Adjectives, articles, comparative, and superlative forms

 The words that we use to describe people, places, and things are called adjectives.  An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun.  Adjectives describe, or modify, nouns in three ways. How Adjectives Describe Nouns What kind? We studied modern history. How many? I read four volumes. Which one? That invention changed the world.

 Young Gandhi studied at a small school in India.  He later lived for a while in busy London.  Gandhi heard the truth of an inner voice.

 The words a, an, and the are special kinds of adjectives. They are called articles.  The points to a specific item or items.  A and an refer to any one item of a group.  Use a before words that begin with a consonant sound.  Use an before words that begin with a vowel sound. William Shakespeare is the most famous English playwright. Getting a lead role in a Shakespeare play is an honor.

 William Shakespeare was (an, the) English playwright.  Was he (a, the) greatest writer of all time?  (A, The) town of Stratford-on-Avon was his birthplace.  Shakespeare was (a, an) country boy.  He was (a, an) poet and (a, an) actor.

 You can use adjectives to compare two or more nouns.  The comparative form of an adjective compares two things or people.  Form the comparative by adding –er, if the word is one syllable. Add the word more before the adjective, if the word is two syllables. Is Venezuela larger than Peru? Is Argentina more beautiful than Ecuador?  The superlative form of an adjective compares more than two things or people.  Form the superlative by adding –est, if the word is one syllable. Add the word most before the adjective, if the word is two syllables. Is Brazil the richest country in South America? Simon Bolivar was one of South America’s most successful generals.

Adjectives small dark active intelligent Comparative smaller darker more active more intelligent Superlative smallest darkest most active most intelligent

 Simón Bolívar is one of the (great) heroes of South America.  He was (successful) as an older man than as a younger man.  The general was (wise) than before about the struggle.  Simón Bolívar was one of the (loyal) of patriots.  The general cherished the (important) dream of all. greatest more successful wiser most loyal most important