d_), and the
=future perfect= (employing _shall have_ and _will have_).
=Verbals= are certain forms of the verb used as other parts of
speech (noun, adjective, adverb). For the verbal forms,
infinitive, gerund, and participle, see the separate headings.

=Adjective.= An adjective is a word used to modify a noun or
pronoun. An adjective may be =attributive= (_bright_ sun,
_cool-headed_ adventurers) or =predicate= (The field is _broad_.
The meat tastes _bad_. I want this _ready_ by Christmas).
Adjectives assume three forms known as degrees of comparison.
The =positive degree= indicates the simple quality of the object
without reference to any other. The =comparative degree=
indicates that two objects are compared (Stanley is the _older_
brother). The =superlative degree= indicates that three or more
objects are compared (Stanley is the _oldest_ child in the
family) or that the speaker feels great interest or emotion (A
_most excellent_ record). Ordinarily _er_ or _r_ is added to
the positive to form the comparative, and _est_ or _st_ to the
positive to form the superlative (brave, braver, bravest). But
some adjectives (sometimes those of two, and always those of
more than two, syllables) prefix _more_ (or _less_) to the
positive to form the comparative, and _most_ (or _least_) to
the positive to form the superlative (beautiful, more
beautiful, most beautiful). Some adjectives express qualities
that do not permit comparison (_dead_, _four-sided_, _unique_).

=Adverb.= An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an
adjective, another adverb (She played _well_; _unusually_
handsome; _very_ sternly); or, more rarely, a verbal noun
(Walking _fast_ is good for the health), a preposition (The
ship drifted _almost_ upon the breakers), or a conjunction (It
came _just_ when we wished). Certain adverbs (_fatally_,
_entirely_) do not logically admit of comparison. Those that do
are compared like adjectives of more than two syllables
(_slowly_, _more_ or _less slowly_, _most_ or _least slowly_).

=Preposition.= A preposition is a connective _placed before_ a
substantive (called its object) in order to subordinate the
substantive to some other word in a sentence (The boast _of_
heraldry, the pomp _of_ power. He ran _toward_ the enemy
_without_ fe