A Little Help with Adjectives

There are not too many issues with adjectives, but here are just a couple to chew on:

Commas between adjectives — or not?

Sometimes you have two (or more) adjectives in front of a noun. Sometimes they both describe the noun. Sometimes the first adjective describes the second adjective. 

• It was a cold, snowy night.
• It was a bright blue dress.

In the first example above, both adjectives describe night. And, as you see, there is a comma between the two adjectives. In the second example, bright describes the other adjective, blue.

However, there is not always a comma between  two adjectives that describe the same noun:

• Old plaid shirt
• Big black cat

How do you know if you should put a comma between two adjectives that describe the same noun? Try putting an and between the adjectives. If it makes sense with the and, you need a comma. Otherwise, there is no comma.

• cold and snowy night makes sense: cold, snowy night
• old and plaid shirt doesn’t really sound right: old plaid shirt
• big and black cat doesn’t really sound right: big black cat.

But when the first adjective describes the second adjective — and not the noun — there is never a comma:

• bright orange sunset 
• red-and-white striped dress

Comparatives and superlatives

Comparatives and superlatives are either adjectives or adverbs. For adjectives we use the -er ending when comparing two things: bigger bicycle. We use -est when comparing three or more things: biggest bicycle in the store. Some adjectives, however, don’t have those -er and -est forms, for example, fun. There is no funner and funnest, although people say those words all the time! For words without -er and -est forms, we use more for comparative and most for superlative: more fun and most fun. 

If we are going in the other direction, we use less for comparative and least for superlative: less fun, the least fun of all/ less pretty, the least pretty of all.

Here are the rules: If an adjective has the -er and -est forms, use them. Do not use more and most: prettier (yes), more pretty (no)

Do not use both the -er and more, or the -est and most: more nicer, most nicest (NO)

How do you know if a word has -er and -est forms. Well,  you just do. And if you don’t, check with a dictionary.