The comparative form of clever is cleverer, and the superlative form is cleverest.
Adjectives like "clever" change their form to show degrees of comparison. These degrees help us compare nouns or pronouns in terms of a specific quality.
Understanding Degrees of Comparison
Adjectives have three main degrees of comparison:
- Positive Degree: This is the basic form of the adjective, describing a single noun without comparison.
- Comparative Degree: This form is used to compare two things or people.
- Superlative Degree: This form is used to compare three or more things or people, indicating the highest or lowest degree of a quality.
Forms of "Clever"
For the adjective "clever," the degrees are formed by adding "-er" for the comparative and "-est" for the superlative.
| Degree | Form |
|---|---|
| Positive | clever |
| Comparative | cleverer |
| Superlative | cleverest |
Examples in Sentences
Let's look at how these forms are used:
- Positive: She is a clever student. (Describes one student)
- Comparative: He is cleverer than his sister. (Compares two people)
- Superlative: She is the cleverest person in her class. (Compares one person to a group)
Forming Comparatives and Superlatives
The way adjectives form their comparative and superlative degrees often depends on their length or syllable count:
- One-Syllable Adjectives: Most add "-er" for comparative and "-est" for superlative (e.g., tall-taller-tallest, fast-faster-fastest).
- Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y: Change 'y' to 'i' and add "-er" or "-est" (e.g., happy-happier-happiest, easy-easier-easiest).
- Two-Syllable Adjectives (some) and Three or More Syllables: These typically use "more" for the comparative and "most" for the superlative (e.g., beautiful-more beautiful-most beautiful, difficult-more difficult-most difficult).
"Clever" is a two-syllable word that exceptionally follows the pattern of adding "-er" and "-est," similar to one-syllable adjectives.
