THE ADJECTIVE – COMPARISON DEGREES

Compared to the Romanian adjective, the English one does not change according to
gender, number and case. The only change is the comparison. The English adjective stays in
front of the noun.

There are 3 types of comparison degrees:

1. the positive degree – shows the existence of a quality of the object without making any
comparison.

2. the comparative degree – compares two objects, showing:

a) equality between two objects = Equality Comparative;
e.g. She is as tall as her sister.
b) inferiority between two objects = Inferiority Comparative
e.g. The Lesson is less interesting than the previous one.
c) or superiority of one object = Superiority Comparative
e.g. I am younger than her.

3. The Superlative Degree shows that a member of a group has the compared quality in its
highest level by a direct comparison:
a) the relative superlative – a direct comparison
e.g. She is the cleverest of all.
b) or without a direct comparison
e.g. She is very clever.

THE COMPARATIVE & THE SUPERLATIVE

I. Synthetic Comparison:
A) one syllable adjectives form the superiority comparative by adding “-er” at the
positive form and the relative superlative by “the” + adj + “est” at the positive
form:
e.g. small – smaller – the smallest
short – shorter – the shortest
writing rules:
1. adjectives ending in a consonant preceded by a short vowel double the last
consonant when adding –er /- est:
e.g. big –bigger –the biggest
hot – hotter – the hottest
fat – fatter –the fattest
thin – thinner –the thinnest

2. adjectives ending in “-y” preceded by a consonant change “y” into “i” when
adding –er / -est:
e.g. dry – drier –the driest

3. adjectives ending in –e / - ee drop this vowel when adding –er / -est:

e.g. nice –nicer – the nicest
free –freer –the freest

B) two syllables adjectives ending in: -y, -le, -er, -ow, -some:
e.g. happy –happier –the happiest

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clever –cleverer –the cleverest
able –abler – the ablest
narrow –narrower –the narrowest
handsome –handsomer –the handsomest
Exceptii: eager, proper, fertile, hostile, fragile go with “more” and “the most”

II. Analytic Comparison

1. two or more syllables adjectives: wonderful, careful, interesting, difficult:
e.g. difficult –more difficult –the most difficult

2. compound adjectives:
a) when the first element is the one that keeps the meaning of the adj., this is the
one that changes for the comparative and the superlative:
e.g. well –known / better –known / the best – known
ill –paid, intelligent –looking
b) when the two element are seen as an entire, from the meaning point of view,
they go with “more” & “the most”:
e.g. heart –broken / more heart –broken /the most heart ‘broken

Some adjectives have both forms of comparison:

A) Synthetic preferable:
1. one syllable adjectives: calm, fit, huge, keen, kind, plain, rare, stiff, vague,
sound:
e.g. calm –calmer –calmest
2. two syllable adjectives ending in “-y” / “-ly”: angry, clumsy, lucky, misty,
sleepy, friendly, lovely’
e.g. angry –angrier –the angriest

B) Analytic comparison preferable:

1. two syllables adjectives with the accent on the first syllable: active, civil,
common, fertile, hostile, prudent, pleasant, stupid, sudden, constant:
e.g. common –more common –the most common
2. two syllables adjectives with the accent on the last: severe, polite, concise,
remote, precise:
Polite –more polite –the most polite
 correct, distinct, exact, intact = only with “more” and “the most”
3. three syllables adjectives with negative prefix: unhappy, unlucky, unpleasant,
insecure:
e.g. unpleasant –more unpleasant –the most unpleasant

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Irregular English Adjectives
The following adjectives do not follow the general rules of the comparison:
good/well –better - best
bad/ill - worse – worst
little - less/lesser – least
much/many – more – most
old – older/elder – oldest/eldest
far – farther/further – farthest/furthest
near – nearer – nearest/next
fore – former – foremost/first
late – later/latter – latest/last
hind – hinder – hindmost/hindermost (posterior, de la spate)
Remarks:
1. little-less/lesser-least
The comparative form "less" is used with uncountable nouns and it refers to quantity:
less joy, less happiness
The form "lesser" means "smaller, not so important": the writer's lesser works
2. old-older/elder-oldest/eldest
The forms "elder-eldest" are used only attributively, in family relationships: my elder
brother. The forms "older-oldest" are used both for persons and things with reference to age:
My dog is older than yours.
She is the oldest woman in her village.
3. far-farther/further-farthest/furthest
Both series can be used with reference to distance:
I swam to the farther bank of the river.
We could see the further end of the street.
However, the forms "further-furthest" refer to time, quantity or degree, the
comparative having the meaning of "additional", "more":
*need further information.
The adjective "far" has two other superlative forms:"farthermost" and
"furthermost" which are stronger than the corresponding "farthest" and "furthest".
4. near-nearer-nearest/next
"Nearest" is used of distance:
Can you show me the way to the nearest bank7

