Adverbs
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The document discusses adverbs and degrees of comparison. It explains that adverbs are used to modify verbs and other adverbs by making their meaning stronger or weaker, known as degrees of comparison. The positive degree is the simple adverb form, comparative adds -er or more to compare two items, and superlative adds -est or most to compare three or more items. Formation rules are provided, such as one-syllable adverbs take -er/-est and multi-syllable adverbs take more/most. Exceptions like good/better/best are also noted.
Adverbs
- 1. Discussion of: Adverbs - degrees of comparison Adverbs are often used to make the meaning of a verb or other adverb stronger or weaker. This is known as 'degrees of comparison'. What are they? The positive degree is the simple form of the adverb: slowly, early. e.g. 'He walked slowly.' The comparative degree is used to compare two actions: slower, more slowly, earlier. e.g. 'Sarah walked more slowly than Ben.' The superlative comparison is used to compare three or more: slowest, earliest. e.g. 'We all take our time, but I walk the slowest of all.' How do you make them? Adverbs of one syllable usually form the comparative by adding - er and form the superlative by adding - est 'hard' (positive) - 'harder' (comparative) - 'hardest' (superlative) Adverbs of two syllables or more generally form the comparative by adding more and the superlative by adding most. 'quickly' (positive) - 'more quickly' (comparative) - 'most quickly' (superlative) Examples of exceptions badly: worse (comparative) - worst (superlative). well: better (comparative) - best (superlative). far: farther (comparative) - farthest (superlative). Assessments: · Pre-Assessment: Forming the Comparative or Superlative Choosing between the suffix -er or -est and the preceding more/most depends on the number of syllables in the positive form of the adjective or adverb. Usually, adjectives and adverbs of one syllable take the suffix (-er/-est) and those of more than one syllable take the preceding more/most. Sometimes adjectives with a second syllable which is not very distinct, take the suffix. Positive Comparative Superlative big Lousy lousiest adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 1
- 2. Pretty prettiest more quiet or quieter most quiet or quietest Astounding most astounding Some comparatives and superlatives have irregular forms: Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives: good best well better bad worst far farther/further little least many most much more some most Adverbs: badly worse worst ill worse better best o Scoring Criteria: The student is asked to fill in the red area. (The red words are the missing words.) Positive Comparative Superlative big bigger biggest Lousy lousier lousiest Pretty prettier prettiest adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 2
- 3. Quiet more quiet or quieter most quiet or quietest Astounding more astounding most astounding Some comparatives and superlatives have irregular forms: Positive Comparative Superlative Adjectives: good better best well better best bad worse worst far farther/further farthest/furthest little less least many more most much more most some more most Adverbs: badly worse worst ill worse worst well better best · Post-Assessment: adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 3
- 4. o Scoring Criteria: adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 4
- 6. Technology (hardware/software): Access to computer lab, one computer per student. Key Vocabulary: basic grammar for parts of speech Application Beyond School: UDL Connections (insert in sections where applicable) Teacher Reflection and Notes: Be careful not to create a double comparative or superlative. Examples: Adjective - comparative: incorrect - Today is more colder than yesterday. correct - Today is colder than yesterday. (The day can be either colder or not, it cannot be more colder.) Adverb - superlative: incorrect - She is the most fastest runner. correct - She is the fastest runner. (She is either the fastest runner or she is not, she cannot be the most fastest.) Some adjectives and adverbs do not have comparatives or superlatives because they are already absolute in meaning: Examples: unique, Roman, dead, favorite, empty. incorrect: The tour guide was very French. The tour guide has to be either a French person or not, so cannot be described as "very" French. incorrect: The antique was the most unique. Unique means one of a kind. Something cannot be more one of a kind than it already is. incorrect: This is my most favorite toy. Again, favorite means something you like above all others. If it is your favorite, how can it be any more so than it already is? adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 6
- 7. Comparison of Adjectives When we want to compare two or more nouns using adjectives, we use the comparative and superlative forms of the adjective to show the comparison between the nouns. E.g. - Honey is sweet, sugar is sweeter but victory is the sweetest. In this sentence, we are comparing the three nouns using the positive, comparative and superlative forms of the word ‘sweet’. Positive Form - These are the simple adjectives that simply describe the noun without comparing it to another - big, sweet, clean, etc. She has a big black dog. He is a sweet boy. The cupboard is clean. Comparative Form - These are used when we are comparing two nouns and need to show which noun possesses the adjective or character in a greater or lesser amount, when compared with the other. - bigger, sweeter, cleaner, etc. I have a big dog but hers is bigger. He is sweeter than the other boys. The cupboard is cleaner than before. Superlative Form - This form is used when three or more nouns are being compared and we need to show that one or more of the nouns possess the adjective or characteristic to the highest amount possible. We usually add ‘the’ before the superlative form. - biggest, sweetest, cleanest, etc. She has the biggest dog in the colony. He is the sweetest boy in his class. The cupboard is the cleanest thing in the house. Making Comparatives and Superlatives There are certain rules that must be followed in the making of the comparatives and superlatives of the adjectives. Not all adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives in the same way and there are also some irregular adjectives that form completely different comparative and superlative forms. Single Syllable Words and Double Syllable Words ending with -y, -er, -ow, -le - We use ‘-er’ to make the comparative and ‘-est’ to make the superlative. adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 7
- 8. Positive Comparative Superlative Black Blacker Blackest Fair Fairer Fairest Clever Cleverer Cleverest When there is a silent ‘e’ at the end of the positive form, we remove that and add ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ Positive Comparative Superlative Nice Nicer Nicest Late Later Latest When the adjective ends with a ‘y’, we convert the ‘y’ into ‘i’ before adding ‘-er’ and ‘-est’ Positive Comparative Superlative Pretty Prettier Prettiest Lazy Lazier Laziest If the adjective is a small one with little stress on the vowel, we double the last consonant. Positive Comparative Superlative Hot Hotter Hottest Wet Wetter Wettest Other Words with Two or More Syllables - For other double syllable words that do not end with -y, -er, -ow, -le, and for adjectives with more than two syllables we use more and most to form the comparatives and superlatives. Positive Comparative Superlative Difficult More Difficult Most Difficult Careful More Careful Most Careful adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 8
- 9. Handsome More Handsome Most Handsome Interesting More Interesting Most Interesting Special Adjectives - There a few adjectives that can use both ‘-er and -est’ and ‘more’ and ‘most’ to form their comparative and superlative forms. The distinction between these is that ‘-er and -est’ are used when we are comparing the noun to another noun and ‘more’ and ‘most’ is used when we are comparing characteristics within the noun. Positive Comparative Superlative Example Clever Cleverer/ More Clever Cleverest/Most Clever He is cleverer than her. He is more cleverthan studious. Quiet Quieter/ More Quiet Quietest/ Most Quiet This is the most quietit gets here. This is the quietestplace. Brave Braver/ More Brave Bravest/ Most Brave She is braver than other girls. She was more bravethan afraid. Sure Surer/ More Sure Surest/ Most Sure He was surer of the result than others. You’ll be more sureabout the concept after you read the chapter. Irregular Comparisons - These adjectives do not make their comparative and superlative forms using the rules above. Their comparative and superlative forms are different words altogether. Positive Comparative Superlative Bad Worse Worst Good Better Best Far (place & time) Further Furthest Far (place) Farther Farthest adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 9
- 10. Old (people) Elder Eldest Little (amount) Less Least Late (order) Latter Last adverbs-141201012949-conversion-gate02.doc - Page 10