THE COMPARISON

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
Comparison of adjectives refers to the comparison between the objects to which the attrib!te some "!a#ities in a hi$her% an e"!a# or a sma##er de$ree& There are three grammatical degrees of comparison of adjectives' a. the positive degree% which is assimi#ated to the dictionar form of the respective adjective and which imp#ies no rea# comparison( b. the comparative degree% which e)presses the ideas of superiority% equality or inferiority of a "!a#it re#ative to another "!a#it ( c. the superlative degree% which e)presses either a "!a#it in its hi$hest de$ree b comparison with that be#on$in$ to the members of an identifiab#e $ro!p% or a "!a#it in the hi$hest de$ree possib#e% which is the case of the absolute superlative% e&$&' very tall vs& very short& There are two t pes of re$!#ar comparison in contemporar En$#ish% the one of onesyllable adjectives% the other of adjectives of three or more syllables % and an irregular comparison% which restricts itse#f to the comparison of the fo##owin$ adjectives' bad/ill, far, good, little, many/much, old. REGULAR COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES A. Comparison of One-Syllable Adjectives

a& The Comparative Degree 1. The Comparative Degree of Superiority * One+s ##ab#e adjectives ,with the e)ception of right, wrong, real, !"t- form their comparative de$ree of s!periorit b addin$ the s!ffi) er to their positive de$ree form fo##owed% when necessar % b the preposition+conj!nction than when the other object of comparison is mentioned& !ohn is taller than "eter.

THE COMPARISON Obs.& /hen j!st two items% peop#e% etc& are compared% and the second item of comparison is not mentioned% then the comparative form is preceded b the definite artic#e% e&$&' !ohn is the smarter #of the t$o boys%& Obs&0 &han is conjunction in' 'e(s smarter than ) am/) and preposition in' 'e(s taller smarter me ,acc!sative form-. There are some cases ,1iber et a#&% .222% 300- in which monos ##abic adjectives can a#ternative# have inflectional comparison as we## as phrasal comparison with more and most especia## with an emphasi4in$ p!rpose' *+ouldn(t that be more fair,- she as.ed. ,5ict&)n e/treme situations, some $omen can be more fierce than men. Obs& 6is ##abic adjectives endin$ in *er, -y, -ly, -o$% as we## as dis ##abic adjectives with the stress on the second s ##ab#e !s!a## form their comparative de$ree of s!periorit with the he#p of the *er s!ffi)' bitter happy humble friendly narro$ bitterer happier humbler friendlier narro$er

Note' A n!mber of dis ##abic adjectives with the stress on the first s ##ab#e' pleasant, quiet, common as we## as adjectives of three s ##ab#es of which one is a ne$ative prefi) a#so add *er' unhappy, insincere, impolite, unpleasant% etc& Other adjectives with both 7inds of comparison are' cruel, gentle, handsome, li.ely, mature, obscure, shallo$, stupid, subtly& SPELLING There are the fo##owin$ spe##in$ r!#es in connection with the addin$ of the *er s!ffi)' a& adjectives endin$ in *e in the positive% drop it before the *er s!ffi)' nice red nicer0 cute- cuter redder0 fit fitter b& a sin$#e fina# consonant+#etter is do!b#ed ,e)cept /- after a stressed vowe#+#etter' 1!t' la/ la/er Obs& 5ina# *r% which is never f!## prono!nced% sta s the same' 0

THE COMPARISON clever brainy cleverer brainier

c& 5ina# *y preceded b a consonant so!nd t!rns it into *i' d& *l is do!b#ed after an !nstressed or stressed vowe# in 1ritish En$#ish and it sta s sin$#e in both cases in American En$#ish' foul fouller ,1r&E&- vs& fouler ,Am&E&cheerful#l%er e& *l in the s!ffi) *ful varies in 1r&E&' cheerful

2. The Comparative Degree of E uality It is e)pressed with the he#p of the str!ct!re' conj!nction as 8 adjective 8 conj!nction as to show a simi#ar de$ree of the same "!a#it ' as tall as0 as clever as Obs& The comparative de$ree of e"!a#it is most prod!ctive in En$#ish idiomatic e)pressions with the st #istic va#!e of similes ,i&e& e)pressions of #i7eness said to e)ist between two different objects or events-' as fresh as a daisy as cool as a cucumber as busy as a bee as silly as a goose as dead as a doornail as strong as an o/ as ugly as sin as slippery as an eel as drun. as a lord as fresh as a daisy as sly as a fo/ as $hite as sno$

