Adjectives 形容詞
BasicAdjectives: comparisons and adverbs.
- Adjectives go before nouns: a big crowd, a red ribbon.
- Comparatives (two things): short words add er, and use than: faster than me.
- Superlatives (three or more): the + est: the tallest, the happiest.
文體小知識：Learn basic grammar.
§Text Passage
1Yesterday was our school sports day. The sun was bright and the sky was blue. A big crowd of parents sat on the playground. The red flags waved above the track. Ken runs very fast, but I run more slowly. Amy jumped farther than me in the long jump. The tallest boy in P4B won the high jump. We listened carefully to the teacher's whistle.
2In the relay, our team ran faster than the other teams. We shouted loudly and cheered for each other. I got a small medal and a red ribbon. We were the happiest children on the playground. Ken said that I did well today. I felt proud because I tried my best.
3After the races, we shared water and sat under a tree. Everyone had a happy smile on their faces. Sports day is the best day of the school year. I am already training for the next one. I hope next year our class will do even better.
§Sentence-by-sentence translation Sentence-by-sentence translation
Yesterday was our school sports day.
昨天是我們學校的運動會。
The sun was bright and the sky was blue.
陽光很猛烈，天空很藍。
A big crowd of parents sat on the playground.
一大群家長坐在操場上看比賽。
The red flags waved above the track.
紅色的旗在跑道上面飄揚。
Ken runs very fast, but I run more slowly.
Ken 跑得好快，但我跑得比較慢。
Amy jumped farther than me in the long jump.
跳遠方面，Amy 跳得比我遠。
The tallest boy in P4B won the high jump.
P4B 最高的男孩贏了跳高。
We listened carefully to the teacher's whistle.
我們很留心地聽老師吹哨子。
In the relay, our team ran faster than the other teams.
接力賽裡面，我們那隊跑得比其他隊快。
We shouted loudly and cheered for each other.
我們大聲打氣，互相加油。
I got a small medal and a red ribbon.
我拿到一面小小的獎牌同一條紅絲帶。
We were the happiest children on the playground.
我們是操場上最開心的小朋友。
Ken said that I did well today.
Ken 說我今日表現得很好。
I felt proud because I tried my best.
我覺得好自豪，因為我已經盡了全力。
After the races, we shared water and sat under a tree.
比賽結束之後，我們一起喝水，坐在樹下面休息。
Everyone had a happy smile on their faces.
每個人都帶着開心的笑容。
Sports day is the best day of the school year.
運動會是一個學年裡面最好玩的一天。
I am already training for the next one.
我已經開始為下一次練習。
I hope next year our class will do even better.
我希望明年我們班會表現得更加好。
1Summary 重點摘要
Adjectives: comparisons and adverbs.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Large in size. Comparative: bigger — a big crowd.
Little in size. a small medal.
Full of light. The sun was bright.
Feeling glad. Superlative: the happiest children.
Quick. Adjective: a fast runner; adverb: run fast (no ly).
Feeling good about what you did. I felt proud.
Full of many colours. colourful fish.
Comparative of far. Amy jumped farther than me.
3Step by step Steps
- Adjectives describe nounsAdjectives describe nouns and go before them: a big crowd, a red ribbon, the tallest boy. Two adjectives can share one noun: a long red ribbon. The mistake to avoid is putting the adjective after the noun, like a ribbon red — English does not work that way, and the order is different from Chinese, so stay alert.
- After be verbs tooThe sun was bright. The sky was blue. I felt proud. The other common position is after a be verb or a sense verb: subject + is/was/felt + adjective. There the adjective stands at the end with no noun after it. Do not drop the be verb — The sky blue is not a complete sentence, and reading aloud will show it.
- Comparatives compare two thingsComparatives compare two things. Short words add er: fast becomes faster; words ending in e add r: nice becomes nicer; big sounds double the last letter: big becomes bigger; consonant + y changes to ier: happy becomes happier. Spelling tests love bigger and happier, so match each word to its rule before you write.
- Superlatives compare three or moreSuperlatives compare three or more. Use the + est: the tallest, the biggest, the happiest. Long words take the most instead: the most beautiful. The superlative must keep the, and long words never take est — beautifulest does not exist. Count the things first: two take a comparative, three or more take a superlative.
- Most adverbs add lyMost adverbs add ly: slow becomes slowly, careful becomes carefully, loud becomes loudly. An adverb tells how an action happens: He runs slowly. Exceptions to memorize: the adverb of fast is fast, good becomes well, and consonant + y becomes ily, as in happily. Never write fastly — that word does not exist.
- Write comparisons with thanKen runs faster than me. Amy jumped farther than me. The frame is subject + verb + comparative + than + the thing compared, and the two sides must be comparable — a person with a person, a run with a run. Decide who is compared with whom first, and joining two comparisons with but makes a paragraph flow better.
5Worked example Example
Question: How do we use comparatives and superlatives to describe sports day?
- Step 1: Count the things being compared first: two take a comparative, three or more take a superlative.
- Step 2: For two things use er + than — Ken runs faster than me. — Ken against me.
- Step 3: For three or more use the + est — Ken is the fastest runner in our class. — the fastest of the whole class.
- Step 4: Watch the spelling: big doubles the g to make bigger; happy changes y to i to make happier.
- Step 5: Long words never take er: the superlative of beautiful is the most beautiful, never beautifuller.
- Answer: Sample answer: Ken runs faster than me, but Amy jumped farther than me in the long jump. The tallest boy in P4B won the high jump. We were the happiest children on the playground.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1Adverb of quick?
Q2Comparative of big?
Q3Superlative of happy?
Q4She sings ___.
Q5This is ___ book.
8Recap Recap
- Adjectives go before nouns: a big crowd, a red ribbon.
- Comparatives (two things): short words add er, and use than: faster than me.
- Superlatives (three or more): the + est: the tallest, the happiest.
- Spelling: big→bigger (double the g), happy→happier (y to ier).
- Adverbs describe verbs and usually add ly: slowly, carefully, loudly; fast never changes.