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Comparative 5
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Lecture1.1
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Lecture1.2
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Lecture1.3
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Lecture1.4
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Lecture1.5
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Superlative 3
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Lecture2.1
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Lecture2.2
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Lecture2.3
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Non-adjectives that have a comparative and superlative form 1
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Lecture3.1
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Examples of non-adjectives with comparative and superlative form
There are a few words with a comparative and superlative even though they are not adjectives. Their comparatives and superlatives are also irregular:
comparative | superlative | translation | |
graag | liever | liefst | (see translations in context below) |
weinig | minder | minst | few/little – fewer/less – fewest/least |
veel | meer | meest | much/many – more – most |
Look at the following sets of sentences:
Rik likes playing tennis.
Simone likes playing tennis more than Rik.
Alan likes playing tennis the most.
Kenny likes drinking tea.
He would rather drink coffee, but he likes drinking beer the best.
Liever and liefst are of course also the comparative and superlative of the adjective lief (sweet, nice): Alan vindt alle meisjes lief maar hij vindt Hanna het liefst = ‘Alan thinks all girls are sweet but he thinks Hanna is the sweetest’.
You have few books.
Janneke has fewer books, but Han has the fewest books.
Kenny eats many pancakes.
Alan eats more pancakes than Kenny.
Sara eats most pancakes!