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FORM = COMPARISON
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like adverbs, adjectives are modifying words
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specifically,
nouns
and
pronouns
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located immediately
before the noun
modified OR
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located after a
LINKING VERB (is,
am, are, was, were)
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Lewis Black, the hilarious comedian,
performed on The Daily Show.
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Comedian Lewis Black is
hilarious.
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what
kind of
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how
many
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which one
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usually, grammarians place
DEFINITE ARTICLES (a,
an, the) under the category of Adjectives
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typically, NUMBERS are
placed here as well, answering how
many (3) or which place
(3rd)
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NOUNS can function as
adjectives, too
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The bookstore owner sold his business.
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Here, the noun-as-adjective “bookstore” modifies
“owner”—what kind of owner?
(ADJECTIVES) |
1-2 SYLLABLES |
3+ SYLLABLES |
COMPARATIVE
(1-2 items compared) |
-er
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more + base form |
SUPERLATIVE
(3+ items compared) |
-est |
most + base form |
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1 SYLLABLE |
2+ SYLLABLES |
COMPARATIVE |
adverb + -er (nearer) |
more + adverb (more convincingly) |
SUPERLATIVE |
adverb + -est (slowest) |
most + adverb (most humbly) |
ADJECTIVE
(base form) |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
good (modifies NOUN) |
better |
best |
bad |
worse |
worst |
little (refers to AMOUNT) |
less |
least |
many/much |
more |
most |
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ADVERB |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
well (modifies VERB) |
better |
best |
badly |
worse |
worst |
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some modifiers
cannot
be used in the comparative or superlative because
they are absolute
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this means they
cannot be decreased or
increased
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so,
NO
(-er)
OR (-est),
NO
(more
+ base form) OR (most
+ base form)
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for example, something
cannot be
more/less perfect,
truly/really/very
unique,
less fatal
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it is like being
pregnant: you either are or not; there is no
in-between and there is no greater or lesser degree
of being pregnant
absolute
adequate
complete
entire
false
fatal
final
ideal |
impossible
infinite
main
minor
perfect
principal
stationary
sufficient |
unanimous
unavoidable
uniform
unique
universal
whole |
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