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Ultimate Style. The Rules of Writing. Real Writers Need Rules.
Parts of Speech

 
Adjectives
Adjectives describe or modify nouns.
• skinny, naturalistic, gloomy, pink, sparkling
Adjectives almost always precede nouns.
• the green grass; a haughty hostess; that finicky old cat
Adjectives may follow nouns for poetic or dramatic effect.
• The hostess, haughty and hirsute, led us to our table.
Comparisons
Many adjectives have three degrees: positive, comparative, and superlative.
• happy (positive), happier (comparative), happiest (superlative)
Longer adjectives form their comparative and superlative forms with the words more and most.
• curious, more curious, most curious
When comparing two (and only two) things, use a comparative adjective.
• Of the two stars, Tara is the stupider.
When comparing more than two things, use a superlative adjective.
• Nick is the most attractive man in all of L.A.
Some adjectives do not have comparative degrees. For example, no one can be more pregnant than another person. And some words like best and worst are already superlative forms. Such absolute adjectives have no comparative or superlative forms, although they may pop up in casual expressive writing and dialogue.
Ungrammatical: Chief Taft took one look and said, “He’s deader than dead.”
• Chief Taft took one look and said, “He’s dead.”
Ungrammatical: Sean squealed, “This is the bestest birthday I’ve ever had.”
• Sean squealed, “This is the best birthday I’ve ever had!”
Multiple Adjectives
Repeated adjectives should be separated by a comma or dashes.
• I am very, very happy.
• Every, every teenager has seen this movie.
If you want to describe a noun with two or more adjectives in a row, separate those adjectives with commas.
• Trent’s soothing, melodious voice captivated Rose.
Note that some adjective-noun pairs are treated as one item. In cases like these, don’t separate the adjective(s) and the noun with a comma.
• Sylvia stared longingly at the little red Corvette.
Here, the adjective little describes the adjective-noun pair red Corvette.
Proper Adjectives
Proper adjectives, which come from proper names, should be capitalized.
• She brought back a lovely Vietnamese wall hanging.
• Iago is my favorite Shakespearean character.
Some proper adjectives have lost their associations with the names from which they were originally derived and should not be capitalized. Check with a dictionary.
• I love greasy french fries.

 
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Parts of Speech