Most Adjectives of Quality, and four Adjectives of Number and Quantity (much, little, many, few) have degrees of comparison.
❒ There are three degrees of comparison:—
(a) The Positive degree is the simplest form of the adjective: tall, beautiful.
(b) The Comparative degree is the form used when a comparison is made between two persons or things:
He is taller than you.
It is more beautiful than that.
(c) The Superlative degree is the form used when more than two things, or sets of things, are compared:
He is the tallest boy in the class.
She is the most beautiful of all.
❒❒ Rules of Comparison
❒ Rule-1: Adjectives of one syllable are compared by adding er and est in the Comparative and Superlative degrees respectively: tall — taller, tallest; black—blacker, blackest.
Exceptions:—
(i) When the Positive ends in e, the e of er and est is dropped wise–wiser, wisest; pale–paler, palest.
(ii) When the Positive ends in y preceded by a consonant, y is changed into "i" before er and est: dry–drier, driest.
But when a vowel precedes y, it is not changed: gay–gayer, gayest.
(iii) If the Positive ends in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the consonant is doubled: red–redder, reddest.
But if it ends in two consonants, or has two vowels before the final consonant, the latter is not doubled: thick–thicker, thickest; weak–weaker, weakest.
❒ Rule-2: Adjectives of more than two syllables and most Adjectives of two syllables are compared by adding more and most, or less and least: beautiful–more or less beautiful, most or least beautiful; active–more or less active, most or least active.
❒ Rule-3: All Adjectives of two syllables ending in le, y, er and ow are generally compared as adjectives of one syllable:
❒ Rule-4: Irregular Comparison:—
❒ Rule-5: Words not adjectives in the positive degree, but used as such in the comparative and the superlative:—
❒ Rule-6: Adjectives without a Comparative form:
❒ Rule-7: Adjectives expressing shape or material or time or the highest or lowest degree of some quality cannot be compared: round, square, earthen, golden, daily, annual, perfect, extreme, eternal, chief, Almighty, infinite, complete, supreme, unique, universal, dead, empty, etc.
❒ Rule-8: Generally comparatives are followed by than (except in some cases):
Ram is taller than Shyam.
I am weaker than he.
When, however, selection is implied, the comparative is preceded by the and followed by of:
Ram is the taller of the two.
❒ Rule-9: When objects of the same class are compared by means of a comparative, their separation or exclusion should be distinctly shown by the use of any other, all other or no other:
He is better than any other boy (or all other boys,—not any boy) in the class.
No other boy (not, no boy) is so good as he.
But in a comparison by Superlatives other is not used:
He is the best of all the boys (not, all other boys).
The Himalayas are the highest of all mountains.
❒ Rule-10: The Comparatives (originally Latin), inferior, junior, prior, senior, superior are followed by 'to', not by 'than' :
He is inferior to you in strength.
You are junior to him in service.
He is superior to you in every respect.
He is senior to you in service.
❒ Rule-11: Comparatives followed neither by than nor by to:
former, latter, hinder, upper, inner, outer, elder, utter, etc.
These are followed by of when selection is implied:
He got the upper hand.
I am a member of the upper of the two chambers.
He is a former teacher of this school.
I want the former of the two.
❒ Rule-12: The use of that in such comparisons as the following should be carefully noted:
Ram's house is better than that of Jadu. The brother of Karim is taller than that of Abdul.
The population of India is larger than that of France.
His name is as familiar as that of your brother.
If the first sentence were written as, "Ram's house is better than Jadu", it would have meant a comparison between Ram's house and Jadu, as man,—an absurdity.
Similarly, in other sentences.
Conversely, note the absence of that in the following:
India is larger than France.
The Indus is longer than the Ganga.
I love your brother as much as Jadu.
❒ Rule-13:
(a) Superlatives are generally preceded by the and followed by of, except when they are qualified by possessive pronouns or when they qualify the vocative case:
He is the wisest of the brothers.
