UNIT 4 Degree of Adjectives
Lesson 1: Introducing Degrees
Look at the picture and read the dlalogue:
The words 'short and 'tall' qualify the two persons. These two quallfying
words tell us one of the men is tall and the other is short On the other hand,
the other forms of the words, 'taller' and 'shorter' compare their helght. The
words 'short, tall are called adjectives. Different forms of these adjectives
are used to compare two or more things or to compare their qualities. Look at
the following plcture and sentences to see comparison between more than
two things or their qualities.
Now, underline the different forms of the qualifying words used in the bubbles
above. Then discuss the following questions with your classmates:
1. What are the different forms of the words 'short' and 'tall?
2. What forms of the words have been used to compare two persons?
3. What forms of the words have been used to compare three or more
persons or things?
Remember that, the base form of the words 'short and 'tall is called
positive degree or positive degree of adjectives. When they are used to
compare between two, the base words become 'shorter' and 'taller'
respectively. This form of adjectives is called comparative degree. If we
compare between three or more, the base forms change to 'shortest and
'tallest' respectively and this form of the adjectives is superlative degree.
Formation of Comparatives and Superlatives
i) Adjectives of one syllable take 'er' to form comparatives and 'est'/'st' to
form their superlative degrees.
Now, work in pairs and try to make the comparative and superlative
forms of the following adjectives:
big, small, fast, slow, wise
Read the following list individually first and then discuss the adjectives and
their comparative and superlative forms with your partners:
Positive Comparative Superlative
tall taller tallest
short shorter shortest
small smaller smallest
fast faster fastest
slow slower slowest
 |
Positive Comparative Superlative
soft softer softest
strong stronger strongest
sweet sweeter sweetest
thick thicker thickest
weak weaker weakest
young younger youngest
Now, practise the following conversation with your partner. Change your
role while practising. After the first round of practice, use your own names
and your own qualities:
Alim : Sarwar, you are short.
Sarwar : Probably I am not shorter than you.
Alim : Sorry Sarwar, I am taller than you.
Sarwar : But you are not the tallest student in the class.
Alim :I agree, Riad is the tallest boy in our class. Who is the shortest
student in our class?
Sarwar :lam sure, it is not me. Probably Raihana is the shortest student
in our class.
Alim : Sorwar, we should not label one as tall, taller, tallest or, short,
shorter, shortest without measuring their heights.
Sarwar : You are quite right, Alim.
ii) If a one syllable adjective ends in a vowel followed by a consonant, the
consonant becomes double when any suffix (er, est) is added. If there are two
vowels before the last consonant of the adjective, the last consonant will not
be doubled (sweet, sweeter, sweetest). Read the adjectives from the following
table and notice their comparative and superlative forms:
Positive Comparative Superlative
big bigger biggest
fat fatter fattest
fit fitter fittest
glad gladder gladdest
hot hotter hottest
red redder reddest
sad sadder saddest
thin thinner thinnest
Lesson 2: More about degree
Read the following positive, comparative and superlative forms of
adjectives. Discuss with your partner how they are different from the
previous ones.
Positive Comparative Superlative
busy busier busiest
dirty dirtier direst
dry drier driest
easy easier easiest
happy happier happiest
healthy healthier healthiest
hungry hungrier hungriest
lovely lovelier loveliest
ugly uglier ugliest
Note: If one syllable adjectives end in consonant followed by 'y', 'y' is changed
into 'i' and 'er/est' is added to comparative and superlative forms. Remember
that, if the last 'y' is preceded by a vowel, the 'y' remains unchanged and 'er',
'est' are used to make comparative and superlative forms respectively. For
instance, grey, greyer, greyest.
Now, read the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of adjectives
from the list below and discuss with your friends how the positive forms of
the adjectives have been changed into comparative and superlative.
Note: Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives made of more than two
syllables are made adding more and most before the adjectives
respectively.
