to distinguish short adjectives and long ones:
Adjectives qualifying nouns are often used in the comparative and in the superlative forms, when it comes to comparing qualities attributed to nouns.
- Short adjectives: they have only one syllable (old- fat) and adjectives formed of two syllables ending with -y (happy - lazy);
- Long adjectives: all others.
1) EQUALITY / INEQUALITY:
To express the idea that an object or a person is "comparable to" ( Comparative of equality), "as + adjective + as..." is used, or on the contrary, "... not comparable to..." (Comparative of inequality)"... not as/ so + adjective + as... "
· - Connie is as old as her husband, but she isn't so tall as he is...
2) COMPARATIVES: when comparing two unequal elements, you must use:
a) The Comparative of Superiority, depending on the length of the adjectives:
- Short adjectives: ( see definition above) use the pattern: ... short adjective+ ER+ THAN...
- Derek Pierce is older than Julian.
- Long adjectives ... MORE + long adjective + THAN...
- David Pierce's car is more expensive than Connie's.
b) The Comparative of Inferiority: "... LESS + adjective + THAN..." This pattern must be used with both long and short adjectives.
BEWARE! When using an adjective ending with -y, the vowel must be turned into an -i : happy => happier=> the happiest.
II) SUPERLATIVES: express a quality at a very high, or at its highest degree.( He's very tall! ; David is the taller of the Pierce parents! *- here, the comparison is between two people=> the comparative form must be used)
* BEWARE! When the superlative form is used to compare only two elements, you MUST use a comparative form.
- Look at the twins! The taller is definitely also the more attractive one! =
- Superlative of superiority: for short adjectives= THE + short adjective + -EST+ noun/ / THE MOST+ long adjective + noun... (the smallest car, the tallest boy... the most interesting lecture. )
- Superlative of inferiority: the least + adjective (short or long)...
The superlative of inferiority is less used than that of superiority. Simply choose the opposite adjective:
- the least poor man => the richest man.../ the very rich man...
If the adjective ends with this pattern: Consonant-Vowel-Consonant, then, the final consonant is doubled (fat => fatter)
III) EXCEPTIONS: only 3 adjectives have irregular comparatives and superlatives.
Adjective | Comparative form | Superlative form |
Good | ... better than... | ... the best...! |
Bad | ... worse than... | ... the worst... ! |
Far | ... /farther/ further than... | ... the farthest/ the furthest... |
Here you are, with all the comparatives in hands!
You'll easily show that you are THE BEST!
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