English Grammar - Comparison of adjectives

- comparative
- superlative

1) comparison with -er/-est

clean - cleaner - (the) cleanest

with -er/-est:

- all adjectives with one syllable (clean, new, cheap)

- all adjectives with two syllables ending on:
   -y (easy, happy, pretty, dirty)
   -er (clever)
   -le (simple)
   -ow (narrow)

Spelling:
large larger largest (leave out silent -e)
big bigger biggest (double consonant after short vowel in the middle)
dirty dirtier dirtiest (y is changed into -i, because there is a consonant before the- y {here -t})

2) comparison with more - most

difficult - more difficult - most difficult

all adjectives with more than one syllable (except adjectives with two syllables ending on -y or -er)

3) irregular adjectives

good - better - best
bad - worse - worst
much - more - most
many - more - most
little - less - least (wenig)
little - smaller - smallest (klein)

English Grammar - Adverbs

1) adverbs and adjectives

- adverbs: in what way someone does something (adjective: tells us more about a noun)

adjective	adverb
Mandy is a careful girl.	Mandy drives carefully.
Mandy is very careful.

FORM

adjective + -ly

adjective	adverb
dangerous	dangerously
careful	carefully
nice	nicely
easy	easily
horrible	horribly
electronic	electronically
irregular forms:
good	well
fast	fast
hard	hard

You can't form adverbs from some adjectives (e.g. friendly, difficult).

2) position of adverbs

statements without objects:	statements with objects
nach dem Verb	nach dem Objekt
John sang well at the concert.	John sang the song well.

NOTE!

Never put an adverb between verb and object.

- comparative
- superlative

1) comparison with -er/-est

hard - harder - (the) hardest

with -er/-est:

- all adverbs with one syllable

- early

2) comparison with more - most

carefully - more carefully - most carefully

adverbs ending on -ly (not: early)

3) irregular adjectives

well - better - best
badly - worse - worst
little - less - least
much - more - most
far - farther/further - farthest/furthest

ATTENTION!
In informal English some adverbs are used without -ly (e.g. cheap, loud, quick). There are two forms of comparison possible, depending on the form af the adverb:
cheaply - more cheaply - most cheaply
cheap - cheaper - cheapest

always, usually, regularly, normally, often, sometimes, occasionally, rarely, seldom, never are adverbs of frequency.

The position of these adverbs is:

before the full verb

I		always	get up	at 6.45.
Peter	can	usually	play	football on Sundays.
Mandy	has	sometimes	got	lots of homework.

after am, are, is (was, were)

Susan

never

late.

The adverbs often, usually, sometimes and occasionally can go at the beginning of a sentence.

Sometimes I go swimming.

Often we surf the internet.

We read books occasionally.

The adverbs rarely and seldom can go at the end of the sentence.

He eats fish very seldom.

without -ly	with -ly
fair	fairly
free	freely
high	highly
late	lately
most	mostly
near	nearly
pretty	prettily
right	rightly
wrong	wrongly

Adjective or adverb?

Fill in the words in brackets as adjective or adverb like in the example.

Example:	Peter works ____________ (slow).
Answer:	Peter works slowly.

1. He (quick) reads the book.
2. Mandy is a (pretty) girl.
3. The class is (terrible) loud today.
4. Max is a (good) singer.
5. You can (easy) open this tin.
6. It's a (terrible) day today.
7. She sings the song (good).
8. He is a (careful) driver.
9. He drives the car (careful).
10. The dog barks (loud).