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A modifier is a word or phrase that explains or describes other words in a sentence.   There are two kinds of modifiers:  adjectives and adverbs.  Phrases and clauses can also be modifiers.  Modifiers make writing more colorful.

While nouns and verbs give the sentence their main structure by telling what the sentence is about and what is happening, modifiers add interest by describing the nouns and verbs.

Making Comparisons with Adjectives and Adverbs
When writing, you often want to compare different things or actions.  Adjectives are used to compare people, places, things, and ideas.  Adverbs are used to compare actions.

Josiah is tall.
Josiah is taller than Jackson.
Josiah is the tallest person in his class.

In the first sentence, the basic form of the adjective tall is used.  In the second sentence, the adjective taller is used to compare two people, Josiah and Jackson.  In the third sentence, tallest is used to compare three or more people.  These are the three degrees of comparison.  Both adjectives and adverbs have these same three degrees.  Here is an example of an adverb and its three degrees of comparison:

Muriel is happy.
Muriel is happier than Suzanne.
Muriel is the happiest of the three sisters.

The three degrees or levels of comparisons have specific names.  On the high school equivalency test, you will not be asked to identify what each degree is called, just know how to use the adverbs and adjectives correctly. 

Following are the three levels of comparison, what they are called, and rules for forming them:
The simple form of a modifier is called the positive degree.
          Anita is tall.   
          Josh runs fast.           

When two people or things are being compared, the comparative degree is used.
          Anita is taller than Nancy.
          Josh runs faster than Jim.

When three or more people or things are being compared, the superlative degree is used.
          Anita is the tallest girl in the group.
          Josh runs the fastest of everyone on the team.

For all adjectives of one syllable and a few adjectives of two syllables, add –er to form the comparative degree and –est to form the superlative degree.

For the comparative degree of short adverbs (one or two syllables) by adding –er or -est to the positive form.

If the adjective ends in –y, change the –y to   -i and add –er or -est.

For some adjectives of two syllables and all adjectives of three or more syllables, use more to form the comparative and most to form the superlative

Comparison of adjectives also can be used to indicate less or least of a quality.  Use less to form the comparative degree and least to form the superlative.

Form the comparative degree of adverbs that end in -ly by using the words more or less before the positive form and most or least before the superlative form.

Some adjectives have irregular comparisons.

Now it’s your turn:
1. Of the two students, Thomas learns fast faster fastest
2. This has to have been the warm warmer warmest  November in recorded history.
3. Loneliness can be the hard harder hardest  feeling in the world.
4. Shopping on Saturdays is hard harder hardest  than shopping during the week.
5. The weather seems changeabler more changeable most changeable  this year than last.
6. Of all the pictures on display, this is the beautiful beautifulest most beautiful .
7. Lester seems to be the quicker quickest most quick  of all the basketball players.
8. Who is the older oldest most old  , David or Steve?
9. That is the badest worse worst  collection in the museum.
10. Anita’s allergies are badder worse worst  during the summer than during the winter.
11. Madge is patient more patient most patient  than I.
12. Which lives long longer longest  as pets: goldfish or turtles?
13. I clean the kitchen less careful carefully less carefully  than my mother does.
14. Of those two stars, that one shines brighter brightest more brightly .
15. Of her five children, Clarence behaves the badest worse worst .

Answers:
1. faster; Use the comparison form of fast by adding -er to compare two things.
2. warmest; Use the superlative form of warm by adding –est to compare more than 2 things.
3.  hardest; Use the superlative form of hard by adding –est when comparing more than 2 things.
4.  harder; Add –er to one syllable modifiers to compare two things.
5.  more changeable; Use the word more when comparing two things and when the adjective is more than two syllables.
6.  most beautiful; Use most when comparing three or more things.  The adjective is more than 1 syllable, so you can’t use –est.
7.  quickest; Add –est because the adjective is only 1 syllable and you are comparing more than 2 things.
8.  older; Add –er to a one syllable modifier that is comparing only 2 things.
9.  worst; Worst is the superlative form of bad. It is comparing 3 or more things.
10.  worse; Worse is the comparative form of bad. It is used to compare only 2 things.
11.  more patient; Use more to compare 2 things.
12.  longer; Add –er to the word long when comparing 2 things.
13.  less carefully; Carefully is the adverb modifying the verb clean.  Use less when comparing two things.
14.  more brightly; Why don’t we use brighter instead of more brightly?  Brighter is an adjective; brightly is an adverb.  Brightly is the adverb modifying the verb shines.  Remember that we need to use more and most with –ly adverbs.  Consider this sentence –The brighter star is the one to the east.  Here the word bright is an adjective describing the noun star.  We change an adjective to its comparative form by adding –er. 
15.  worst; Worst is the superlative form of the adverb badly. (back to top)

 

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Resources:

Pre-GED Writing Skills, (1995), NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., Lincolnwood, Illinois
GED Test 1: Writing Skills, (1994), Contemporary Books, Inc. Chicago, Illinois
Exercising Your English, Language Skills for Developing Writers, Book 1, (1991), Contemporary Books, Inc., Chicago, Illinois
Applied Communication Skills/Grammar Skills, (1996), Cambridge Adult Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Language Exercises, Book F (1990) Steck-Vaughn Company, Austin, Texas
Cambridge GED Program Writing Skills, ( 1993), Cambridge Adult Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Cambridge Exercise Books, Parts of Speech, English Skills Practice, (1998) Cambridge Adult Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey