Adverb, Adjective, & Comparison Degree

ADVERB & ADJECTIVE

# Adverb

Adverbs are descriptive words which are used to add detail to a sentence. They can give important or necessary information (e.g. Please hand me the scalpel now), or they can just make the sentence more interesting or detailed (e.g. A wind blew violently andunceasingly around the town). Adverbs usually modify verbs, and they frequently end in ‑ly.

Examples:
He speaks slowly (modifies the verb speaks)
He is especially clever (modifies the adjective clever)
He speaks all too slowly (modifies the adverb slowly)

An adverb answers how, when, where, or to what extent—how often or how much (e.g., daily, completely).

Examples:

He speaks very slowly (answers the question how slowly)

He speaks slowly (answers the question how)

Functions of an Adverb:

Adverbs typically add information about time(rarely, frequently, tomorrow), manner(slowly, quickly, willingly), or place (here, there, everywhere) in addition to a wide range of other meanings.

# Adjective

Adjectives are descriptive words which are used to add detail to a sentence. They can give important or necessary information (e.g. Please hand me the blue paper), or they can just make the sentence more interesting or detailed (e.g. A frigid, icy, painfully cold wind blew around the town). Adjectives modify (describe) nouns.

Examples:
That is a cute puppy.
She likes a high school senior.

Adjectives may also follow the word they modify:

Examples:
That puppy looks cute.
The technology is state-of-the-art.

The Difference between Adjectives and Adverbs

>> The Basic Rules: Adjectives

Adjectives modify nouns. To modify means to change in some way. For example:

·         "I ate a meal." Meal is a noun. We don't know what kind of meal; all we know is that someone ate a meal.

·         "I ate an enormous lunch." Lunch is a noun, and enormous is an adjective that modifies it. It tells us what kind of meal the person ate.

Adjectives usually answer one of a few different questions: "What kind?" or "Which?" or "How many?" For example:

·         "The tall girl is riding a new bike." Tall tells us which girl we're talking about. New tells us what kind of bike we're talking about.

·         "The tough professor gave us the final exam." Tough tells us what kind of professor we're talking about. Final tells us which exam we're talking about.

·         "Fifteen students passed the midterm exam; twelve students passed the final exam." Fifteen and twelve both tell us how many students; midterm and final both tell us which exam.

So, generally speaking, adjectives answer the following questions:

·         Which?

·         What kind of?

·         How many?

>> The Basic Rules: Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. (You can recognize adverbs easily because many of them are formed by adding -ly to an adjective, though that is not always the case.) The most common question that adverbs answer is how.

Let's look at verbs first.

·         "She sang beautifully." Beautifully is an adverb that modifies sang. It tells us how she sang.

·         "The cellist played carelessly." Carelessly is an adverb that modifies played. It tells us how the cellist played.

Adverbs also modify adjectives and other adverbs.

·         "That woman is extremely nice." Nice is an adjective that modifies the noun woman. Extremely is an adverb that modifies nice; it tells us how nice she is. How nice is she? She's extremely nice.

·         "It was a terribly hot afternoon." Hot is an adjective that modifies the noun afternoon. Terribly is an adverb that modifies the adjective hot. How hot is it? Terribly hot.

So, generally speaking, adverbs answer the question how. (They can also answer the questions when, where, and why.)

Referensi:

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/adjAdv.asp

http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/grammar/adjectives-and-adverbs/2/what-are-adverbs/

http://www.english-4u.de/adjective_adverb.htm

http://www.grammarly.com/handbook/grammar/adjectives-and-adverbs/1/what-are-adjectives/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/

COMPARISON DEGREE

POSITIVE DEGREE

The Positive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.

Ø  Positive

·         You cry as loud as my baby

·         I am not as handsome as my father

·         Your smile is as sweet as mine

·         It is a tall building.

·         Apple is sweet to taste.

COMPARATIVE DEGREE

The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the positive. It is used when two things (or two sets of things) are compared.

Ø  Comparative

·         Your car is bigger than mine

·         She can dive deeper than me

·         This building is taller than any other building.

·         Apple is sweeter than pear.

SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things are compared.

Ø  Superlative

·         Komodo dragon is the biggest lizard in the world

·         For me you are the most beautiful girl I have ever met

·         This is the tallest building.

·         Apple is the sweetest fruit.

The Superlative Degree is used when more than two nouns or things are compared.

·         Johnsy is kind (Positive Degree)

·         Johnsy is kinder than Rosy (Comparative Degree)

·         Johnsy is the kindest of all (Superlative Degree)

LIST OF DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Model 1

By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
bright	brighter	brightest
black	blacker	blackest
bold	bolder	boldest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
cold	colder	coldest
fast	faster	fastest
great	greater	greatest
high	higher	highest
kind	kinder	kindest
long	longer	longest
small	smaller	smallest
strong	stronger	strongest
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
tall	taller	tallest
young	younger	youngest

Model 2

By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
brave	braver	bravest
fine	finer	finest
large	larger	largest
nice	nicer	nicest
noble	nobler	noblest
pale	paler	palest
simple	simpler	simplest
wise	wiser	wisest
white	whiter	whitest

Model 3

By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
costly	costlier	costliest
dry	drier	driest
easy	easier	easiest
happy	happier	happiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
lazy	lasier	lasiest
mercy	mercier	merciest
wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest

Model 4

By doubling the final consonats
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
big	bigger	biggest
dim	dimmer	dimmest
fat	fatter	fattest
hot	hotter	hottest
thin	thinner	thinnest

Model 5

By using more and most
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
active	more active	most active
attractive	more attractive	most attractive
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
careful	more careful	most careful
courageous	more courageous	most courageous
cunning	more cunning	most cunning
difficult	more difficult	most difficult
famous	more famous	most famous
faithful	more faithful	most faithful
proper	more proper	most proper
popular	more popular	most popular
splendid	more splendid	most splendid

Referensi:

http://inggrisonline.com/penjelasan-lengkap-tentang-degree-of-comparison-superlative-comparative/

http://www.weblearn.in/degrees_of_comparison/

http://www.mcwdn.org/adjective/degreesofcomparison