In the Latin language, and many others, adjectives, like nouns, have
gender, number, and case; but in the English language, they have neither
gender, person, number, nor case. These properties belong to _creatures_
and _things_, and not to their _qualities_; therefore gender, person,
number, and case, are the properties of _nouns_, and _not_ of
adjectives.
Adjectives are varied only to express the degrees of comparison. They
have three degrees of comparison, the Positive, the Comparative, and the
Superlative.
The _positive degree_ expresses the quality of an object without any
increase or diminution; as, _good, wise, great_.
The _comparative degree_ increases or lessens the positive in
signification; as, _better, wiser, greater, less wise_.
The _superlative degree_ increases or lessens the positive to the
highest or lowest degree; as, _best, wisest, greatest, least wise_.
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.
_More_ and _most_ form the comparative and superlative degrees by
increasing the positive; and _less_ and _least_, by diminishing it.
Comparison by increasing the positive
_Pos._ _Comp.
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