Modifiers : Superlative Form

Hello learners! :D

today, let's take a look into SUPERLATIVE FORM.

Definition : A superlative adjective expresses the extreme or highest degree of a quality. We use a superlative adjective to describe the extreme quality of one thing in a group of things.

In the example below, "biggest" is the superlative form of the adjective "big" :

A B C

A is the biggest.

Another example :

the right one is the tallest 

Forming the superlative :

Form	Rule	For example
Words of one syllable ending in "e".	Add -st to the end of the word.	wide - widest
Words of one syllable, with one vowel and one consonant at the end.	Double the consonant and add -est to the end of the word.	big - biggest
Words of one syllable, with more than one vowel or more than one consonant at the end.	Add -est to the end of the word.	high - highest
Words of two syllables, ending in "y".	Change "y" to "i", and add-est to the end of the word.	happy - happiest
Words of two syllables or more, not ending in "y".	Place "the most" before the adjective.	beautiful - the most beautiful

*Take this note : We can use superlative adjectives when talking about three or more things, not two things.

As for your exercise, you can do this and submit me the answers via my email if you want to check for the answers. Thank you!

Modifiers

What are modifiers?

Modifiers provide additional information about nouns, pronouns, and verbs.

example: Vincent Van Gogh painted quickly and forcefully.

(the example answered question:  How did Van Gogh paint?)

*They help us describe what we have seen and heard.

Modifiers can also help describe feelings about things and people.

example 1: Van Gogh was happiest when he painted outdoors.

example 2: Bright, yellow sunflowers were a favorite subject.

Basic Principle: Modifiers are like teenagers: they fall in love with whatever they're next to. Make sure they're next to something they ought to modify!

MISPLACED MODIFIER: Some modifiers, especially simple modifiers — only, just, nearly, barely — have a bad habit of slipping into the wrong place in a sentence. (In the sentence below, what does it mean to "barely kick" something?)

Confusion	He barely kicked that ball twenty yards.
Repair Work	He kicked that ball barely twenty yards.

The issue of the proper placement of "only" has long been argued among grammarians. Many careful writers will insist that "only" be placed immediately before the word or phrase it modifies. Thus "I only gave him three dollars" would be rewritten as "I gave him only three dollars." Some grammarians, however, have argued that such precision is not really necessary, that there is no danger of misreading "I only gave him three dollars" and that "only" can safely and naturally be placed between the subject and the verb. The argument has been going on for two hundred years.

DANGLING MODIFIER: When we begin a sentence with a modifying word, phrase, or clause, we must make sure the next thing that comes along can, in fact, be modified by that modifier. When a modifier improperly modifies something, it is called a "dangling modifier." This often happens with beginning participial phrases, making "dangling participles" an all too common phenomenon. In the sentence below, we can't have a car changing its own oil.

Confusion	Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, the car seemed to run better.
Repair Work	Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, Fred found he could get much better gas mileage.

A participial phrase followed by an Expletive Construction will often be a dangling participle — but the expletive construction is probably not a good idea anyway. This faulty sentence can be remedied by changing the participial phrase into a full-fledged clause with a subject and verb.

Confusion	Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, there is an easy way to keep your car running smoothly.
Repair Work	If we change the oil every 3,000 miles, we can keep our car running smoothly.

A participial phrase followed by a Passive Verb is also apt to be a dangler because the real actor of the sentence will be disguised.

Confusion	Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, the car was kept in excellent condition.
Repair Work	Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, we kept the car in excellent condition.

An infinitive phrase can also "dangle." The infinitive phrase below should probably modify the person(s) who set up the exercise program.

Confusion	To keep the young recruits interested in getting in shape, an exercise program was set up for the summer months.
Repair Work	To keep the young recruits interested in getting in shape, the coaching staff set up an exercise program for the summer months.

SQUINTING MODIFIER: A third problem in modifier placement is described as a "squinting modifier." This is an unfortunate result of an adverb's ability to pop up almost anywhere in a sentence; structurally, the adverb may function fine, but its meaning can be obscure or ambiguous. For instance, in the sentence below, do the students seek advice frequently or can they frequently improve their grades by seeking advice? You can't tell from that sentence because the adverb often is "squinting" (you can't tell which way it's looking). Let's try placing the adverb elsewhere.

