COMPARISON

264. We have found that adjectives are a very important part of our speech for without them we could not describe the various objects about us and make known to others our ideas concerning their various qualities. But with the addition of these helpful words we can describe very fully the qualities of the things with which we come into contact. We soon find, however, that there are varying degrees of these qualities. Some objects possess them in slight degree, some more fully and some in the highest degree. So we must have some way of expressing these varying degrees in the use of our adjectives.

This brings us to the study of comparison of adjectives. Suppose I say:

I have used the adjective sweet expressing a quality possessed by oranges in three different forms, sweet, sweeter and sweetest. This is the change in the form of adjectives to show different degrees of quality. This change is called comparison, because we use it when we compare one thing with another in respect to some quality which they possess, but possess in different degrees.

The form of the adjective which expresses a simple quality, as sweet, is called the positive degree. That which expresses a quality in a greater degree, as sweeter, is called the comparative degree. That which expresses a quality in the greatest degree, as sweetest, is called the superlative degree.

265. Comparison is the change of form of an adjective to denote different degrees of quality.

There are three degrees of comparison, positive, comparative and superlative.

The positive degree of an adjective denotes simple quality.

The comparative degree denotes a higher degree of a quality.

The superlative degree denotes the highest degree of a quality.

266. Most adjectives of one syllable and many adjectives of two syllables regularly add er to the positive to form the comparative degree, and est to the positive to form the superlative degree, as:

PositiveComparativeSuperlative
sweetsweetersweetest
coldcoldercoldest
softsoftersoftest
bravebraverbravest
clearclearerclearest

267. Adjectives ending in y change y to i and add er and est to form the comparative and superlative degree, as:

PositiveComparativeSuperlative
busybusierbusiest
lazylazierlaziest
slysliersliest
wittywittierwittiest

268. Many adjectives cannot be compared by this change in the word itself, since the addition of er and est would make awkward or ill-sounding words. Hence we must employ another method to form the comparison of this sort of words. To say, beautiful, beautifuller, beautifullest, is awkward and does not sound well. So we say beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful.

Many adjectives form the comparative and superlative degree by using more and most with the simple form of the adjective, as:

PositiveComparativeSuperlative
beautifulmore beautifulmost beautiful
thankfulmore thankfulmost thankful
sensitivemore sensitivemost sensitive
wonderfulmore wonderfulmost wonderful

269. Adjectives of two syllables, to which er and est are added to form the comparison, are chiefly those ending in y or le, such as:

PositiveComparativeSuperlative
happyhappierhappiest
noblenoblernoblest
steadysteadiersteadiest
feeblefeeblerfeeblest
ableablerablest
wittywittierwittiest

270. Some adjectives, few in number, but which we use very often, are irregular in their comparison. The most important of these are as follows: (It would be well to memorize these.)

Positive Comparative Superlative
good better best
well
bad worse worst
ill
much more most
many
little less least
late later latest
latter last
far farther farthest
(up) adv. upper uppermost
(in) adv. inner innermost