Sunday, April 15, 2012

THE SUPERLATIVE

English Grammar | THE SUPERLATIVE | When comparing two things one uses the comparative (previous lesson); however, for
comparisons in larger groups, you must use the superlative. The superlative designates extremes:
the best, the first, the worst, the last, etc.
A. It is the word "most" or the ending "−−est" that designates the superlative.
· He is the most efficient worker we have. · That is the poorest family in the neighborhood.
B. The compared term (adjective or adverb) will be preceded by the definite article:
· He works the fastest of any student I know. · She is the tallest woman in town.
C. Unlike the comparative, the superlative is not followed by "than": instead, one uses "of,"
followed by the context of the comparison (although this context is sometimes implicit):
· It's the best day of my life! · She works the best of the whole class. · She's the one who arrived
first.
Irregular forms
Monosyllabic adjectives (and several common two−syllable adjectives) take the ending "−−est"
in superlatives of superiority, and thus will not use the adverb "most."
However, these same adjectives will use "less," like other adjectives, in superlatives of
inferiority:
young −−> the youngest, tall −−> the tallest, old −−> the oldest
>If the adjective ends in "−−y" the "y" becomes "i":
heavy −−> the heaviest, early −−> the earliest, busy −−> the busiest, healthy −−> the healthiest,
chilly −−> the chilliest
>If the adjective ends in "−−e" one adds only "−−st" :
wise −−> the wisest, large −−> the largest, simple −−> the simplest, late −−> the latest,
>If the adjective ends in "single vowel + consonant," the consonant is doubled and one adds
"−−est":
red −−> the reddest, big −−> the biggest, thin −−> the thinnest, hot −−> the hottest
>Some very common superlatives have irregular forms:
good −−> the best, bad −−> the worst, far −−> the farthest,
>Some adjectives exist only in superlative form:
the first, the last
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