What is Adjective?| Degrees of Adjective

 ADJECTIVE

What is an Adjective?

A word that qualifies or adds something (good or bad quality) to the meaning of a Noun or Pronoun.

Example: - His pen is beautiful. Ali is a brave boy.

In the above two examples, beautiful and brave are the adjective.

Degrees of Adjective

There are three degrees of adjectives

1.    Positive Degree

2.    Comparative Degree

3.    Superlative Degree

Positive Degree

A positive degree shows the simple quality of an object without a reference.

Examples

1.    Honey is sweet.

2.    His car is beautiful

In the above two examples, Honey and Car are the objects. Sweet and Beautiful are qualities of the objects. They also show the positive degree of adjectives.

What is an adverb?

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree shows the higher degree of the adjective and involves two objects for comparison.

Examples

1.    She is older than I.

2.    Her hairs are longer than the main.

In the above two examples, She and Her are objects which are compared with I and mine respectively. Older and longer are the adjectives in sentences.

In the comparative degree sometimes MORE is used with the primary word of the adjective like more beautiful, more difficult, more proper.

His watch is more expensive than her.

Superlative Degree

The superlative degree shows the highest degree of adjective and also involves two objects one in comparison with the other.

Examples

1.    He is the youngest of all.

2.    Johan is boldest on his friend's list.

In the above examples, He and Johan are the comparative objects which are compared with all and friends. Youngest and boldest are the adjectives.

In the superlative degree, the MOST word is used with the parent adjective.

My shirt is the most beautiful of all.

 

Basically, adjectives provide the level of goodness and badness. In this way, we know about the object. For this degrees of adjective play a vital role. Degrees of Adjective provide the perfect level of goodness and badness. You can use the degrees for favoring someone in the sentence.

Formation of Comparatives and Superlatives

Ø Most of the adjectives of comparative and superlative degrees are formed by adding –er and –est to the positive degree respectively.

Examples

Positive Degree	Comparative Degree	Superlative degree
Hard	Harder	Hardest
Clever	Cleverer	Cleverest
Proud	Prouder	Proudest
Rich	Richer	Richest

 

Ø If positive degree ends with e then we will add –r and –rt to the comparative and superlative degrees respectively.

Example

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
True	Truer	Truest
Wise	Wiser	Wisest
Noble	Nobler	Noblest
Late	Later	Latest

 

Ø In this case positive degree ends with Y which is preceded by a consonant (b, c, d, f, g, etc) then y is changed into I. So comparative and superlative degrees are formed by adding -er and -est respectively.

Examples

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
Jolly	jollier	Jolliest
Noisy	Noisier	Noisiest
Easy	Easier	Easiest

 

Ø In case positive degree end with Y and proceeded by vowels then Y will not change with the addition of –er and –est for the formation of comparative and superlative degrees respectively.

Examples

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
Gay	Gayer	Gayest
Grey	Greyer	Greyest

 

Ø There is another case if the positive degree one consonant is preceded by the short vowel then the final consonant will be doubled before the addition of er and est for the formation of comparative degree and superlative degrees respectively.

Example

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
Fat	Fatter	Fattest
Sad	Sadder	Saddest
Wet	Wetter	Wettest

 

Ø Some adjectives of comparative and superlative degrees are formed by adding more and most before the parent adjective. This we have also mentioned above.

Example

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
Learned	More learned	Most learned
Courageous	More Courageous	Most courageous
Satisfactory	More satisfactory	Most satisfactory

 

Ø There are some adjectives that are irregular and have no role in conversion.

Example

Positive Degree	Comparative degree	Superlative Degree
Bad	Worse	Worst
Well	Better	Best
Fore	Former	Foremost