Harvey's Elementary Grammar and Composition · Lesson 77 · Part 2: Part II: The parts of speech in full
62. Descriptive adjectives and comparison
Goal: Your child compares adjectives in three degrees and knows the irregular and uncomparable ones.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and a pencil (or a slate)
What's in the book
Lesson 77 defines comparison and the positive, comparative and superlative degrees, with rules, remarks, twenty adjectives to compare and twenty to name the degree of.
The lesson, step by step
Review
Ask: What is a descriptive adjective? A definitive one?
More and most
Line up three things of different sizes. Say: big, bigger, biggest.
Read:
Comparison is a variation of the adjective to express different degrees of quality; as, rich, richer, richest.
There are three Degrees of Comparison: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative.
How to form them
Read:
The comparative of monosyllables is regularly formed by adding r or er to the positive
The book says longer adjectives take more or less, most or least. Then:
Some adjectives are compared irregularly; as, good, better, best; bad, worse, worst.
Some adjectives can not be compared; as, square, infinite, supreme.
Oral practice
Say an adjective; your child gives all three degrees: tall, careful, bad, happy, many.
Compare the book's list
Write the three degrees for some of:
Far, Holy, Great, Honest, Cheerful
Then name the degree of some in the second list (Taller, Eldest, Better, Round, Perfect).
Check together
Check with the answers. Read the book's warning:
Adjectives should not be doubly compared.
Use it today
Compare three family members or objects using -er and -est correctly.
Answers to the book's problems
Compare: far, farther, farthest; holy, holier, holiest; great, greater, greatest; honest, more honest, most honest; cheerful, more cheerful, most cheerful; old, older (elder), oldest (eldest); loud, louder, loudest; proud, prouder, proudest; narrow, narrower, narrowest; studious, more studious, most studious; near, nearer, nearest; much, more, most; angry, angrier, angriest; skillful, more skillful, most skillful; agreeable, more agreeable, most agreeable; wise, wiser, wisest; little, less, least; young, younger, youngest; sensible, more sensible, most sensible; laughable, more laughable, most laughable. Degrees: Most, superlative; Taller, comparative; Infirm, positive; Most useful, Most hurtful, superlative; Later, comparative; Eldest, superlative; Stormy, positive; Better, Richer, comparative; Farthest, superlative; Less studious, Less confident, comparative; Round and Perfect, positive (cannot be compared); More hopeful, comparative; Least sensible, superlative. Rather nice, Very frightful and Greenish change the quality with an extra word or ending; talk them through with the book's remarks.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.