He is my dearest friend.
Dearest friend, come here at once.
(b) The Absolute Superlative, or Superlative of Eminence —
The Superlative, often with a most, is sometimes used to express a very great degree of a quality, with no idea of comparison:
It is a most interesting book.
He is a most wicked man.
He received me in the politest way.
(c) Superlative with "any" —
We often have such sentences as:
He is the most popular of any man here.
The Americans are the richest of any people in the world.
Though not strictly grammatical, the usage has come to stay.
❒ Rule-14: Double Comparatives or Superlatives should not be used. We should say:
I am happier (not, more happier) than he. He is the noblest (not, the most noblest) of the brothers.
❒ Rule-15: Adjectives of different degrees cannot be joined by and :
Incorrect : He is the strongest and very tall boy in the class.
Correct : He is the strongest and tallest boy in the class.
Incorrect: This town is more populous and very prosperous.
Correct: This town is more populous and more prosperous.
Or, This town is very populous and very prosperous.
❒ Rule-16: Uses of some adjectives explained:—
(a) Which and what may be used for persons and things in all genders and numbers:
Which book or books do you want?
What boy or boys can o it?
Which man or men will go ?
(b) Either means (i) one or other of two, or (ii) each of two, and is followed by a singular noun.
This can be done in either way (one way or the other).
There are towns on either bank (i.e., both banks) of the Ganga.
(c) Neither means not either, (i.e., not the one and not the other), and is followed by a singular noun: I want neither pen.
(d) Preferable has a comparative force, and hence does not require more before it. It is followed by to. Thus, we should write : Health is preferable (not more preferable) to riches.
(e) Each and Every are followed by the singular number. In phrases like every three hours, every = each group of.
NOTE: Do not use the comparative degree after the word Comparatively, which in itself contains the idea of comparison.
Thus, write, "I am comparatively well (not better) today." "He is comparatively rich."
❒ Rule-17: An Adjective is sometimes used as a Noun in the following cases:—
(a) As an Abstract Noun (singular):
He is a lover of the good (=goodness in general) and the true (=truth in general).
(b) As a Common Noun denoting a whole class it is then preceded by the, and has a plural sense:
The rich (=rich persons) are not always happy.
The brave (=brave persons) deserve rewards.
(c) As a name for some particular part of a thing:
He was given the white (=the white portion) of an egg.
He entered into the thick (=thickest parts) of the forest.
(d) As a complete noun:
Respect your betters.
A few other Adjectives of this kind are Indians, Europeans, Moderates, Liberals, mortals, nobles, etc.
They take the possessive inflexion and the plural sign like other Nouns.
(e) In a number of phrases: at all, at last, at present, in general, in short, in secret, before long, for good, for better, on high, from bad to worse, the long and the short, in black and white, etc.
❒ Rule-18: Nouns are often used as Adjectives (Epithet Nouns): a letter box, a gold ring, a goods train, the summer vacation, etc.
❒ Rule-19:
(a) The Position of Adjective: A single Adjective used attributively is generally placed before the noun it qualifies: a good man; the white horse; ten men; a large army.
(b) Exceptions: But the Adjective is often placed after the noun:
(i) In poetry:
"He sang to lords and ladies gay." "Shepherds all and maidens fair."
(ii) For the sake of emphasis:
This will bring on miseries untold.
Asoke the Great; Richard the Lion-hearted.
(iii) Where the adjective has some qualifying words or phrase :
He is a man rich in resources.
This is a house too big for my purpose.
This horse, more beautiful than yours, belongs to him.
(iv) When several Adjectives qualify the same noun:
There dwelt a miller hale and bold.
I want a boy, honest, industrious and active.
The captain, fearless and resolute, charged the enemy.
(v) In some phrases:
Time immemorial, body politic, heir apparent, Viceroy designate, President elect, Knight errant, Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, sum total, God Almighty.
EXERCISE FOR PRACTICE
