Write more better . . . a look at comparative and superlative adjectives
Bart Simpson: This is the worst day of my life.
Homer Simpson: The worst day of your life so far.
My first grader has worked hard this school year learning to write basic sentences.One area he struggles with is adjectives. He often writes “I have the bestest pet ever” or “Soccer is more harder than baseball.”
As professional writers and editors, PR Daily readers aren’t making these kinds of mistakes. But the rules for comparative and superlative adjectives can be tricky. Not all adjectives have comparative forms (such as the word unique) and many adjectives have irregular comparative forms (little, less, least).
So here’s a look at the rules for comparative and superlative adjectives.
Comparative adjectives are used to compare two people or things. Comparatives in English are marked by the suffix -er or preceded by the word more or less.
I am smarter than my sister.
Superlative adjectives are used to compare one person or thing with every other member of the group. Superlatives are marked by the suffix -est or preceded by the word most or least.
I am the smartest person in my family.
Comparative and superlatives adjectives are formed in different ways, depending on the base adjective.
1. If an adjective has one or two syllables, the letters –er and –est are added.
warm, warmer, warmest
narrow, narrower, narrowest
If the adjective already ends in –e, –r and –st are added.
nice, nicer, nicest
nimble, nimbler, nimblest
2. Some adjectives with two syllables vary, using more for the comparative and most for the superlative:
dashing, more dashing, most dashing
Many two-syllable adjectives can use either form.
clever, cleverer, cleverest
clever, more clever, most clever
3. If the adjective has three or more syllables, the word more is used for the comparative and most is used for the superlative.
interesting, more interesting, most interesting
insolent, more insolent, most insolent
4. Some adjectives change their spelling to form the comparative and superlative forms.
sad, sadder, saddest
scrawny, scrawnier, scrawniest
5. Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms that must be memorized.
bad, worse, worst
good, better, best
much, more, most
Another group of adjectives worth mentioning are absolute adjectives. These are words whose meanings are absolute and cannot be modified. These include unique, complete, equal, infinite, and perfect. In this context, something is either unique or not. Very unique is meaningless.
Adjective forms can be tricky . . . the use of indirect and unclear descriptors can cause readers to ignore or misinterpret your message. To keep your writing the most perfect it can be, practice precision with your descriptors.
PR Daily readers, have any examples of poor adjective use to share?
This article was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
