Adjective Degrees of Comparison

adverb. ‖ 34 Based on above statement that Degrees of comparison consist of adjective and adverb. They also have special forms. Both have same forms by the addition of –er and -est or more and the most based on the one or more syllable. b. Kinds and The Usage of Degrees of Comparison Adjectives and Adverbs have three degrees of comparison. Such as: positive, comparative and superlative. 35 1. Positive Positive expresses a quality without comparison; it is called positive because it does not relate to any superior or inferior qualities of other things in speech. For example, Joe is tall. In this case that Joe does not have person’s comparing. On the hand, it can use as .... as for comparing two persons or things that have similarity of quality or quantity. For example, The girl is as clever as that one. In this case that the girl is compared by the other girl which is same quality or quantity. 2. Comparative Comparative expresses a higher or lower degree than the positive two persons or things are compared. The comparative degree denotes a greater amount of a quality relative to something else. For example, John is taller than Ricky. Andini is more beautiful than Anita. In this case that two persons which is compared each other has position as higher or lower degree. 3. Superlative Superlative is the highest or lowest degree when more than two persons or things are compared. For example, John is the tallest boy in the club basketball. Andini is the most beautiful girl in her class. 34 Rozakis Laurie. English Grammar for the Utterly Confused, New York:The McGraw Hill Companies, 2003, pp. 49 —52. 35 http;en.wikipedia.orgwikiDegrees_of_comparison c. The Form of Adjective Comparison To make the degrees of comparison is not easy. According to Parrot that ―It depends on the length of the adjective words such as short or long and also depends on the s yllable of the adjective itself.‖ 36 Syllable is a small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle and it is a unit of spoken language. 37 As stated by the writer above, the comparison that is used in this form is about the adjective or adverb comparison. 38 Here are the pattern: 1. Positive form There are two ways to make the positive comparison, such as: a. The simplest form that only use a single adjective after be or article a, an, the . b. Adding as before and as after the adjective. 2. Comparative form The way to compare two things, persons or places use the comparative form of adjective as follows: a. Adjective + -er + than b. More + adjective + than 3. Superlative form The way to compare more two things, persons or places use the superlative form of adjective as follows: a. Using The + adjective + -est b. Using The most adjective c. The Differences form Adjective and Adverb Degrees of Comparison. There are patterns of them in the appendixes. In other hand, The rules for adjectives of two syllables are more complicated. Some endings of adjectives have more complicated. There are some ending of adjectives of comparison in appendixes. 36 Martin Parrot, Grammar for English Language Teachers, Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,2010, pp. 79 —87. 37 http;www.weblearn.indegrees_of_comparison 38 Azar Betty Schrampher, Fundamental English Grammar, New York:Prentice Hall. Inc, 1992, p. 331. There are some irregular adjectives in degrees of comparison. Here are irregular adjectives: Table 2.7 Irregular Adjectives Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree Good Bad Far Little Much Many Old Better Worse Farther Further Less More Elder Best Worst Farthest Furthest Least Most Eldest The rules for contructing the comparative and superlative degrees of adverb are the adverb has an inflectional form only for comparison. Short adverbs mostly one-syllable adverbs that have the same form as adjectives are compared by the addition of –er, -est. As usual, only adverb of manner and adverb of distance and direction. 39 A few short adverbs have an irregular comparison: 40 Table 2.8 Irregular Adverbs