!. The Comparative Degree of "nferiority In order to e)press the comparative de$ree of inferiorit % that is in order to sa that someone or somethin$ has a smaller amo!nt of a "!a#it than the had before or than someone or somethin$ e#se% one !ses the comparative de$ree form of the adverb little% i&e& less 8 adjective or less 8 adjective 8 the conj!nction than' &he $riter(s latest novel $as less successful. "eter is less tall than &om. Obs&. In conversation peop#e do not !s!a## !se less in front of adjectives& Instead the !se a ne$ative form of the comparative de$ree of inferiorit with the conj!nctiona# phrase not as 1 as' &oday it is not as cold as yesterday. 9

THE COMPARISON Note.' not so 1 as is a#so sometimes !sed% b!t this is #ess common' 'e is not so good as he thin.s he is. Note0' The form lesser a#so f!nctions attrib!tive# on its own as an imp#icit ,abso#!tecomparative to e)press a sma##er de$ree of a "!a#it or of a "!antit ' a lesser sum of money0 the lesser of t$o evils0 the lesser evil0 to a lesser e/tent0 lesser mortals ,ordinar peop#eb& The Superlative Degree S!per#ative adjectives are !sed to indicate that somethin$ or somebod has more of a "!a#it than an thin$ or an bod e#se of their 7ind% or more than an thin$ or an bod e#se in a partic!#ar $ro!p or p#ace& One+s ##ab#e adjectives as we## as the above mentioned dis ##abic ones and a n!mber of tris ##abic adjectives form their s!per#ative de$ree of comparison b addin$ the endin$ est to their positive de$ree form& In most cases% s!per#ative forms are preceded b the definite artic#e the and imp# the comparative idea of :of them a##; or :in that $ro!p; or :in that p#ace& 'e is #the% smartest #of them all%. ,the is optiona# when the s!per#ative is not !sed attrib!tive# or with an :of phrase;&his is the biggest mista.e you have ever made. ,the is a#wa s !sed when the s!per#ative form is !sed attrib!tive# &his is the happiest moment of my life. The ne$ative form of the s!per#ative correspondin$ to the less 1 than and not so/as 1 as comparative of inferiorit is b!i#t% respective# ' a& with the s!per#ative form of the adverb little% i&e& #the% least 2 positive adjective% most# in written En$#ish' Th!s% 'e is less tall than the others becomes' 'e is #the% least tall #of them all%. b& with the s!per#ative form of the anton mic word correspondin$ to the respective adjective' Th!s% 'e is not as/so tall as the others becomes' 'e is #the% shortest #of them all%. Obs& In conversation peop#e tend to !se a s!per#ative rather than a comparative when the are comparin$ j!st two thin$s' <

THE COMPARISON &he train is quic.est% ma be !sed instead of &he train is quic.er% when comparin$% for e)amp#e% a train service with a b!s service& However% s!ch !sa$e is never to be made in forma# writin$& T#E A$SOLUTE SUPERLATIVE OF ONE%S&LLA$LE ADJECTIVES The abso#!te s!per#ative e)presses a "!a#it e)treme "!a#it -& It is !s!a## b!i#t b means of the adverb very p#aced in front of the positive de$ree form of the adjective' very big0 very good0 very happy0 very little Obs&. One does not !se very with adjectives which a#read describe an e)treme "!a#it s!ch as enormous or terrible. Other s!ch adjectives are' absurd, a$ful, brilliant, delighted, essential, e/cellent, furious, huge, massive, perfect, splendid, $onderful. Obs&0 Some peop#e !se most in front of adjectives and adverbs in the sense of very when the are e)pressin$ their opinion of somethin$& However% most is not to be !sed in front of ver common words #i7e good, bad, etc& &he film $as most disturbing. ,= ver dist!rbin$a most interesting boo.% etc& Obs&9 One does not !se very to emphasi4e ed words when the are part of a passive constr!ction& Th!s% one does not sa % 'e is very li.ed ,>- or She is very admired ,>-& Instead% s!ch adverbs as $ell, much or greatly are !sed' $ell li.ed, much/greatly admired. in its hi$hest de$ree possib#e with

practica## no idea of comparison imp#ied ,e)cept for an imp#ied reference to the opposite