How to parse. ...

Par. 44.]

ADJECTI VES.

36

These forms sound as though they had only two syllables, e.g. "happier," "nobler." Hence the exceptional
formation.
(3) More and most in other cases.
" More," " most," are not Inflections, but substitutes for
Inflections. A few dissyllabic Adjectives are occasionally
found with -er, -est. But this license is best reserved for
Poetry.
(4) Other formations are quite irregular, e.g. not
" good-er," but " bet-ter," from an old form " bet "
so " worse." " Every " has no Inflections.
Some few Adjectives (e.g. " these ") have a Plural Inflection; but these are so few that they need not be considered.
There was once a Definite form in -e of which perhaps
" olden " retains a trace (MORRIS).
44 How to Parse an Adjective.
In parsing an Adjective, state -
I. Degree of Comparison.
II. Function of Adjective, i.e. whether it qualifies,
defines, enumerates, &c.
This may be found by answering the question, " What
does the Adjective tell me? "
III. Noun or Pronoun, qualified, defined, enumerated, &c.
Where the Noun is omitted, as in " I do not like these
books; are they the best (books) that you have?"-you
may say that " best " qualifies the Noun " books," implied
or understood.