Part 6 Identifying Grammar Errors

Grammar: Adjectives, Comparative and Superlative

Each language treats the comparative and superlative form differently. In some, the word is repeated. In some, adjectives are declined in various cases, genders, numbers and persons. In many respects, English is a lot simpler. In English, we simply make the comparative form by adding the word more, (or less for a decreasing comparison) or the suffix -er. We make the superlative form by adding most (or least for a decreasing comparison) or the suffix -est.

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A few examples:

smart	smarter	smartest
pretty	prettier	prettiest
handsome	more handsome	most handsome
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent

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The difficulty, of course, is to know when to add more and when to add -er. In the comparative form, generally, we add -er to one and some two syllable words and more to words of more than one, or, at most, two syllables. Likewise, with the superlative. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule.

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Also, there are a few special cases which must be memorized:

aft	after	aftermost
bad	worse	worst
far	farther or further	farthest or furthest
fun	more fun	most fun
ill	worse	worst
good	better	best
late	later or latter	latest or last
little	less or lesser	least
many	more	most
much	more	most
near	nearer	nearest or next
old	older or elder	oldest or eldest

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A few other points to consider:

• 1) Using both forms on an adjective is incorrect, yet a common error to watch for. A couple examples:

  wrong	right
  more faster	faster
  more commoner	more common or commoner
  most consideratest	most considerate

• 2) If comparing two objects, use the comparative. Also, the structure as x as can be used. Modern man may not be 'as smart as' the ancient Egyptians.

• 3) Remember, the comparative often takes the word than. The people who built the pyramids were smarter than our own engineers.

• 4) If comparing three, more or all objects, use the superlative.

• 5) Remember to use the before superlative comparisons.

• 6) Spelling rules to remember include:
  • Single syllable words which end in consonants usually double the consonant: hot becomes hotter.
  • Words which end in e do not usually take an extra e: little becomes littler
  • Adjectives which end in ly drop the y and add ier (unless you choose to use more or most): friendly becomes friendlier (or more friendly) but: devoutly does not become devoutlier - it should be more devoutly

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