Get it correct: Degrees of comparison

Last week we looked at the three degrees of comparison — positive, comparative and superlative.

We also learnt that different adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees in different ways, and that adjectives do not have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to comparing them.

Today, we are going to look at how the various adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees.
 

In this attempt at looking at how the various adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees, we will categorise adjectives according to the number of syllables they have — one syllable (mono-syllabic), two syllables (dy-syllabic) and three or more syllables (poly-syllabic).

Now, a few mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees by using different words altogether.
These adjectives include:
good, bad, little, many, much and well.

Egs:

Good   better    best
Bad     worse    worst
Little   less        least
Well     better    best

Apart from these few mono-syllabic adjectives which form their comparative and superlative degrees in a different way, almost all the other mono-syllabic adjectives form their comparative degrees by adding the letters -er to the positive degree and the superlative form by adding -est to the positive degree.

Egs:

Fair       fairer        fairest
Hard     harder      hardest
Cheap   cheaper   cheapest
Big        bigger      biggest
Sad        sadder     saddest
Rich      richer       richest

When it comes to the di-syllabic adjectives, some of them form their comparative and superlative degrees like the mono-syllabic adjectives  — they add the letters -er and  -est to the positive degree.

Egs:
Simple    simpler    simplest
Lazy        lazier        laziest
Busy        busier      busiest
Heavy      heavier    heaviest
Crazy       crazier     craziest
Dirty        dirtier      dirtiest
Pretty       prettier    prettiest

Note that if the di-syllabic adjective ends with the letter  -y, that letter changes to -i before we add the -er and the -est to form the comparative and the superlative degrees of that particular adjective.

(To be continued)