Answer :
The correct answer is A. armored, more quickly, weakest.
In the sentence, the adjective armored is used in its base form, that is to say, in its positive degree. The second modifier, more quickly, is used in its comparative degree since the use of the structure more… than signals the comparative form of the adjective. Finally, the third modifier, weakest, is used in its superlative degree because it is an adjective that compares a whole group of people, and the –est ending is the suffix that indicates the superlative form.
The correct order to place the underlined modifiers based on the positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree is 'weakest, more quickly, armored'. This correctly follows the sequence from superlative ('weakest') to comparative ('more quickly') and then to positive degree ('armored'). Therefore, the correct option is 'weakest, more quickly, armored'.
In English grammar, adjectives and adverbs can express three degrees of modification: the positive degree, which makes no comparison and is the base form; the comparative degree, which compares two things; and the superlative degree, which is used to compare three or more things and expresses the highest or lowest degree. For instance, 'small, smaller, smallest' and 'quickly, more quickly, most quickly' demonstrate the progression from positive to comparative to superlative forms. In the example provided, 'weakest' is the superlative adjective, 'more quickly' is the comparative adverb, and 'armored' lacks a comparative or superlative form, preserving it as the positive degree. Accordingly, the modifiers should follow this order.
