Objectives To identify irregular forms of comparison To use these forms correctly in writing 1
Irregular Comparisons A few modifiers have irregular forms. 2
Exercise 3 Making Correct Comparisons 3 Complete the following sentences with the correct degree of comparison of the modifier in parentheses. 1. Drawing is one of the oldest art forms of all. (old) 2. Even though they drew on some of the worst surfaces, prehistoric people created colorful images on rock or clay. (bad) 3. During the Middle Ages, parchment was one of the best drawing surfaces available. (good) 4. Partly because silk wore better than other materials, Eastern artists often used it as a drawing surface. (well) 5. Since the 1400s, artists have preferred using paper, which costs less than parchment. (little) Space Bar to display the answers.
Objectives To identify double comparisons To avoid double comparisons in writing 4
Double Comparisons Do not make a double comparison by using both er or est and more or most. INCORRECT Texas is more bigger than Oklahoma. CORRECT Texas is bigger than Oklahoma. INCORRECT That is the most funniest joke I have ever heard. CORRECT That is the funniest joke I have ever heard. 5
Exercise 6 Correcting Double Comparisons Write the correct form of the comparison in each of the following sentences. 1. Today we recognize Sir Winston Churchill as one of the most ablest statesmen in world history. one of the ablest statesmen 2. Churchill s star shone most brightest when he was Great Britain s prime minister during World War II. shone most brightly 3. His courage, eloquence, and faith in victory inspired the British to endure more greater hardships than they had ever before known. endure greater hardships 6 Space Bar to display the answers.
Objectives To identify good and bad as adjectives and badly as an adverb; to understand the meaning of well when used as an adjective or an adverb To use these terms correctly in writing 7
Good or Well; Bad or Badly Always use good as an adjective. Well may be used as an adverb of manner, telling how ably something is done, or as an adjective, meaning in good health. Natalie is a good speaker. [adjective] Anita feels good today. [adjective after a linking verb] Daniel speaks well. [adverb of manner] Mr. Chong is not well right now. [adjective meaning in good health ] 8
Good or Well; Bad or Badly (cont.) Always use bad as an adjective. Therefore, bad is used after a linking verb. Use badly as an adverb. Badly almost always follows an action verb. The machine made a bad copy. [adjective] The air smelled bad. [adjective following a linking verb] I felt bad about your losing the race. [adjective following a linking verb] His cut is bleeding badly. [adverb following an action verb] 9
10 Objective To learn to avoid double negatives
11 Double Negatives In general, do not use a double negative, two negative words in the same clause. Use only one negative word to express a negative idea. INCORRECT I didn t see no accident. CORRECT I didn t see any accident. INCORRECT He doesn t know nothing about my plans. CORRECT He doesn t know anything about my plans. CORRECT He knows nothing about my plans.
Double Negatives (cont.) INCORRECT She never tells no lies. CORRECT She never tells any lies. CORRECT She tells no lies. INCORRECT We haven t hardly eaten our breakfasts. CORRECT We have hardly eaten our breakfasts. 12
Exercise 12 Avoiding Double Negatives Eliminate the double negative in each of the following sentences. 1. Boa constrictors do not inject no X venom into their prey. 13 2. Still, I would not want no X boa constrictor for a pet. a 3. Boa constrictors kill birds and rodents by not allowing them no X air. any 4. Once captured in the boa constrictor s coils, a bird or rodent cannot do nothing. X anything 5. The boa constrictor is big, but it cannot be compared with no X anaconda or python. an Space Bar to display the answers.