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April 23/24, 2012 Agenda->Chapter 5: Adjectives & Adverbs

: Lesson 5 - Making Comparisons

Homework: ->Lesson 5 Worksheet

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Lesson 5: Making Comparisons

->Adjectives and adverbs can be used to compare people or things. Special forms of these words are used to make comparisons.

Use the comparative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare a person or thing with one other person or thing.

Mt. Rainer is higher than Mt. Hood.

Mountain climbing is more dangerous than skydiving.

Use the superlative form of an adjective or adverb when you compare someone or something with more than one other person or things.

Mt. Everest is the highest of the three mountains.

I think Mt. Fuji is the most beautiful mountain of all.

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REGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON

->For most one syllable modifiers, add -er to form the comparative. Add -est to form the superlative.

Adjectives thin thinner thinnestbrave braver bravest

Adverbs slow slower slowestsoon sooner soonest

->You can also add -er or -est to some two-syllable adjectives. With others, and with two-syllable adverbs, use more and most.

Adjectives shallow shallower shallowestawful more awful most awful

Adverbs calmly more calmly most calmlybriskly more briskly most briskly

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->With adjectives and adverbs having three or more syllables, use more and most.

Adjectives beautiful more beautiful most beautifuldangerous more dangerous most dangerous

Adverb gracefully more gracefully most gracefullydangerously more dangerously most dangerously

:Use only one sign of a comparison at a time. Don't use more and -er together or most and -est together.

Incorrect: That beach has the most whitest sand.

Correct: That beach has the whitest sand.

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IRREGULAR FORMS OF COMPARISON

->The comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives and adverbs are completely different words. You don't need to add -er or -est to an irregular comparison.

Adjectives good better bestbad worse worst

Adverbs well better bestmuch more mostlittle less least

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1. Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the (larger, largest) coral reef in the world.

2. The reef is also the (richer, richest) of all marine resources.

3. Biologists can (better, more better) study sea life near a reef than in open water.

4. The (biggest, most biggest) of all polyps, the animals that form a coral reef, are a foot in diameter.

5. Coral grows (better, best) of all in warm, shallow water.

6. During cold weather, vacationers visit the reef's northern islands (less, least) frequently than the southern ones.

7. A scuba dive is (more daring, most daring) than a glass-bottom-boat tour.

8. The Great Barrier Reef is (more fragile, most fragile) than a large rock formation would be.

9. The crown-of-thorns starfish is the reef's (deadlier, deadliest) enemy.

10. These starfish can devour polyps (more, most) quickly than the average starfish.