Questions: Adjective Comparison: Comparative and Superlative Forms

Question 1

Which of the following sentences uses the correct comparative or superlative form?

• A. 'This route is more longer than the highway.' (emphasizing greater length)
• B. 'She is the most tall player on the team.' (one player stands out)
• C. 'The second proposal is more efficient than the first.' (comparing two proposals)
• D. 'That was the interestingest lecture of the semester.' (one lecture stood out)

Answer: (C)

'More efficient' is correct: 'efficient' is a three-syllable adjective and takes the periphrastic form (more/most), not the inflectional suffix. Options A and B use double-marking errors: 'more longer' applies both 'more' and '-er' to a one-syllable adjective; 'most tall' applies 'most' to a short adjective that takes '-est.' Option D attaches '-est' to a four-syllable adjective ('interesting'), which requires 'most interesting' instead.

Question 2

A coach is choosing between exactly two players for a starting position and says, 'Marcus is the best of the two.' A grammar-conscious colleague suggests she rephrase this. What correction is needed, and why?

• A. Change to 'Marcus is the better of the two' — the superlative is reserved for ranking within a group of three or more; the comparative compares exactly two
• B. Change to 'Marcus is the more good of the two' — 'best' is not the correct irregular superlative form
• C. Change to 'Marcus is the most better of the two' — superlative requires 'most' before the comparative form
• D. No change needed — 'best' is always correct when expressing a clear preference

Answer: (A)

Comparative (better) compares two things; superlative (best) ranks within a group of three or more. Using the superlative when only two items are being compared is a scope mismatch: 'the best of the two' implies a ranking across a larger set that doesn't exist. 'The better of the two' correctly signals that exactly two alternatives are being weighed.

Question 3

The form 'more happier' is grammatically acceptable as an informal intensifier in casual speech.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

'More happier' is a double comparative — it applies both the '-er' suffix and 'more,' which are both comparative markers performing the same grammatical function. Using both is redundant, like saying 'the same identical.' It's not a matter of formality: the construction is logically incoherent regardless of register, applying one comparative operation twice. The correct form is either 'happier' (inflectional, preferred for two-syllable -y adjectives) or 'more happy' (periphrastic).

Question 4

The rule for choosing between the '-er/-est' and 'more/most' forms of comparison is primarily based on the number of syllables in the adjective.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

Syllable count is the primary determinant: one-syllable adjectives and most two-syllable adjectives take '-er/-est'; adjectives of three or more syllables take 'more/most.' Two-syllable adjectives ending in '-y' (happy → happier) are the main subgroup that takes suffixes despite having two syllables. The logic is phonological: long words resist suffixation ('intelligenter' is unwieldy), while short words accept it naturally.

Question 5

Why is 'more taller' considered an error rather than just an informal way to emphasize a large degree of tallness?

Model answer: 'More' and '-er' are both comparative markers — they perform the same grammatical function of expressing a higher degree. Using both simultaneously is logically redundant: you are applying the same comparison operation twice, like saying 'completely finished' or 'the same identical.' Standard English requires choosing one mechanism based on syllable count, never both. The construction is incoherent, not just informal.

The reason this matters is that English comparison has two parallel systems that evolved for phonological reasons — short words take suffixes, long words take auxiliaries — and mixing them produces a grammatical contradiction. Informality doesn't excuse logical redundancy in the grammar itself. Contrast this with 'ain't' or 'gonna,' which are informal but grammatically consistent; 'more taller' applies the same operation twice, which has no grammatical justification at any register.