difference between largest, longest, maximum, strongest, and highest. Since all these are degrees and can be used alternatively. I want an explanation.
Answers
Answer:
Largest means very large
Longest means very large only but in terms of height
Maximum means the last point
Strongest means very powerful
Highest means at the topmost
Answer:
Comparative adjectives
Comparative adjectives compare one person or thing with another and enable us to say whether a person or thing has more or less of a particular quality:
Josh is taller than his sister.
I’m more interested in music than sport.
Big cars that use a lot of petrol are less popular now than twenty years ago.
Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives describe one person or thing as having more of a quality than all other people or things in a group:
The ‘Silver Arrow’ will be the fastest train in the world when it is built.
The most frightening film I’ve ever seen was Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’.
What is the least expensive way of travelling in Japan?
Comparative or superlative?
A comparative compares a person or thing with another person or thing. A superlative compares a person or thing with the whole group of which that person or thing is a member:
Joe’s older than Mike. (comparing one person with another)
Sheila is the youngest girl in the family. (comparing one person with the whole group she belongs to)
When there are just two members in a group, traditionally, we use the comparative. However, in informal situations people often use the superlative:
Who is younger, Rowan or Tony? (traditional usage)
Jan and Barbara are both tall, but Jan’s the tallest. (more informal)
Comparative and superlative adjectives: form
One-syllable adjectives (big, cold, hot, long, nice, old, tall)
To form the comparative, we use the -er suffix with adjectives of one syllable:
It’s colder today than yesterday.
It was a longer holiday than the one we had last year.
Sasha is older than Mark.
To form the superlative, we use the -est suffix with adjectives of one syllable. We normally use the before a superlative adjective:
I think that’s the biggest apple I’ve ever seen!
At one time, the Empire State building in New York was the tallest building in the world.
They have three boys. Richard is the oldest and Simon is the youngest.
Spelling of comparatives and superlatives with one-syllable adjectives
type of adjective
comparative
superlative
most adjectives
add -er: cheaper, richer, smaller, younger
add -est: cheapest, richest, smallest, youngest
adjectives ending in -e
add -r: finer, nicer, rarer
add -st: finest, nicest, rarest
adjectives with one vowel + one consonant:
double the final consonant and add -er: bigger, hotter, thinner
double the final consonant and add -est: biggest, hottest, thinnest
Note the pronunciation of these comparatives and superlatives:
long /lɒŋ/ longer /lɒŋgə(r)/ longest /lɒŋgəst/
strong /strɒŋ/ stronger /strɒŋgə(r)/ strongest /strɒŋgəst/
young /jʌŋ/ younger /jʌŋgə(r)/ youngest /jʌŋgəst/
One-syllable adjectives which are irregular
Some one-syllable adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms:
bad, worse, worst far, farther/further, farthest/furthest
good, better, best old, older/elder, oldest/eldest
The morning flight is better than the afternoon one.
His elder sister works for the government.
Olivia is Denise’s best friend.
I think that was the worst film I’ve ever seen!
Pluto is the furthest planet from the sun in our solar system.
Warning:
We do not use more or most together with an -er or -est ending:
They emigrate because they are looking for a better life.
Not: … a more better life
The beach at Marmaris is one of the biggest in Turkey.
Not: … the most biggest …