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 "next" refers to order.
The next train is at seven.
5. fore-former-foremost/first
"former" means "at an earlier period" or "the first of two":
Informer times people led a healthier life.
I've met Sam and Will; the former is a student, the latter is a lawyer.
Although comparative in aspect, "former" does not always express comparison:
A former teacher of mine has moved next door.
" foremost" means "chief, that is it refers to quality:
He was the foremost poet of his time.
"first" means "initial"
Sam was the first man to come.
In order to lay even greater emphasis on the importance of something, the phrase "first
and foremost" can be used.
6. late-later/latter-latest/last
"later" and "latest" refer to time (meaning 'happening at some time in the future or
after the time you have been speaking about' and respectively 'the most recent'):
We can settle on the price at a later date.
This is the latest fashion.
"latter" and "last" refer to order: "latter" means "the second of two"; "last" means
"final":
Jane and Mary are my best friends: the former is a doctor, the latter is a teacher.
"The Tempest" is Shakespeare's last play.
Special adjectives
Some adjectives have two possible forms of comparison (-er/est and more/most).
positive comparative superlative
clever cleverer / more clever cleverest / most clever
common commoner / more common commonest / most common
likely likelier / more likely likeliest / most likely
pleasant pleasanter / more pleasant pleasantest / most pleasant
polite politer / more polite politest / most polite
quiet quieter / more quiet quietest / most quiet
simple simpler / more simple simplest / most simple
stupid stupider / more stupid stupidest / most stupid
subtle subtler / more subtle subtlest / most subtle
sure surer / more sure surest / most sure

SEMANTIC CATEGORIES OF ADJECTIVES

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There are two major semantic categories of adjectives: descriptors and classifiers.

1. Descriptors are adjectives that describe color, size and weight, chronology and age,
emotion, and other characteristics. They are typically gradable. For example:
- color descriptors: black, white, dark, bright, blue, brown, green, grey, red
- size / quantity / extent descriptors: big, deep, heavy, huge, long, large, little, short,
small, thin, wide
- time descriptors describe chronology, age, and frequency: annual, daily, early, late, new, old,
recent, young
- evaluative / emotive descriptors denote judgments, emotions, and emphasis: bad, beautiful,
best, fine, good, great, lovely, nice, poor
- miscellaneous descriptors cover many other kinds of characteristics: appropriate, cold,
complex, dead, empty, free, hard, hot, open, positive, practical, private, serious, strange,
strong, sudden.

2. Classifiers limit or restrict a noun's referent, rather than describing characteristics in the
way that descriptors do. For example:
- relational/classificational/restrictive classifiers limit the referent of a noun in relation to
other referents: additional, average, chief, complete, different, direct, entire, external, final,
following, general, initial, internal, left, main, maximum, necessary, original, particular,
previous, primary, public, similar, single, standard, top, various
- affiliative classifiers identify the national or social group of a referent: American, Chinese,
Christian, English, French, German, Irish, United
- Topical / other classifiers give the subject area or specific type of a noun: chemical,
commercial, environmental, human, industrial, legal, medical, mental, official, oral, phonetic,
political, sexual, social, visual.

As you can see from these examples, the distinction between descriptors and
classifiers is not always clear. Many topical classifiers, for instance, provide descriptive
content while they also limit the reference of the head noun (e.g. chemical, medical, political).
Most classifiers are non-gradable. This means that they usually cannot take modifiers
of degree or comparative/superlative forms. For example, we cannot say *very medical or
*more additional.
Some adjectives can serve as both classifiers and descriptors, depending on their
context of use. For example, the expressions in the left-hand column contain a descriptor,
while the same adjective is a classifier in the right-hand column.

Descriptor Classifier
a popular girl in high school popular vote, popular opinion
criminal activity criminal law
a primary issue primary school