A Remedial English Grammar

CHAPTERS ARTICLES AGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECT CONCORD OF NOUNS, PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES CONFUSION OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS DIFFICULTIES WITH COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVES CONFUSION OF PARTICIPLES: ACTIVE & PASSIVE PREPOSITIONS NEGATIVE VERBS TENSES 1, 2 & 3 THE INFINITIVE

Comparatives & Superlatives Rules of Usage 1.Some adjectives and adverbs are made comparative and superlative by adding -er and –est to the positive. Others use more and most before the positive. E.g. big-bigger-biggest; fast-faster-fastest. beautiful-more beautiful-most beautiful Never should more and most be used along with the suffixed positive forms.

Comparatives & Superlatives 2.When two different things are compared with a third and one wishes to express that one the of the two is superior to the third to an even greater degree, then still is used. E.g. William is taller than John, but James is taller still. 3. The word than must be preceded by a comparative adjective or adverb, never by a positive one, since than implies that two things are being compared. E.g. He receives a bigger salary than anyone else in the office.

Comparatives & Superlatives 4.Very should be followed by a a positive adjective or adverb, but much always takes the comparative. E.g. I am not feeling very well today. (p) I am feeling much better today. (c) An exception to this is the word different, though it is positive. The word different implies comparison. Hence it is always positive. In the construction ‘very much’ much modifies the comparative and very modifies much. E.g. My wife is very much better today.

Comparatives & Superlatives 5. The superlative (s) is used if the comparison goes beyond two. E.g. Geography is the most interesting subject. (s) Anne is the tallest of the three daughters. (s) Anne is the taller of the two girls. (c) 6. If the comparison is between one thing with all the others of its kind that we know, then we are comparing amongst many things and hence we need a superlative. E.g. This is the most interesting novel I have ever read.