Adjectives and Adverbs: Forms for Comparison
A common error in using adjectives and adverbs arises from using the wrong form for comparison.
Incorrect Example: She is the poorest of the two women.
Correct Examples:
She is poor. (positive form)
She is the poorer of the two women. (comparative form)
She is the poorest of them all. (superlative form)
Some words have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
Examples:
bad/worse/worst
good/better/best
Incorrect Example: She is the best candidate of the two for the job.
Correct Example: She is the better candidate of the two for the job.
Many one-syllable adjectives and adverbs may be compared by adding –er or –est.
Examples:
sweet/sweeter/sweetest
nice/nicer/nicest
silly/sillier/silliest
big/bigger/biggest
Some one-syllable words, such as fun, are exceptions. You must use more or most with fun.
Example: Learning English grammar is more fun than I thought it would be.
Usually, with words of three or more syllables, don’t add –er or –est. Use more or most in front of the words. Never use both the –er or –est suffix and more or most.
Example: efficient/more efficient/most efficient
Incorrect Example: He is more efficienter at using the PowerPoint program than his boss is.
Correct Example: He is more efficient at using the PowerPoint program than his boss is.
When comparing with an –ly adverb, keep the –ly and add more or most.
Incorrect Example: She spoke quicker than he did.
Correct Examples: She spoke quickly.
She spoke more quickly than he did.
Incorrect Example: Talk quieter.
Correct Examples: Talk quietly.
Talk more quietly.
Quiz: Are these sentences correct or incorrect?
1. You are the funnest person I know.
2. I can run more faster than you can.
3. I can run more quickly than you can.
4. My brother is the youngest of the two of us.
5. She is the best of the two sisters at braiding hair.
Answers
1. Incorrect (most fun)
2. Incorrect (faster)
3. Correct
4. Incorrect (younger)
5. Incorrect (better)
April 2, 2007 at 7:49 pm
hello Jane,
First of all let me thank you very much for your amazing grammar blog. I discovered it recently and it halps me a lot. I am currently in the process of improving my english grammar ( I am not a native speaker) and I can say your blog is a very useful tool for me. Searching through your archive i got the answer for most of my grammar dilemas.
God bless you for this blog
April 2, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Thank you, Adi. I’m so glad you find this useful.
April 5, 2007 at 12:16 am
“quick” is an adverb with the inflected forms “quicker, quickest”
http://www.bartleby.com/61/88/Q0028800.html
April 5, 2007 at 3:04 am
I don’t understand how you can say that “quick” is an adverb. If I say, “I went for a quick jog,” “quick” is an adjective describing “jog.”
April 5, 2007 at 4:12 am
It’s in the American Heritage Dictionary:
ADVERB: Inflected forms: quicker, quickest
Quickly; promptly.
And Merriam-Webster:
Function: adverb
: in a quick manner
http://m-w.com/dictionary/quick
So I don’t see what’s wrong with “She spoke quicker than he did.”
April 5, 2007 at 5:38 am
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, quick, quicker, and quickest are all adjectives. Note: “In speech, ‘quick’ is commonly used as an adverb in phrases such as ‘Come quick.’ In formal writing, however, ‘quickly’ is required.”
The Random House Dictionary states pretty much the same thing.
April 30, 2007 at 10:09 pm
1. on J’s 4/5 comments:
“Merriam-Webster:
Function: adverb
: in a quick manner”
This is a mistatement of fuction in the example! “Quick” modifies the noun “manner”; that makes it an adjective. (Why don’t we use “adnoun” instead?)
2. citing common usage often means acceptance of a sub-group language, doesn’t it? For least pejoration, how about “casual spoken” vs. “formal” or is that enough separation?
April 8, 2008 at 10:05 pm
May I say Jane that your website is amazing; just what I have been looking for. I have on question though: when do we use ‘quicker’ instead of ‘more quickly’ and vice versa? This has confused me a little and although you page was a big help, I still could not find an answer to this.
I’m looking forward to a reply.
Thank you very much, Jane.
Regards.
April 8, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Thanks, Josh. Use “quicker” as an adjective. Example: She has a quicker wit than all her friends. BUT She thinks more quickly than all her friends.
April 9, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I understand now. Thank you very much once again. Your prompt reply is much appreciated.
Warm regards.
July 8, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Hi to you Jane,
thank you for your blog…
October 8, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Hi Jane,
I’d love to subscribe to your RSS feed, but I don’t see a link. If you get a second, please email it to me @ wintress@thewritersforhire.com.
Great blog here!
October 9, 2009 at 9:25 pm
The link is in the right-column of the blog as the RSS symbol near the bottom of the column and is http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/feed/