ADVERBS OF DEGREE Adverbs are describing words. Adverbs modify or describe three other parts of speech verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Many adverbs end in the letters ly. Adverbs are not verbs. Instead, they help answer questions about the words they describe. How? When? Where? To what extent (how long? how much? how many?) They can show up in many places in a sentence. You can even have adverbs that answer different questions about the same verb in one sentence. Sometimes you want to compare one thing to another. Adverbs or adjectives can help. Adverbs of manner can be compared up or down and in three degrees positive, comparative or superlative. Let s break those definitions down into easier rules. To compare adverbs upwards... Positive degree Adverbs in this degree are used to modify a single verb, adjective or adverb. They are the basic form of the verb. Grandma ran fast to get the puppy out of the mud. Comparative degree Adverbs in this degree are used to compare two people, places, or things. A few adverbs add er to form the comparative degree. If an adverb is one syllable, add er to the end. Grandma ran faster than Tom to get the puppy out of the mud. If an adverb has more than one syllable, use more in front of the adverb. Most adverbs are compared upward by using more for the comparative degree, especially adverbs that end in ly. mud. Grandma ran more quickly than Tom to get the puppy out of the
ADVERBS OF DEGREE (Cont d) Superlative degree - Adverbs in this degree are used to compare more than two people, places or things. You add -est to adverbs of one syllable. Is Grandma, Tom or Amber nearest the puppy? Use most before adverbs of two or more syllables. Those puppies were all most happily covered in mud. To compare adverbs downward... All adverbs are compared downward by using less for the comparative degree and least for the superlative degree. Those puppies are less happy in the bath water than they were in the mud. Comparative degree Of the three puppies, Samson is the least happy to have soap in his eyes. Superlative degree Like irregular verbs, some adverbs do not follow the same rules. They are compared irregularly. Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree Little Less Least Well Better Best Badly Worse Worst Much More Most
ADVERBS OF DEGREE Questions A. Let s Review. Fill in the blanks with the correct answers to the questions below. 1. or can be used to compare things. 2. Adverbs of manner can be compared or. 3. What are the three degrees of comparing you learned about in this lesson? 4. Adverbs in this degree are used to modify a single verb, adjective or other adverb. Name it? 5. Adverbs in this degree are used to compare two things. Name it? 6. Adverbs in this degree are used to compare more than two things. Name it? 7. To compare adverbs downward, you use the word in the comparative degree. 8. To compare adverbs downward, you use the word in the superlative degree.
ADVERBS OF DEGREE Questions (Cont d) B. Change the following words into the comparative degree. Compare upwards. Watch out for words compared irregularly. 1. Fast 2. Slowly 3. Little C. Use the superlative degree to compare these words downward. 1. Slowly 2. Happily 3. Little D. Using the word much write the positive, comparative and superlative degrees.
ADVERBS OF DEGREE Answers 1. Adjectives or adverbs can be used to compare things. 2. Adverbs of manner can be compared up or down. 3. What are the three degrees of comparing you learned about in this lesson? Positive Comparative Superlative 4. Adverbs in this degree are used to modify a single verb, adjective or other adverb. What is it? Positive 5. Adverbs in this degree are used to compare two things. What is it? Comparative 6. Adverbs in this degree are used to compare more than two things. What is it? Superlative 7. To compare adverbs downward, you use the word less in the comparative degree. 8. To compare adverbs downward, you use the word least in the superlative degree. B. 1. Fast Faster 2. Slowly More slowly 3. Little Less C. 1. Slowly Least slowly 2. Happily Least happily 3. Little Least D. Much, More, Most