Comparison of Adjectives

Comparison of Adjectives

Adjectives change form to show comparison.

Look at the following examples.

Winston is clever.
Winston is cleverer than Harry.
Winston is the cleverest boy in the class.

Clever, cleverer and cleverest are different forms of the same adjective clever. The three forms are called Degrees of Comparison.

The adjective clever is said to be in the Positive Degree.

The adjective cleverer is said to be in the Comparative Degree.

The adjective cleverest is said to be in the Superlative Degree.

The Positive Degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.

Examples:
Maria is short.
Apples are expensive.

The Comparative Degree of an adjective denotes a higher degree of the quality than the Positive, and is used when two things or sets of things are compared.

Examples:
Maria is shorter than Jamie.
Apples are more expensive than oranges.

The Superlative Degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality, and is used when more than two things or sets of things are compared.

Examples:
Maria is the shortest girl in the class.
Apples are the most expensive fruit in the market.

Note 1 There is another way in which we can compare things. Instead of saying ‘Apples are more expensive than oranges’ we can say ‘Oranges are less expensive than apples’. Instead of saying ‘Apples are the most expensive fruits in the market’ we can say ‘Apples are the least affordable fruits in the market’.

Note 2

The Superlative with most is sometimes used where there is no idea of comparison, but merely a desire to indicate the possession of a quality in a very high degree.

Examples:
This is most unfortunate.
It was a most eloquent speech.
Truly, a most ingenious device!

This usage has been called the Superlative of Eminence or the Absolute Superlative.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative

Most adjectives of one syllable, and some of more than one, form the Comparative by adding er and the Superlative by adding est to the Positive.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
small	smaller	smallest
tall	taller	tallest
bold	bolder	boldest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
kind	kinder	kindest
young	younger	youngest
great	greater	greatest

When the positive ends in e, only r and est are added.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
brave	braver	bravest
fine	finer	finest
white	whiter	whitest
large	larger	largest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
able	abler	ablest
noble	nobler	noblest
wise	wiser	wisest

When the Positive ends in y, preceded by a consonant, the y is changed into i before adding er and est.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
happy	happier	happiest
easy	easier	easiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
merry	merrier	merriest
wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest

When the positive is a word of one syllable and ends in a single consonant, preceded by a short vowel, this consonant is doubled before adding er and est.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
red	redder	reddest
big	bigger	biggest
hot	hotter	hottest
thin	thinner	thinnest
sad	sadder	saddest
fat	fatter	fattest

Adjectives of more than two syllables, and many of those with two, form the Comparative by using the adverb more with the Positive, and the Superlative by using the adverb most with the Positive.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
splendid	more splendid	most splendid
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
difficult	more difficult	most difficult
industrious	more industrious	most industrious
courageous	more courageous	most courageous
learned	more learned	most learned
proper	more proper	most proper

The comparison er is not used when we compare two qualities in the same person or thing. If we wish to say that the courage of Harry is greater than his prudence, we must say,

Harry is more brave than prudent.

When two objects are compared with each other, the latter term of comparison must exclude the former. For example,

Iron is more useful than any other metal.

If we say,

Iron is more useful than any metal,

that is the same thing as saying ‘Iron is more useful than iron’ since iron is itself a metal.

Irregular comparison

The following adjectives are compared irregularly, that is, their Comparative and Superlative are not formed from the Positive.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
good, well	better	best
bad, evil, ill	worse	worst
little	less, lesser	least
much	more	most
many	more	most
late	later, latter	latest, last
old	older, elder	oldest, eldest
far	farther	farthest

Note 3
Later and latest refer to time. Latter and last refer to position.

Examples:
He is later than I expected.
I have not heard the latest news.
The latter chapters are lacking in interest.
The last chapter is carelessly written.
Ours is the last house in the street.

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