Now, read the following list of adjectives and look at the comparative and
superlative forms of them:
Positive Comparative Superlative
bad worse worst
far farther farthest
fore former foremost
good better best
late later/latter latest/last
little less least
many/much more most
old older/elder oldest/eldest
out outer outmost
up upper upmost/uppermost
Exercise 1
Now, read the weather forecast and underline the adjectives. Write all the
three forms (positive, comparative, and superlative) of all the adjectives you
find in the forecast. Then compare your answers with your partners.
Weather is likely to remain dry with cloudy sky over the country. Mild cold
wave is sweeping over the regions of Madaripur, Rajshahi, Pabna, Sayedpur,
Jessore, Kushtia and Srimangal, and it may continue and spread elsewhere
over Rangpur division. Moderate to thick fog may occur over the river basins
and light to moderate fog elsewhere over the country during midnight till
morning. Night temperature may fall slightly over Rangpur division and it may
remain nearly unchanged elsewhere over the country. However, between late
December and early January, coldest weather in the last five years is
predicted. After some good winters since 2010, we may feel the biting of
winter. In that period of time, temperature may be less than 10 degrees
Celsius in a few places. Poor and elderly people, and little babies may suffer
more for want of warm clothes.
(adapted)
Read the following sentences to experience how to transform sentences
containing the degrees of comparison to each other:
A) Positive to comparative
i) Positive: Faridul is as tall as Riad
Comparative: Riad is not taller than Faridul.
ii) Positive: Khorshed is as handsome as Subrato.
Comparative: Subrato is not more handsome than Khorshed.
B) Comparative to superlative
i) Comparative: My father is older than any other men in the village.
Superlative: My father is the oldest man in the village.
ii) Comparative: Milk is more nutritious than any other drink.
Superlative: Milk is the most nutritious drink.
C) Superlative to positive
i) Superlative: Atanu is the best boy in class eight.
Positive: No other boy in class eight is as good as Atanu.
ii) Superlative: Shamsur Rahman is the most famous modern poet of
Bangladesh.
Positive: No other modern poet of Bangladesh is so famous as Shamsur
Rahman.
iii) Superlative: Sraboni is one of the most intelligent girls in the class.
Positive: Very few girls in the class are as intelligent as Sraboni.
D) Interchange of Degrees
i)Positive: Very few airlines are as good as Apollo Airlines.
Comparative: Apollo Airlines is better than most other airlines.
Superlative: Apollo Airlines is one of the best airlines.
ii)Positive: No other man in the locality is so active as Mr. Anwar.
Comparative: Mr. Anwar is more active than any other man in the
locality.
Superlative: Mr Anwar is the most active man in the locality.
Note: Superlative degrees always take definite article before them. For
instance: the best boy; the greatest dramatist; the most handsome man; and
the happiest man.
Exercise 2
Fill in the gaps with appropriate forms of adjectives given in the parenthesis:
I met a___ (tall) man on the way to school. Of course, he was not
___ (tall) than our head teacher. Our head teacher is the_____ (tall)
man in the village. He is not only the tallest but also the____ (handsome)
and the___(wise) man in the area.
Exercise 3
Fill in the following conversation with appropriate forms of adjectives. Use
different degrees of the adjective - cold and warm:
Shishir: It's so____ today, isn't it?Swapan: Of course. It's_____ than
yesterday, I am sure.
Shishir: How do you know yesterday was_______
Swapan: People were trying to protect themselves with______ clothes.
Shishir: But the weather forecast is that, the next few days will be_______
Swapan: Lovely!
Transform the following sentences as directed in the brackets:
i) Mr Bashar is the busiest man in the school. (positive)
ii) No other dramatist in the world is so great as William Shakespeare.
(superlative)
iii) Sadia is as beautiful as Papia. (comparative)
iv) No other singer in Bangladesh was so popular as BasirAhamed during
the 70s. (superlative)
Mercury is one of the softest metals in the world. (positive)
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