Yesterday Once More

28 Jun 2016

Positive Comparative Superlative

Hi Listeners

This week’s theme is a grammatical one. In the English language an adjective can exist in three forms: positive, comparative and superlative. The positive form is the base form of an adjective (eg good); the comparative form expresses a higher degree of some quality (eg better) and the superlative form expresses the highest degree of some quality (eg best). Thus good, better, best.

In this week’s program we are presenting songs which use all three forms of adjectives. The positive is represented by ‘The Good Life’ by Patti Page, Get ‘A Little Dirt On Your Hands’ by our own Delltones, ‘Big Man’ from the Four Preps and the rocker, Jerry Lee Lewis, with one of his big hits ‘Great Balls Of Fire’.

Comparative titles include the Beatles with ‘I Should Have Known Better‘and’I Love You More And More Every Day’ from AL Martino. The song ‘Mission Bell’ by Donnie Brooks contains in its lyrics many comparative lines – ‘my love is higher than a mission bell/deeper than a wishing well/stronger than a magic spell’. Brook Benton’s big hit ‘Endlessly’ combines both comparative and superlative adjectives in its lyrics – ‘Higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest sea’. Other Superlative adjectives can be found in ‘It’s Too Late‘ from Carole King, the Style Council’s ‘You’re The Best Thing’ and Pat Boone’s ‘Brightest Wishing Star’