COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES 

1. Explain the term positive, comparative and superlative
2. State when to use them
3. Use them correctly in any given sentence

An adjective is a word that qualifies or describes things or persons.  It tells us more about a noun.

Adding an adjective to a noun  or pronoun, make the meaning of a sentence clear.

Examples of adjectives

1. Fine
2. Short
3. Tall
4. Rich
5. Fat
6. Long
7. Big
8. Old

Examples of adjectives

1. A fat woman.
2. A long ruler
3. A tall girl
4. A poor man
5. This is a short man

EVALUATION

Read the sentences and underline the adjectives

1. Samson has a big ball.
2. The tall teacher is coming.
3. My wife is a careful cook
4. She is a foolish boy
5. She has a beautiful flower

Identification and uses of Adjectives – Comparison of Adjectives         

Adjectives can be compared  when we add “er” and “est” these three levels  or degrees of comparison are called positive, comparative and superlatives.

The positive describes a noun or pronoun. i.e big, fast, clever, etc.

The comparative is used to compare only two nouns or pronouns for example; longer, taller, bigger, faster, cleaverer, etc.

The superlative is used to compare more than two nouns or pronouns; for example: biggest, fastest, cleverest, etc.

Formation of comparative and superlative

1. Using adjectives to form comparative by adding ‘er’ and their superlative by adding ‘est’ to the positive.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	big	bigger	Biggest
2	slow	slower	slowest
3	short	shorter	shortest
4	young	younger	youngest
5	rich	richer	richest

•  Using adjectives whose positive end with “e”, we add “r” to form comparative ‘st’ to form superlative.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	Fine	finer	finest
2	brave	braver	bravest
3	pure	purer	purest

•   Positive adjectives ends with “Y” and has a consonant before it, the ‘Y’ is changed into “i”, then “er” and “est’ are added to form comparative and superlative.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	lazy	lazier	laziest
2	merry	merrier	merriest
3	heavy	heavier	heaviest

• When the last letter of the positives are doubled before ‘er’ and ‘est’ are added to form comparative and superlative.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	big	bigger	Biggest
2	thin	thinner	thinnest
3	hot	hotter	hottest

•    Adding of “more” and “most” to form comparative and superlative from the Positive adjective.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	careless	More careless	Most careless
2	Brilliant	More brilliant	most brilliant
3	Handsome	More handsome	Most handsome

•    Irregular comparative and superlative; they have no fixed  rules

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	good	better	Best
2	many	more	most
3	bad	worse	worst

•   Some  Adjectives that do not change  their positive  form

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	full	full	full
2	left	left	left
3	wrong	wrong	wrong

USING POSITIVE, COMPARTIVE AND SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY IN ANY GIVEN SENTENCE

USING POSITIVE CORRECTLY IN A SENTINCE

1. A beautiful girl.
2. A careful doctor
3. He is a brave soldier.
4. My teacher is a good person.
5. She is young for her age.

USING COMPARATIVE CORRECTLY IN A SENTENCE

1. He is older than I am.
2. She is my younger sister.
3. Tuned is more handsome than Femi.
4. My father is richer than I am.
5. The water is hotter than the sunlight.

USING SUPERLATIVE CORRECTLY IN SENTENCE

1.  I am the most brilliant, in the class.
2. This is the widest road in my street.
3. Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
4. Mr. Paul is the best teacher in the school.
5. My father is the richest in the community.

EVALUATION

Instruction: Complete the following table with the right positive, comparative, superlative.

	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
1	late		latest
2	soon	sooner
3		better	best
4	quickly		Most quickly
5	right	right

THEORY

1. What is an adjective?
2. Mention three examples of adjectives.