Lesson 1: Degrees of Adjectives

Goals:

 To compose clear and coherent sentences using the different degrees of adjectives
appropriately
 To write paragraphs showing comparison and contrast
 To revise writing for clarity

Read each item and circle the correct form of the adjective to make the sentence correct.

1. Mount Apo is the (high, higher, highest) mountain in the Philippines.

2. It is (cold, colder, coldest) in Baguio than in Tagaytay.

3. Life in the province is (quiet, quieter, quietest) than life in the city.

4. The white beach of Boracay is a (popular, more popular, most popular) beach in the country.

5. There are many (beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful) diving sites in the Philippines.

6. Whale sharks, the (large, larger, largest) fish in the sea, may be found in Oslob, Cebu.

7. The San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the (old, older, oldest) church in the country.

8. Sinulog in Cebu is one of the (big, bigger, biggest) festivals celebrated in the Philippines.

9. Leche flan is (sweet, sweeter, sweetest) than turon and bibingka.

10. I think that adobo tastes (good, better, best) than sinigang.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes even similar objects and experiences have some differences
among them? Being able to recognize these

similarities and differences help us understand and connect our experiences with one another. When
we describe the things around us and compare them

with other similar experiences, we often use the different degrees of adjectives.

Read the sentence below.

Cebu is a beautiful province in the Philippines. What do you notice about the underlined word?
That’s right, it is an adjective that describes Cebu. When an adjective describes only one noun, it is in
the positive degree.

Now read the next sentence. Check if the adjective is still in the positive degree.

I think Zambales is more beautiful than Cebu.

How many nouns are being described in the sentence right now? That’s right, the sentence is now
describing two places — Cebu and Zambales. Both of them are beautiful, but the writer thinks that
Zambales is more beautiful than Cebu.

Just like in the sentence, you use the comparative degree of adjectives when you are talking about
two nouns that may have similar qualities.

You can form the comparative degree of adjectives in different ways. The most common is to add -er
at the end of the adjective.

Look at the sample below.

The beaches in Cebu are cleaner than the ones in Zambales.

The beaches in Zambales are calmer than the beaches in Cebu.

Take note that when an adjective ends with a -y, you must change the -y to an i and add the suffix -er.

There are also times when you would need to double the last consonant of the word before adding -
er. Look at the following examples:

We had a bumpy boat ride when we went island hopping in the morning. Our boat ride in the
afternoon was bumpier!

I saw a big starfish when I went swimming at the beach. I saw a bigger starfish when I went diving
near a reef.

You may also compare three or more nouns.

Read the sentence below.

I read somewhere that Mount. Pulag is the coldest place in the country.

The sentence above compares Mount Pulag with all the other cold places in the Philippines. When
you are comparing three or more nouns, you use the superlative degree of adjectives. The
superlative degree may be formed in different ways. The most common way is to add -est at the end
of the word.

Just like in the comparative degree, there are also some words whose last consonants have to be
doubled before adding -est. If an adjective ends in -y, you also have to change it first to an i before
adding -est.

Read the following examples:

Filipinos are friendly.

I think that we may be the nation with the friendliest people.

More example:

There are many interesting places in the Philippines.

Some may think that the city is more interesting than the province.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Good Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

Little Less Least

many More Most

Exercise 1: Read each item carefully. Underline the form of the adjective that will make the sentence
correct. Look at the example below.

Example: I find history (fascinating, more fascinating, most fascinating) than other subjects I study.

1. A trip to the museum is an (easy, easier, easiest) way to get to know human history.

2. The National Museum of the Philippines in Manila is (large, larger, largest) than any other
museums in the Philippines.

3. My family and I often visit it because it is (near, nearer, nearest) our house.

4. Its collection of artifacts is (big, bigger, biggest) than other museums in the country.

5. The (early, earlier, earliest) evidence of humans living in the Philippines may be traced back to
750,000 years ago!

6. Metal tools are (efficient, more efficient, most efficient) than stone tools.

7. The Butuan balangay boat is the (ancient, more ancient, most ancient) watercraft found in the
country so far.

8. Out of all of Juan Luna’s paintings, the Spoliarium may be the (popular, more popular, most
popular). It may be found in the National Art Gallery.

9. The (old, older, oldest) artworks in the museum’s collection show strong Spanish influences.

10. The National Museum has classified (many, more, most) birds than mammals in their catalogue.
Exercise 2: Read each item carefully. Write down the correct form of the adjective in the parentheses
so that the sentence will be correct. Look at the

example below.

Example: I think that Palawan has the (beautiful) most beautiful beaches in the country.

1. Fernando Amorsolo is an (amazing) ___________________________________ artist.

2. He painted (bright) ___________________________________________ landscapes.

3. His works are (realistic) ________________________________________ compared to artists like

Arturo Luz and Manuel Baldemor.

4. Arturo Luz, like Fernando Amorsolo, is also a Philippine National Artist. His works are characterized
by the use of (many)

_________________________________ lines.

5. His (good) ____________________________________ works are displayed in the National

Museum.

6. I consider Ramon Orlina as one of the (talented) _________________________________ sculptors

around.

7. Instead of wood or marble, he uses green-tinted glass to create (unique) _____________

________________________ pieces.

8. If you have ever been to the EDSA Shrine, you will find one of his (magnificent) ________
_______________________________ pieces—the altar

cross.

9. It immediately catches the mass-goer’s (eager) ____________________________ attention as it

stands right in the middle of the altar.

10. Truly, the Filipinos’ (exceptional) ____________________________________ talent is one to be

proud of all over the world.

Exercise 3: We learn more about the world we live in when we observe what is around us, whether
they are big or small. Go for a short walk outside or walk around your house and write 10–15 things.
If they are too big, you may just list them down. Look at the objects you found and compare them
with each other. Use the different senses to look for similarities and differences. Write down five
sentences for each degree of adjectives based on your observations. Underline the adjectives you
used.
Examples:

(a) Positive degree: I saw a shrub of colorful flowers.

(b) Comparative degree: Bamboo leaves are thinner than mango leaves.

(c) Superlative degree: The white stone fountain was the most interesting thing I saw.

1. Positive degree:

__________________________________________________________________

2. Positive degree:

__________________________________________________________________

3. Positive degree:

__________________________________________________________________

4. Positive degree:

__________________________________________________________________

5. Positive degree:

__________________________________________________________________

6. Comparative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

7. Comparative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

8. Comparative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

9. Comparative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

10. Comparative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

11. Superlative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

12. Superlative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

13. Superlative degree:

__________________________________________________________________
14. Superlative degree:

__________________________________________________________________

15. Superlative degree:

__________________________________________________________________