DEGREES OF THE ADJECTIVES POSITIVE e.g. accessible, busy, luxurious, rustic, sturdy, subtle, courteous, comfortable, light, spacious, charming, restful, ideal, profitable, smart…
COMPARATIVE INFERIORITY
EQUALITY
SUPERLATIVE SUPERIORITY
- as + adjective + as - not so / as + adjective + as - the same as - like
- less + adjective + than
1 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - adjective + er + than 2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - adjective + er + than - more + adjective + than + 2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - more + adjective + than
1 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - the + adjective + est 2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - the + adjective + est - the most + adjective + 2 SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES - the most + adjective
e.g.
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a sofa is as comfortable as an armchair. a single room is not as spacious as a suite. a hallway is the same as a corridor a dresser is like a sideboard.
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a queen-size bed is less big than a king-size bed.
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a mansion is bigger than an apartment.
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It is the smartest receptionist in town.
e.g. Light colours are subtler than glossy ones. A wooden table is more rustic than a glass one.
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It is the sturdiest piece of furniture we have in our shop. This is the most charming city I have visited.
e.g. A business hotel is more profitable in a city than in the countryside.
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This is the most expensive hotel I have stayed in.
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS SPELLING -
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In one-syllable adjectives, final consonants are doubled if they follow a single vowel. e.g. big – bigger – the biggest In one-syllable adjectives, a final consonant is not doubled if it follows a consonant or two vowels. e.g. smart – smarter – the smartest A final y becomes an i if it follows a consonant e.g. sturdy – sturdier – the sturdiest If a word ends in e, only an r / st is added. e.g. rare – rarer – the rarest
TWO-SYLLABLE ADJECTIVES -
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IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES
IRREGULAR QUANTIFIERS
Common adjectives in English language, including those finishing in -er /-le/-ow form the comparative and superlative with – er / - est e.g. clever – cleverer – the cleverest
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Good – better – the best
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Bad – worse – the worst
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Two syllable adjectives ending in –y form the comparative and superlative with –ier / -iest e.g. busy – busier – the busiest
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Fun – more fun – the most fun vs. Funny – funnier – the funniest Far- further – the furthest (Degree) / (Br E) Far- farther – the farthest (Distance) / (Am E)
- Little (quantity) – less – the least (With uncountable nouns and countable nouns in singular) e.g. This is the least expensive hotel in town - Few – fewer – the fewest (With countable nouns in plural) e.g. Normally, there are fewer employees at reception than in the kitchen
Adjectives from a Latin root form the comparative and superlative with e.g. common – more common – the most common Two syllable adjectives ending in – al/-ous/-ing/-ed/-ish/ form the comparative and superlative with more / the most + adjective e.g. famous-more famous-the most famous
NOTE: IF IN DOUBT, USE MORE+ADJECTIVE. IT IS NORMALLY RIGHT.
(I love teaching & I love learning. Thanks to Sara P.)
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MODIFIERS -
Far Much A lot Quite a lot Quite a bit A bit A little Slightly Very slightly
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Not quite Not nearly Nothing like
+ adjective + er or + more + adjective
+ as + adjective
Much / Many – more – the most