Adjectives and Degrees of Comparison
"Describe nouns and form positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives."
A Today you'll learn
- Identify adjectives that describe size, color, shape, number, and quality
- Understand and form the three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative
- Apply spelling rules when adding -er and -est, and use "more" and "most" for longer adjectives
B Let's understand
Adjectives are describing words that provide more information about a noun or pronoun. They tell us what kind (sweet mango), how many (three birds), which one (that car), or what color (blue sky). When we compare things, adjectives change into three degrees of comparison. The Positive degree describes one person or thing without comparing (tall). The Comparative degree compares two things, usually ending in -er or using "more" (taller, more beautiful). The Superlative degree compares three or more things, usually ending in -est or using "most", and is preceded by "the" (the tallest, the most beautiful).
C See it step by step
- Positive degree: fast (Cheetah is a fast animal).
- Comparative degree: faster (Cheetah is faster than a horse).
- Superlative degree: fastest (Cheetah is the fastest land animal).
- Long adjectives of 2 or more syllables do not take -er or -est.
- Comparative: more colourful.
- Superlative: most colourful.
D Your turn
E Ready to practise?
Key idea 1
Adjectives describe nouns by answering what kind, which one, or how many.
Positive
Positive: describes one thing (e.g., small).
Comparative
Comparative: compares two things using -er or "more" + "than" (e.g., smaller than).
Superlative
Superlative: compares three or more things using "the" + -est or "most" (e.g., the smallest).
Some adjectives have irregular forms
Some adjectives have irregular forms: good -> better -> best; bad -> worse -> worst.