Abstract:
Adjectives are one of the main parts of speech of the English language, although historically
they were classed together with nouns. Adjectives play a significant role in grammar and
writing. The comparative and superlative adjectives are formed based on the word syllable.
Depending on the syllables, the form may differ. Using adjectives in writing is a challenge for
many ESL students. The students of the Faculty of Business Studies, Vavuniya campus, find it
challenging to use the forms correctly. This paper investigates incorrect forms of
comparative/superlative forms in the “compare and contrast” essays written by the students
during the first-year English course. The research problem is why ESL learners find it
challenging to use the above forms in their writing, although they have learned and known the
relevant rules for years. The objective is to draw attention to their use. The data were collected
from direct classroom observations, interviews, and structured questionnaires administered to
50 students. They were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings show that
(1) the students are not aware or not clear of the demarcation of the syllabic systems such as
mono-syllabic, di-syllabic or poly-syllabic because the forms of adjectives vary based on the
number of the syllables, (2) they do not incorporate the grammar rules in their writing to
overcome these challenges and( 3) there is no knowledge of the relevant suffixes and the
placement of the definite article ‘the’ in the superlative form. Further, the mother tongues,
Tamil and Sinhala, do not have specific comparative, superlative markers based on the syllables
as in the English language. These are some of the other reasons which have been discussed in
detail in the paper for the malformations of the adjectives. Thus, this study recommends
specific strategies to improve teaching and learning the degrees of adjectival use.
