Read and study the following examples:

1. Bert is a young boy.
2. Peter is younger than Bert.
3. Carlo is the youngest among the three boys.

The word young in sentence 1 describes only Bert.

The word younger in sentence 2 compares Peter and Bert.

The word youngest in sentence 3 compares Carlo with Peter and Bert.

Read and study the following examples:

1. Mang Serbio is 70 years old. He is the only old man in their community.
2. Mang Juan is 72 years old. He lives in a nearby community. He is older than Mang Serbio.
3. Mang Jose is already 90 years old. He is the oldest among the three.

The word old in sentence 1 describes the man, Mang Serbio.

The word older in sentence 2 compares the two men, Mang Juan and Mang Serbio.

The word oldest in sentence 3 compares the man, Mang Jose, with the other two men.

Read and study the following examples:

1. Karen, our school nurse, is lovely.
2. Myla, my sister's best friend, is lovelier than Karen.
3. My father thinks that mother is the loveliest lady of all.

The word lovely in sentence 1 describes only Karen.

The word lovelier in sentence 2 compares Myla with Karen.

The word loveliest in sentence 3 compares the speaker's mother with the two ladies.

The first sentence in each example talks about only one person. The adjectives young, old, and lovely are in the positive degree.

The second sentence in each example compares two persons. The adjectives younger, older, and lovelier are in the comparative degree.

The third sentence in each example compares more than two persons. The adjectives youngest, oldest, and loveliest are in the superlative degree.