Comparative Adjectives Janet & Sabrin

To compare one person, thing, action, event or group with another person, thing … Often, the comparative adjective is followed by "than".

1.Inflectional suffix 2. Phrasal formation

Inflectional suffix -er Monosyllabic adjective : older / faster/ stronger Except: right / wrong and real.

 1. old older tall taller most adjective + er cheap cheaper 2. late later adjective ending in –e+r nice nicer

3. fat fatter big bigger one vowel+ one consonant; thin thinner double consonant 4. tidy tidier consonant+ -y; y is changed to -i-

good better bad worse ill worse far farther/further old older/elde r

Phrasal comparison more…… than Longer adj: more difficult, more important

Monosyllabic adjectives can alternatively take phrasal marking as well as inflectional: Like: fair, full, fierce, proud and rude. “Pavarotti is a little fuller in the face”. And probably a little more full by now.

Disyllabic adjectives vary considerably in occurrence with inflectional and phrasal comparison. Adjectives ending in the unstressed vowel –y, are usually inflected: easy easier angry angrier happy happier funny funnier

Some other two-syllable adjectives can have –er, especially adjectives ending in 1. an unstressed vowel: narrow, shallow, yellow 2. syllabic / ə (r)/: bitter, clever, tender 3. syllabic /l/ : able, gentle, humble, little, simple 4. –ere: severe, sincere 5. –ure : secure, obscure

1. Adjectives longer than two syllables: Intelligent, beautiful… (unhappy/untidy) 2. Adjectives ending in : -ful, -less, -al, -ive, -ous 3. Adjectives formed with: -ed, -ing, bored, tiring 4.Two syllable adj with no internal morphology : common, polite (stem adj)

*Adjectives ending in the suffix –ly are more variable: early: earlier is much more common than more early Whereas likely: more likely is much more common than likelier costly, deadly, friendly, lively, lonely, lovely, lowly, ugly.

corpus based… The disyllabic adjective quiet is exceptional in that it is almost always inflected.

good-looking and well-known have two possible comparatives : Better looking than or more good looking Better-known than or more well known

Adjectives are occasionally doubly marked for degree in conversations; carrying both inflectional and phrasal markers. This way, its more easier to see.

 Informal use: She is older than me  Formal use: She is older than I (written presentations)

 Some adjectives have comparative meaning so they are rarely used with –er / more: complete, equal, favorite, ideal, unique. “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” (George Orwell: Animal Farm)

Funny lovely energetic Full friendly old Tall good young Pretty beautiful well known

 Inductive approach of teaching  Explicit approach of teaching (Norris and Ortiga)  Output hypothesis

 The more I learn – the more I realize the less I know. (right, wrong and true)  We are not always aware of the exceptions and the frequency of structures.  Professional growth and using multiple approaches.