English Grammar for the Utterly Confused - Laurie Rozakis 2003
Questions
Chapter 4. Using Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly
Part 2 Usage and Abusage
True-False Questions
1. Many adjectives are formed by adding -ly to an adverb.
2. Some words can be either adjectives or adverbs, depending on how they are used in a sentence.
3. The only reliable way to tell the difference between an adjective and an adverb is to memorize a list of words.
4. Adjectives and adverbs not only describe things, they also compare them.
5. The base form of the adjective or adverb not being used in a comparison is called the “positive degree.”
6. The form of an adjective or adverb being used to compare two things is the “superlative degree.”
7. The form of the adjective or adverb being used to compare three or more things is the “comparative degree.”
8. To show comparison in most cases, use -er/-est with one- and two-syllable adjectives or adverbs.
9. When an adjective or adverb has three or more syllables, use more and most or less and least to form the comparative and superlative degrees.
10. Under certain conditions, you can use both -er and more or -est and most with the same modifier.
11. All adverbs that end in -ly form their comparative and superlative degrees with more and most.
12. The phrase “most smoothly” is in the superlative degree.
13. All adjectives and adverbs have irregular forms.
14. The superlative form of bad is baddest.
15. The superlative form of far is furthest.
16. Good is always an adjective.
17. Well is an adverb used to describe good health.
18. Well is an adjective used to describe anything but health.
19. Use the comparative degree (-er or more) to compare two things.
20. Use the superlative form (-est or most) to compare three or more things.
21. Fewer refers to items that can’t be counted.
22. Less refers to amounts that can be counted.
23. When you compare one item in a group with the rest of the group, be sure to include the word other or else.
24. A predicate adjective is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject of a sentence.
25. Use an adverb rather than an adjective after a linking verb.
26. Using two negative words in the same clause (group of words) creates a double negative, which should be avoided.
27. Hardly is not a negative word.
28. To create overstatement, you can use a word with a negative prefix and another negative word.
Completion Questions
Select the word that best completes each sentence.
1. The elevator in my sister’s apartment moves so (slowly, slow) we can make whoopee, conceive a child, and give birth before reaching her floor. And her apartment is on the first floor.
2. China has (most, more) English speakers than the United States.
3. The (longer, longest) town name in the world has 167 letters.
4. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the (better, best) others can do.
5. I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something (total, totally) different.
6. Every day (most, more) money is printed for Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury.
7. My friend Fred is not the (brightest, brighter) light on the Ferris wheel.
8. If everything seems to be going (good, well), you have obviously overlooked something.
9. The grass is always (more greener, greener) when you leave the sprinkler on.
10. The (longer, longest) recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds.
11. The average person is about a quarter of an inch (tall, taller, tallest) in the morning.
12. The Neanderthal’s brain was (big, bigger, biggest) than yours is.
13. Your right lung takes in (more, most) air than your left lung does.
14. Women’s hearts beat (fast, faster, fastest) than men’s hearts.
15. There are (more, most) plastic flamingos in America than real ones.
16. Each day is 0.00000002 seconds (long, longer, longest) than the one before because the Earth is gradually slowing down.
17. The total weight of all insects on Earth is 12 times (more great, greater, greatest, most greatest) than the weight of all the people on Earth.
18. There are more than three million lakes in Alaska. The (large, larger, largest), Lake Iliamna, is the size of Connecticut.
19. When North America was first settled, beavers there grew (bigger, biggest) than bears.
20. The (bright, brighter, brightest) star in the sky, Sirius, gives out 26 times as much light as the Sun.
21. The (older, oldest) national flag still in existence, that of Denmark, dates back to the thirteenth century.
22. The ashes of the metal magnesium are (more heavier, heavier) than magnesium itself.
23. Murphy’s Oil Soap is the chemical (more, most) commonly used to clean elephants.
24. If things get any (worse, worst), I’ll have to ask you to stop helping me.
25. How much (deep, deeper, deepest) would the ocean be if sponges didn’t grow in it?
26. Nothing in the known universe travels (more fast, more faster, faster) than a bad check.
27. Did you hear about my new boyfriend? He’s not the (sharper, sharpest) tool in the shed.
28. Good advice: Love (deep, deeply) and (most passionate, passionately). You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
29. Talk (slow, slowly) but think (quick, quickly).
30. Doctor: “You’re coughing (easier, easiest) today.”
Patient: “No wonder. I practiced all night.”
Multiple-Choice Questions
Choose the best answer to each question.
1. Adjectives are modifiers that describe a
(a) Noun or verb
(b) Pronoun or adverb
(c) Noun or pronoun
(d) Verb or preposition
2. Adverbs are modifiers that describe all the following words except
(a) Verbs
(b) Pronouns
(c) Adjectives
(d) Adverbs
3. Which is the best revision of the following sentence? Nick’s feet are bigger than Charles’.
(a) Nick’s feet are bigger than Charles’ feet.
(b) Nick’s feet are more bigger than Charles” ’ feet.
(c) Nick’s feet are biggest than Charles’ feet.
(d) Nick’s feet are big than Charles’.
4. Each of the following is a degree of comparison except
(a) Positive
(b) Comparative
(c) Superlative
(d) Negative
5. What is the comparative form of popular?
(a) Popularest
(b) Popular
(c) Most popular
(d) More popular
6. The comparative and superlatives forms of ill are
(a) Worse, most worse
(b) Worster, worstest
(c) worse, worst
(d) More ill, most ill
7. The comparative and superlatives forms of many and much are
(a) Double comparisons
(b) Many, more
(c) Regular
(d) Identical
8. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
My brother’s CD collection is larger than my son’s.
(a) My brother’s CD collection is larger than my son’s CD collection.
(b) My brother’s CD collection is large than my son’s CD.
(c) My brother’s CD collection is largest than my son’s CD.
(d) My brother’s CD collection is more larger than my son’s CD collection.
9. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
In my opinion, collard greens is most delicious than broccoli.
(a) In my opinion, collard greens is delicious than broccoli.
(b) In my opinion, collard greens is deliciouser than broccoli.
(c) In my opinion, collard greens is more delicious than broccoli.
(d) In my opinion, collard greens is deliciously than broccoli.
10. All the following are negative words except
(a) Scarcely
(b) Hardly
(c) Did
(d) n’t
11. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
Which of the twins writes gooder?
(a) Which of the twins writes best?
(b) Which of the twins writes better?
(c) Which of the twins writes good?
(d) Which of the twins writes more better?
12. Which of the following words best completes the sentence?
Mr. Big is … willing to cooperate than his attitude suggests.
(a) Less
(b) Least
(c) Leastest
(d) Lesser
13. Which is the best revision of the following sentence?
Two can live most cheaply than one.
(a) Two can live cheaply than one.
(b) Two can live moster cheaply than one.
(c) Two can live more cheaply than one.
(d) Two can live mostest cheaply than one.
14. When you are comparing a member of a group with the rest of the group, make sure that your sentence contains the words
(a) Than or if
(b) Good or worse
(c) More or better
(d) Other or else
15. Which of the following sentences is not correct?
(a) Nico could not see in the gloomy night.
(b) Nico could not hardly see in the gloomy night.
(c) Nico could barely see in the gloomy night.
(d) Nico had difficult seeing clearly in the gloomy night.