Error in Use of Adjective for Competitive Exams

Error in Use of Adjective

Word qualifying a noun or pronoun is called an adjective.

1. The adjectives ending in ----- ior (prior, junior, senior, inferior, posterior) take ‘to’ and not ‘than’ after them. 

Examples:

He is senior to me.

This book is superior to that book. 

2. Some adjective like unique, ideal, perfect, extreme, complete, universal, infinite, perpetual, chief, entire, round, impossible are not compared.

Examples:

It is the most unique book.

It is a unique book.

3. Comparative degree is used in comparing two things or persons.

Examples:

It is the better of the two books.

4. Superlative degree is used in comparing more than two things or persons.

Examples:

He is the best of the three boys.

5. Double comparatives and double superlative must not be used.

Examples:

He is wiser than his brother.

He is wiser than his brother.

6. When we compare two qualities in the same person or thing, the comparative ending ------ er is not used.

Examples:

You are wiser than old.

You are more wiser than old.

7.When two adjectives in superlative or comparative degree are used together, the one formed by adding ‘more’ or ‘most’ must follow the other adjective.

Examples:

He is more intelligent and wiser than his brother.

He is wiser and more intelligent than his brother.

8. When two adjectives with differing degrees of comparison are used they should be complete in themselves.

Examples:

He is as wise, if not wiser than his brother.

He is as wise as, if not wiser than his brother.

9. When two changes happen together, comparative degree is used in both.

Examples:

The higher you go, the cooler, you feel.

10. When comparative degree is used in superlative sense, it is followed by ‘any other’.

Examples:

Kapil is better than any bowler.

Kapil is better than any other bowler.

11. Compound adjective formed by adding ‘worth’ is placed after the noun it qualifies.

Examples:

This is a worth seeing sight.

This is a sight worth seeing.

12. When two or more comparatives are joined by ‘and’ they must be in the same degree.

Examples:

Russel was one of the wisest and most learned men of the world.

13. When there are two objects of comparison, then to avoid repetition of noun, ‘that’ is used for singular noun and ‘those’ for plural noun.

Examples:

The climate of Ranchi is better than Gaya.

The climate of Ranchi is better than that of Gaya.

14. If comparison is made by using ‘other’ ‘than’ is used instead of ‘but’.

Examples:

He turned out ot be no other than my old friend.

15. Likely, certain and sure are followed by ’to’.

Examples:

He is likely to win.

We are sure to need help.

Confused Adjectives

1. Beautiful is used for woman, Handsome for man.

Examples:

He is a handsome youth.

She is a beautiful girl.

2. Less refers to quantity, fewer denotes number.

Examples:

He takes no less than a little of milk.

They have fewer books than I have.

3. Last is the final one, Latest is last up to the present.

Examples:

Z is the last letter of the alphabet.

This is the latest edition of the book.

4. Each is used for one of two or more things, every is used for more than two things, taken as a group.

Examples:

Each of the two boys was wrong.

He read every book I gave him.

5. Older refers to persons or things.

Examples:

This tree is older than that.

Elder refers to persons only.

He is my elder brother.

6. Little means ’not much’ and a little means ‘at least some’.

Examples:

He slept little.

He slept a little.

7. Farther means ‘more distant’ and further means

‘Additional’

Examples:

Mumbai is farther than Delhi.

I shall get further information.

8. Latter means the second of two things.

Examples:

9. Keats and Byron are romantic poets, but I prefer the latter.

Later refers to time.

Examples:

She came to school later than I.