Confusion	Students who seek their instructors' advice often can improve their grades.
Repair Work	Students who often seek their instructors' advice can improve their grades.
Repair Work	Students who seek their instructors' advice can often improve their grades.

Modifiers can be adjectives, adjective clauses, adverbs, adverb clauses, absolute phrases, infinitive phrases, participle phrases, and prepositional phrases. The sentence above contains at least one example of each:

Adjective = poor.

Adjective clause = who just wanted a quick meal.

Adverb = quickly.

Adverb clause = as a tarantula wiggled out of his cheese omelet.

Absolute phrase = a sight requiring a year of therapy before Stephen could eat eggs again.

Infinitive phrase = to get through his three-hour biology lab.

Participle phrase = gagging with disgust.

Prepositional phrase = on the cafeteria tray.

Without modifiers, sentences would be no fun to read. Carefully chosen, well-placed modifiers allow you to depict situations with as much accuracy as words will allow.

*In the next post I will explain about modifiers on Comparative & Superlative form plus I will give some exercises for you to practice. But i will give you some preview about what are comparative and superlative. That's all for now.

Thank You~~!

Here is the link:

Comparison of Adjectives, by Victoria-Ladybug
Find this and other comparatives/superlatives exercises in English Exercises .org

Connectors : Conjunction

A conjunction is a word that connects other words or group of words. In other word, it joins two parts of sentence.

Here are some examples of conjunctions :

Coordinating Conjunctions	Subordinating Conjunctions
and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so	although, because, since, unless

Conjunction has three basic forms :

1. Single Word

for example: and, but, because, although

2. Compound (often ending with as or that)

for example: provided that, as long as, in order that

3. Correlative (surrounding an adverb or adjective)

for example: so...that

Conjunctions have two basic functions :

1. Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two parts of a sentence that are grammatically equal. The two parts may be single words or clauses, for example:

- Jack and Jill went up the hill.

- The water was warm, but I didn't go swimming.

2. Subordinating conjunctions are used to join a subordinate dependent clause to a main clause, for example:

- I went swimming although it was cold.

here are some exercises that you ca do to practice:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_49.htm

http://www.better-english.com/grammar/conjunctions.htm

Verbs : Modals

Everyone can understand Modal Verbs!

What are model verbs?

Model verbs are also called auxiliary verbs, helping verbs and model auxiliaries.

Model verbs are not complete verbs, and they can only be used with a verb. Modal auxiliary verbs may sound difficult but in fact they're easy. Modals are: can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would and need (need can be a full verb, too).

The usage of model verbs:

Model verbs stay in the base form - bare infinitive - the bare infinitive is the infinitive without "to" before the verb.

The following model verbs are used to with the present tense:

can, will, shall, ought to, must, need, may

The following model verbs are used in the past tense:

would, should, could, might

Model verbs are used to answer questions in the short form

yes, I do.

yes, we can.

No, I don't.

Model verbs can be used as part of the grammar structure of the sentence, such as when used with the perfect tenses.

When are model verbs used:

~ Prediction - Will and Shall

Will and shall can be used to state predict that an event or an action will take place or will occur The model verbs can used to make a prediction about an event or action about the future.

I think we will be able to go and see the move tonight.

My mother thinks we will not get home be it starts to rain.

~ Requests - Offers - Suggestions - Can - Could - May - Shall

To make requests, offers or suggestions can be stated with the model verbs.

~ Permission - Can - Could - May - Might

Can, could, may and might are model verbs that can be used to give permission or deny permission to do something or to someone.

Can I help you cook dinner?

You may not watch T. V. after dinner.

~Certainty - Possibility - Can - Might - may- Could - Shall -Can, might

- and could are model verbs that can be used to state certainty and possibility.

Do you think it might rain tomorrow night?

I might be home before midnight.

You can come over tonight if you would like to.

~Ability - Inability - Can - Could - Able to

My father hopes that we will be able to go to the moves.

I can not go to Europe with you.

here are some exercises that you can do to practice:

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal1.htm

Modal Verbs, by sandra cunha
Find this and other modals exercises in English Exercises .org