IRREGULAR COMPARISON

 IRREGULAR COMPARISON

The following Adjectives are compared irregularly, that is, their Comparative and superlative are not formed from the Positive:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good, well	Better	Best
Bad, evil, ill	Worse	Worst
Little	Less, lesser	Least
Much	More	Most (quantity)
Many	More	Most (number)
Late	Later, latter	Latest, last
Old	Older, elder	Oldest, eldest
Far	Farther	Farthest
(nigh)	(nigher)	Nighest, next
(fore)	(former)	Foremost, first
(in)	Inner	Furthest
(up)	Upper	Upmost, uppermost
(out)	Out, (utter)	Utmost, uttermost

Note: The forms nigh, nigher, nighest, fore and utter are outdated.

EXERCISE IN GRAMMAR 13

Compare  the following Adjectives:

Black, excellent, ill, gloomy, mad, safe, bad, unjust, gay, able, dry, timid, ugly, true, severed, exact, agreeable, difficult, little, few, numerous, merry.

the double forms of the Comparative and superlative of the Adjectives given in $ 85 are used in different ways.

Later, latter; latest, last – Later and latest refer to time; latter and last refer to position.

   He is later than I expected.

I have not heard the latest news.

The latter chapters are lacking in interest.

The last chapter is carelessly written.

Ours is the last house in the street.

Elder, older; eldest, oldest- Elder and eldest are used only of persons, not of animals or things; and are now confined to members of the same family. Elder is not used with than following. Older and oldest are used of both persons and things.

  John is my elder brother.

Tom is my eldest son.

He is older than his sister.

Rama is the oldest boy in the eleven.

This is the oldest temple in Kolkata.

Farther, further – Both farther and further are used to express distance. Further, not farther, is used to mean “additional”.

  Kolkata is farther/further from the equator than Colombo.

After this he made no further remarks.

I must have a reply without further delay.

Nearest, Next- Nearest means the shortest distance away. Next refers to one of a sequence of things coming one after the other.

   

Mumbai is the seaport nearest to Europe.

Where is the nearest phone box?

Karim’s shop is next to the Post Office.

My uncle lives in the next house.

(a)    Fill the blank spaces with ‘later’ or ‘latter’

1.       The majority accepted the ------------------------------proposal.

2.       The --------------------part of the book shows signs of hurry.

3.       At a --------------date, he was placed in charge of the whole taluka.

4.       I prefer the --------------proposition to the former.

5.       Is there no ---------- news than last week’s?

(b)   Fill the blank spaces with ‘older’ or ‘elder’:

1.       I have an -----sister.

2.       Rama is ------than Hari by two years.

3.       His ------------------- member of the School committee.

4.       The ----------------mosque in the town is near the railway station.

5.       Mr. Smith is the ----------------teacher in the school.

(c)    Fill the blank spaces with ‘oldest’ ‘eldest’:

1.       Rustam is the ------------------------------  of my uncle’s five sons.

2.       He is the ----------------------- member of the School committee.

3.       That is Antonio, the duke’s --------------------- son.

4.       The------------------------- mosque the ton is near the railway station.

5.       Mr. smith is the ----------------------- teacher in the school.

(d)   Fill the blank spaces with ‘father’ or further’:

1.       I can’t walk any-----------------------

2.       No------------------- reasons were given.

3.       He walked off without ------------------------ ceremony.

4.       Until ------------------- orders Mr. K.S. Dave will act as Headmaster of High School.

5.       To let , a bungalaow at ride Road. For ---------------------------- particulars apply to box No. 65.

(e)   Fill the blank spaces with ‘latest’ or’ last’:

1.       The ------------------ news from China  is very disquieting.

2.        The ------------------------ time

3.       To-day is the ------------- day for receving tenders.

4.       We expect to get the ------------------------ news in a few hours.

5.       The --------------------- Moghul emperor came  to  an ignominious end.

(f)     Fill the blank spaces with ‘nearest’ or next’:

(1)    This is the -------------------------- Post Office to my house.

(2)    The pillar-box is -------------------- to my house.

(3)    The burglar was taken to the --------------------police station.

(4)    His house is ------------------------ to mine.

(5)    The ----------------------- railway station is two miles from here.

 Certain English Comparatives have lost their comparative meaning and are used as Positive. They cannot be followed by than. These are:

Former, latter, elder, upper, inner, out, utter.

  Both the tiger and the leopared are cats; the former animal is much larger than the latter.

The inner meaning of this letter is not clear.

The Soldiers ran to defend the outer wall.

My elder brother is an engineer.

This man is an uttr fool.

Certain Comparatives borrowed from ?Latin have no Positive or superlative degree. They all end in or, not er. They are twelve in all. Five of them have lost their Comparative meaning, and are used as Positive Adjectives. These are:

Interior, exterior, ulterior, major, minor.

The exterior wall of the house is made of stone; the interior wall are of wood.

His age is matter of minor importance.

I have no ulterior motive in offering you help.

 The other seven are used as Comparative Adjectives but are followed by to instead of than (see $89)

the comparative degree is generally followed by than; but Comparative Adjectives ending in –or are followed by the preposition to; as,

Interior, Superior, prior, anterior, posterior, senor, junior.

  Hari is interior to Ram in intelligence.

Rama ‘s intelliegnece is superior to Har’s.

His marriage was prior to his father’s death.

He is junior to all his colleagues.

All his colleagues are senior to him.

Adjective expressing qualities that do admit of different degress canot, strictly speaking, be compared; as,

Square, round, perfect, eternal, universal, unquie.

Strictly speaking, a thing cannot be more square, more round, more perfect. But we say. For instance,

    This is the most perfect specimen I have seen.

