short VS long adjectives:

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ESL forum > Ask for help > short VS long adjectives:

short VS long adjectives:

fatenam

short VS long adjectives:

I`m teaching about the comparative form and pupils have to differentiate between short and long adjectives before changing them from the simple form to the comparative form.

However, pupils just mix it up when it comes to some confusing adjs.

Would you supply me with the rules:

Which adjectives are considered short and which ones are

considered long.

Why is " happy" ( 2 syllables ) for example considered short? ( happier than ).

And "serious" ( 2 syllables) considered long. ( more serious than ).

Thanks in advance.

30 Apr 2012

ascincoquinas

Hi!

Here some useful links for you:

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/adjectives-comparative_1.htm

http://c3.ort.org.il/Apps/WW/page.aspx?ws=1f2d598e-7008-4a74-b04a-5ac2d68e75ef&page=f9354a6d-44f3-4e2f-a31a-8d5f11685f0c&fol=f8f02e31-996e-433c-aaaf-7a983d880174&box=38644a32-ca2e-4ba2-86ca-163ea7c1af02&_pstate=item&_item=4341332b-f3a5-44ec-ad9d-394cf1f104f8

hope this helps.

30 Apr 2012

Dameon

Two-syllable adjectives.

With most two-syllable adjectives, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Two-Syllable Adjective	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
peaceful	more peaceful	most peaceful
pleasant	more pleasant	most pleasant
careful	more careful	most careful
thoughtful	more thoughtful	most thoughtful

This morning is more peaceful than yesterday morning.
Max ï¿½s house in the mountains is the most peaceful in the world.
Max is more careful than Mike.
Of all the taxi drivers, Jack is the most careful.
Jill is more thoughtful than your sister.
Mary is the most thoughtful person I ï¿½ve ever met.

If the two-syllable adjectives ends with ï¿½y, change the y to i and add ï¿½er for the comparative form. For the superlative form change the y to i and add ï¿½est.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -y	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
happy	happier	happiest
angry	angrier	angriest
busy	busier	busiest

John is happier today than he was yesterday.
John is the happiest boy in the world.
Max is angrier than Mary.
Of all of John ï¿½s victims, Max is the angriest.
Mary is busier than Max.
Mary is the busiest person I ï¿½ve ever met.

Two-syllable adjectives ending in ï¿½er, -le, or ï¿½ow take ï¿½er and ï¿½est to form the comparative and superlative forms.

Two-Syllable Adjective Ending with -er, -le, or -ow	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
narrow	narrower	narrowest
gentle	gentler	gentlest

The roads in this town are narrower than the roads in the city.
This road is the narrowest of all the roads in California.
Big dogs are gentler than small dogs.
Of all the dogs in the world, English Mastiffs are the gentlest.

Adjectives with three or more syllables.

For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.

Adjective with Three or More Syllables	Comparative Form	Superlative Form
generous	more generous	most generous
important	more important	most important
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent

John is more generous than Jack.
John is the most generous of all the people I know.
Health is more important than money.
Of all the people I know, Max is the most important.
Women are more intelligent than men.
Mary is the most intelligent person I ï¿½ve ever met.

30 Apr 2012

ueslteacher

http://usefulenglish.ru/miscellany/degrees-of-comparison

http://busyteacher.org/3908-how-to-teach-comparatives-and-superlatives.html

Sophia

30 Apr 2012

havpa

"happy" is considered short because it has got two syllables but the last sound that you hear is of a vowel (i); although serious has got two syllables, the last sound that you hear is of a consonant (z) - this rules works with most two syllable adjectives:

- pretty (last sound: i) - short

- famous (last sound: z) - long

...

What counts is the sound that you hear not the letter!

Hope it helped

30 Apr 2012

ayouda

The rules to form comparatives and superlatives:

1. One syllable adjective ending in a silent ï¿½e ï¿½ ï¿½ nice
Comparative ï¿½ add ï¿½r ï¿½ ï¿½ nicer
Superlative ï¿½ add ï¿½st ï¿½ ï¿½ nicest
2. One syllable adjective ending in one vowel and one consonnant ï¿½ big
Comparative ï¿½ the consonant is doubled and ï¿½er ï¿½ is added ï¿½bigger
Superlative ï¿½ the consonant is doubled and ï¿½est ï¿½ is addedï¿½biggest
3. One syllable adjective ending in more than one consonant or more than a vowel ï¿½ high, cheap
Comparative ï¿½ ï¿½er ï¿½ is added ï¿½ higher, cheaper
Superlative ï¿½ ï¿½est is added ï¿½ highest, cheapest
4. A two syllable adjective ending in ï¿½y ï¿½ ï¿½ happy
Comparative ï¿½ ï¿½y ï¿½ becomes ï¿½i ï¿½ and ï¿½er ï¿½ is added ï¿½ happier
Superlative ï¿½ ï¿½y ï¿½ becomes ï¿½i ï¿½ and ï¿½est ï¿½ is added ï¿½ happiest
5. Tow syllable or more adjectives without ï¿½y ï¿½ at the end ï¿½ exciting
Comparative ï¿½ more + the adjective + than ï¿½ more exciting than
Superlative ï¿½ more + the adjective + than ï¿½ the most exciting
Examples:
The Nile River is longer and more famous than the Thames.
Egypt is much hotter than Sweden.
Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
This is one of the most exciting films I have ever seen.

30 Apr 2012

Apodo

Doesn ï¿½t ï¿½serious ï¿½ have 3 syllables?

seï¿½riï¿½ous (sï¿½r

adj.

@havpa

I liked your explanation :-)

But I hear and say ï¿½s ï¿½ not ï¿½z ï¿½ at the end of serious.

30 Apr 2012

PhilipR

Apodo is right. Serious has three syllables.

Simplified rules are as follows:

- 1-syllable words take -er and -est

- 3+-syllable words use more and the most

- 2-syllable words: flip a coin

1 May 2012

fatenam

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaankkks a lot my dear colleagues for all your explanations. They are geaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

20 Oct 2012