Speak good English - Get it correct
Last week we began looking at the way different adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees.
We said, for instance, that while a few mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using entirely different words altogether, most mono-syllabic adjectives do so by adding the letters -er and -est, respectively, to the positive degree.
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We also said some di-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees like the mono-syllabic adjectives — they add the letters -er and -est, respectively, to the positive degree.
Now, there are many other di-syllabic adjectives that form their comparative and superlative degrees in a different way — they use the words more and most as prefixes to form the comparative and superlative degrees, respectively.
Examples:
Famous more famous most famous
Foolish more foolish most foolish
Handsome more handsome most handsome
Potent more potent most potent
Serious more serious most serious
Wicked more wicked most wicked
Serene more serene most serene
Then there are those adjectives that have three or more syllables; we call them poly-syllabic adjectives.
Almost all poly-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using the words more and most, respectively, as prefixes.
Examples
Powerful more powerful most powerful
Intelligent more intelligent most intelligent
Dangerous more dangerous most dangerous
Interesting more interesting most interesting
Attractive more attractive most attractive
Palatable more palatable most palatable
Luxurious more luxurious most luxurious
Damaging more damaging most damaging
From the discussion so far, it can be seen that we have to be careful with the di-syllabic adjectives because some of them form their comparative and superlative degrees one way, while others form theirs in another way.
(To be continued)