EXERCISE IN GRAMMAR 15

  Point out the Adjectives and name the Degree of comparison of each:

1.      The poor woman had seen happier days.

2.      Do not talk such nonsense.

3.      Make less nose.

4.      That child has a slight cold.

5.      A live ass is tronger than a dead lion.

6.      Say the same thing twice over.

7.      Solomon was one of the wisest men.

8.      Hunger is the best sauce.

9.      His simple word is a as good as an oath.

10.  There was not the slightest excuse for it.

11.  My knife is sharper than yours.

12.  Small people love to talk of great men.

13.  Of two evils choose the less.

14.  I hope the matter will be cleared up some day.

15.  Your son makes no progress in his studies.

16.  Open rebuke is better than secret love.

17.  We never had such sport.

18.  I have other things to attend to.

19.  Hari is the idlest boy in the class.

20.  I promise you a fair hearing.

21.  There is much to be said on both sides.

22.  He gave the boys much wholesome advice.

23.  He thinks he is wiser than his father.

24.  No news is good news.

25.  Bangladesh has the largest tea garden in the world.

26.  Lead is heavier than any other metal.

27.  I congratulated him on his good fortune.

28.  He has many powerful friends.

29.  The longest lane has a turing.

EXERCISE IN GRAMMAR 16

 Make thress colums and write the follwing Adjectives in Positive, comparative and Superlatrive degrees:

 [ Be careful to use the form of comparison that is pleasing to the ear.]

Shameful, clever, pretty, interseting, hopeful, honest, important, patient, rude, delightful, stupid, attractive, heavy, beautiful, fotunate, pleasant.

EXERCISE IN COMPOSITION 17

Supply the proper form ( Comparative or superlative) of the Adjective:

[ Note- The Comparative and not the Superlative should be used to compare two things.]

1.       Good------------- How is your brother to-day?

Is he -------------?

2.       Hot------ . May is -----------------------here than any other month.

3.       Pretty--------------------- Hari doll  is e ------------------- than yours.

4.       Idle-------------------- Hari is the -------------- boy in the class.

5.        Sharp------------------------ Your knife is sharap, but mine is ----------------.

6.       Dear -------------------- He is the --------------- to him than life.

7.       Rich -------------- HE is the --------------------- man inour town.

8.       Old---------------- Mani is two years ------------------------- than Rati.

9.       Large  --------------------Name the ------------------ city in the world.

10.   Good -------------- He is the ----------------friend I have.

11.   Bad----------------------- He is the -------------------- boy of the two.

12.   Bad---------------- Raman’s work is bad. Har’s is -------------------, but Govind’s is the ---------------.

13.   Ferocicous ---------------------. There is no animal --------------------- than the tiger.

14.   Bad--------------- . The trade is in a -----------------------condition to-da than it was a year age.

15.    Tall----------------  He is the --------------- of the two.

16.   Dry-------------- Sind is the ----------------------------part of Pakistan.

17.   1Useful------------------ Iron is ------------------------of  all metals.

18.   Useful --------------------- Iron  is -------------------------------------- of all metals.

19.   Great------------------- Who is the ------------------ living poet.?

20.   Nutritious ------------------------- I think he requires a -------------------- diet.

21.   Proud------------- It was the -------------------------- moment of his life.

22.   Good--------------- The public is the -------------- judge.

23.   Little----------- That is the ------------------ price I can take.

24.   Light ----------- Silver is ------------------------ than gold.

EXERCISE IN COMPOSITION 18

Suppy appropriate Comparatves or superlatives to each of the following.

1.       Prevention is ------------------------than cure.

2.       Akbar had a ---------- region than Babar.

3.       Who is the -------------- bastman

4.       The pen is ------------- than the sword.

5.       The --------------- buldings are found in America.

6.       The Pacific is ---------------- than any other ocean.

7.       Which of the two girls has the ------------------ dress?

8.       Honour is ------------------------ to him than lfe.

9.       This pen is --------------------- than the other.

10.   Who is the ------------------- boy in the class?

11.   The Eiffel Tower is --------------------- than qutab Minar.

12.   My uncle is ------------------------ than my father.

13.   The multimillionaire Mr. Sen is the ------------- in this two.

14.   Wordsworth is a  --------- poet than Cowper.

15.   Balu is the --------- bowler in eleven.

16.   The streets of Mumbai are ---------------- than those of ahmedabad .

17.   Ooty is -------------------- than Chennai.

18.   The piano was knocked down to the --------------- bidder.

19.   Mount  Everest  is the  ----------------------- peak of the Himalayas.

20.   He writes a ---------------------- hand than his brother.

21.   He writes the ---------------- hand in his class.

22.   He is one of the ------------------- speakers in Punjab.

23.   Who was the --------------- general, Alexander or Caesar?

24.   The ------------------fables are those attributed to Aesop.

25.   The Arabian nights are perhaps the --------------------------------------------------- story- book.

26.   Shakespeare is ---------------------------------- than any other English poet.

27.   Of all countries, China has the ------------------- population in the world.

28.   Clouds float in the sky because they are --------------------- than the air.

29.   It is good to be clever, but it is --------------------- to be industrious .

30.   This is the ----------------------- of my two sons.

31.   This is the ----------------------- that I can do.

32.    

EXERCISE IN COMPOSITON 19

 Change the following sentences by using ‘less’ or least’ without changing the meaning:

1.       The mango is sweeter than the pineapple.

2.       Silver is more plentiful than gold.

3.       This is the most useless of all my books.

4.       Wolfram is one of the rarest minerals.

5.       The wild- apple is the sourest of all fruits.

6.       Iron is more useful than copper.