Grammar Lesson 41

• Vocabulary:• The Greek prefix hyper- means “over, excessive, or

exaggerated”• Hyperbole- a figure of speech consisting of an extreme

exaggeration not meant to be taken literally• Hyperactivity- excessive activity• Hyperglycemia- a condition of too much glucose in the

blood

Predicate Adjectives• A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes or gives

more detail about the subject• Example: An appaloosa is nimble. (nimble is the predicate adjective

because it describes appaloosa)• The linking verb that connects the subject to the predicate

adjective may be a “to be” verb (is, am, are, was, were) but other linking verbs such as become, seem, feel, appear, look, taste, and smell also can link them.

• Example: That appaloosa looks lively.

Compound and Diagramming

• A predicate adjective may be compound• Example: Jonathan Edwards was brilliant and fiery.• We diagram a predicate adjective in the same way we

diagram a predicate nominative.

Grammar Lesson 42

• Vocabulary:• The Greek prefix hypo- means under, the opposite of

hyper-• Hypoglycemia- too little glucose in the blood• Hypocalcemia- not enough calcium in the blood• Hypothyroidism- deficient activity of the thyroid gland

Comparison Adjectives

• Adjectives are often used to compare nouns or pronouns• They come in three forms that show greater or lesser

degrees of quality, quantity, or manner: positive, comparative, or superlative

Positive

• The basic form of the adjective, describes a noun or pronoun without comparing it to any other

• Examples:• James is silly.• The soldier is brave.

Comparative

• The comparative form compares two persons, places, or things

• Examples:• James is sillier than John.• The soldier is braver than I am.

Superlative

• The superlative form compares three or more persons, places, or things

• Examples:• James is the silliest of the four brothers.• That soldier is the bravest in the army.

Forming Comparison Adjectives• Most one-syllable adjectives become comparative by adding er to the

ending, they become superlative by adding est to the ending (example: light, lighter, lightest)

• When a two-syllable adjective ends in y we create the comparative and superlative forms by changing y to i and adding er or est

• Most adjectives with two or more syllables do not have comparative or superlative forms. Instead we use “more” (or less) before the adjective for the comparative and the word “most” (or least) to form the superlative (example: trustworthy, more trustworthy, most trustworthy)

Exceptions

• Positive Comparative Superlative

• Little littler littlest

• Clever cleverer cleverest

• Quiet quitter quietest

• Simple simpler simplest

• Narrow narrower narrowest