english grammar

ADJECTIVES :

                      words like tall, big or intelligent. These words can have what grammarians name degrees of modification. The degrees of modification can be the positive the comparative  and the superlative forms. In fact only comparative and superlatives show these degrees in practice.


Used comparative and superlative 

                                                    We use the comparative degree for comparing two things and the superlative for comparing three or more things. Take a look at the example below...

EXAMPLES

* I am a big monkey ! (1 This is the positive degree)
 

 
* Yeah...but I am bigger. (2 This is the comparative degree )

* I am the biggest...The biggest in the world (3 This is the superlative degree)

- The comparative and superlative adjectives of one syllable is formed by adding the endings-er and-est at the end of the adjective:

cold     >>   colder     >>   coldest 

- Adjectives ending in a vowel followed by a consonant double the final consonant before adding the endings-er or-est:

hot       >>   hotter      >>   hottest

- The two-syllable adjectives ending in-y change the y to i and only then add the endings-er or-est :

noisy   >>   noisier    >>   noisiest                                         

- In the case of adjectives of two or more syllables (except those ending in-y) the comparative and superlative are formed with more and MOST:

beautiful  >>  more beautiful  >>  most beautiful

- Remember that the comparative and superlative "irregular" change completely. Here are some:

good  >>   better                  >>  best
bad    >>   worse                  >>  worst
far      >>   farther / further   >>  farthest / furthest

exercices

* Tom is old. He is 70. But Paul is 83. He is older than Tom...and Joe is 120. He is the oldest

* The trumpet is noisy...A single drum is noisier...But a set of drums is the noisiest musical instrument.
 
* A pocket camera is expensive... A reflex camera is more expensive than a pocket camera....But a digital camera is the most expensive of the three.

* Tom is a good student. He marks are always seven or eight. Sue is better than Tom: she gets always eight or nine....But Lisa is the best in the class...She always gets ten