Adjectives

AdjectivesComparative and superlative forms

This presentation has been taken, revised and adapted from different sources by Mercedes Urdaneta de Gonzlez

What is an adjective?It is a word that describes a noun.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION1. In English, adjectives do not take an S in the plural; they do not change. Example: A red book Two red books

2. In English we write an adjective: a. Before a noun: A big house b. After the verb To Be: The house is big 3. Adjectives tell us more about a noun (function). They can:

* Describe feelings or qualities: He is a lonely man* Give nationality or origin: Pierre is French* Tell more about a thing's characteristics: A wooden table.* Tell us about age: He's a young man* Tell us about size and measurement: John is a tall man.* Tell us about colour: Paul wore a red shirt.* Tell us about material/what something is made of: It was a wooden table* Tell us about shape: A rectangular box* Express a judgement or a value: Grammar is boring.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION (Cont.)4. Adjectives are used in a certain order in English. Where a number of adjectives are used together, the order depends on the function of the adjective. The usual order is:1. * Value/opinion: delicious, lovely, charming2. * Size: small, huge, tiny3. * Age/Temperature: old, hot, young4. * Shape: round, square, rectangular5. * Colour: red, blonde, black6. * Origin: Swedish, Victorian, Chinese7. * Material: plastic, wooden, silver

Example: A lovely, small, old, square, red, Chinese, wooden box.

COMPARATIVE FORM OF ADJECTIVES The comparative form is used to compare two objects, ideas, persons, or places. We use than to compare the two objects. Ex: Madrid is more exciting than London.By themselves adjectives and adverbs are in the positive degree. Adjectives and adverbs can be used to indicate that something or someone has a relatively equal, greater or lesser degree of some quality or feature.

1. Equal degree:Use asas to indicate that two things (people, animals, objects, places and so on) have the same or equal degree of some attribute or feature Ex: Jane is as big as her sister.

2. Greater degree:The comparative of majority form of an adjective or adverb is used to indicate that one of two things (people, animals, objects, places and so on) has more of some attribute or feature. An adjective or adverb is changed to his form either by adding the suffix er to it or by using the quantifier more before it. * a) Generally, if the adjective or adverb has one syllable, add er: Ex. Small -- Smaller than Sweet -- Sweeter than * b) If the adjective or adverb has more than one syllable, use more: Exs. Difficult ---- More difficult than Interesting -- More interesting than Quickly ----- More quickly than

Exceptions:

1. If the adjective or adverb has only one syllable and ends in a single vowel followed by d or g, the consonant is doubled when the er is added. Ex. Red ----- Redder than Big ----- Bigger than2. If the adjective or adverb ends in y, you replace it by i followed by er. Ex. Happy -- Happier than Messy ---- Messier than Busy ---- Busier than Easy ------ Easier than3) Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms. Ex. Bad (ly) --- Worse than Far ------ Farther than Good ------ Better than Little ---- Less than Much ------ More than Well ---- Better than

3) Lesser Degree:The comparative of minority form of an adjective or adverb is used to indicate that one of two things (people, animals, objects, places, and so on) has less of some attribute or feature. The degree of minority is formed with less before the adjective or adverb Ex. Tall ----- Less tall than Small ----- Less small than Attractive ------ Less attractive than Bad ----- Less bad than

SUPERLATIVE FORM OF ADJECTIVESThe superlative is used to single out people, places and things from other people, places and things That is, it is used to show which object is the most of something when speaking about three or more objects: Ex: Madrid is the most exciting city in Europe.

Difference between the comparative and the superlative forms of adjectives: The comparative ignores the extremes and looks at 2 points anywhere on the scale with regard to two or more individuals, objects and so onEx : Sarah is shorter than her brother and her cousin. The superlative concerns itself with the extremes of a given scale with regard to a specific set:

Ex: Sarah is the shortest.

REGULAR ADJECTIVES

IRREGULAR ADJECTIVES

AdjectivesComparativeSuperlativegoodBetter thanThe bestbadWorse thanThe worstfarFarther than (physical difference)The farthestfarFurther than (mental difference)quietQuieter thanThe quiest

ActivitiesLook at the following picture. Use adjectives to make sentences

Dragons have:A camel head,a snake neck,fish scales,eagle claws,tiger paws,ox ears,deer hornes andwhiskers

Look at the following pictures and compare the 2 figures in each picture: NewOldBigSmallEmptyFullLongShort

Write a comparative and a superlative sentence of each picture:

1. Comparative: ______________________________________________ Superlative: ______________________________________________2. Comparative: ______________________________________________ Superlative: _______________________________________________3. Comparative: ______________________________________________ Suprelative: _______________________________________________4. Comparative: ______________________________________________ Superlative: _______________________________________________

Next class handle in the written homework.

Look at the following family. Compare the members

www.israelsmith.com/.../2010/04/jessop-big.jpg

Write a comparative and a superlative sentence of each person:1. Comparative: ____________________________________________________________ Superlative: ____________________________________________________________2. Comparative: _____________________________________________________________ Superlative: _____________________________________________________________3. Comparative: _____________________________________________________________ Suprelative: _____________________________________________________________4. Comparative:_____________________________________________________________ Superlative:______________________________________________________________5. Comparative: ____________________________________________________________ Superlative: _____________________________________________________________6. Comparaative: __________________________________________________________ Superlative: ____________________________________________________________7. Comparative: __________________________________________________________ Superlative: ___________________________________________________________

Next class handle in the written homework.