THE ADJECTIVE. § 1. The adjective is a word expressing a quality of a substance.

 

§ 1. The adjective is a word expressing a quality of a substance.

§ 2. The adjective has the following morphological characteristics:

Most adjectives have degrees of comparison: the comparative degree and the superlative degree.¹

The comparative degree denotes a higher degree of a quality.

She is taller than her sister.

My box is smaller than hers.

The superlative degree denotes the highest degree of a quality.

She is the tallest of the three sisters.

Her box is the smallest of all our boxes.

(The noun modified by an adjective in the superlative degree has the definite article because the superlative degree of the adjective always implies limitation.)

Adjectives form their degrees of comparison in the following way:

(a)by the inflexion -er, -est (synthetical way);

(b)by placing more and most before the adjective (analytical way).

Monosyllabic adjectives usually form their comparatives and super­latives in the first way, and polysyllabic adjectives in the second way.

The following polysyllabic adjectives, however, generally form their comparative and superlative degrees inflexionally:

1. Adjectives of two syllables which end in -y, -ow, -er; -le.

 

happy

narrow

clever

simple

 

 

happier

narrower

cleverer

simpler

 

(the) happiest

(the) narrowest

(the) cleverest

(the) simplest

2. Adjectives of two syllables which have the stress on the last syl­lable:

¹ Some adjectives have no degrees of comparison (see § 7).

 

complete completer (the) completest

concise conciser (the) concisest

 

 

Some adjectives have irregular forms of degrees of comparison, e.g.:

good	better	(the) best
bad	worse	(the) worst
many, much	more	(the) most
little	less	(the) least
far	farther	(the) farthest the furthest
further
old	older	the oldest
elder	(the) eldest