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Adjectives vs. Adverbs: Irregularity by Jeffery Donley, Ph.D.

A number of the most commonly used adjectives are irregular. Here are a few examples: gut, besser, am besten; hoch, höher, am höchsten (“high”); viel, mehr, am meisten (“many”).

Exercise 17

Translate the following.

<tgroup cols="4" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="3" colname="col3" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="4" colname="col4" colwidth="25%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>1. Superlative:</p></td> <td><p>most</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>2. Superlative:</p></td> <td><p>nearest</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3. Comparative:</p></td> <td><p>more</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>4. Positive:</p></td> <td><p>near</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>5. Comparative:</p></td> <td><p>nearer</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>6. Positive:</p></td> <td><p>many, much</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>7. Superlative:</p></td> <td><p>greatest</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>8. Comparative:</p></td> <td><p>greater</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>9. Positive:</p></td> <td><p>great</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>10. Superlative:</p></td> <td><p>best</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>11. Positive:</p></td> <td><p>good</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>12. Comparative:</p></td> <td><p>better</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>13. Comparative:</p></td> <td><p>higher</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>14. Positive:</p></td> <td><p>high</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><para/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>15. Superlative:</p></td> <td><p>highest</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Exercise 18</h2> <p>There are many variations and irregularities with adjectives. For example: <emphasis>hoch</emphasis> turns to <emphasis>höher</emphasis> in the comparative and <emphasis>am höchsten</emphasis> in the superlative.</p> <p>Another example is am <emphasis>grööten</emphasis>, which is an exception to the rule of placing an e in front of the superlative -<emphasis>st</emphasis> for every adjective ending in -<emphasis>s</emphasis> or another sibilant. When you use viel as an adjective, it is translated as “many.” <emphasis>But</emphasis> when <emphasis>viel</emphasis> is used as an adverb, you translate it as “much.”</p> <p>Reconstruct the scrambled sentences and phrases below and then translate them.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>sie gegessen hat viel</emphasis>.__________________________________</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>2. Kinder viele</emphasis>________________________________________</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>3. Hotel hohe das</emphasis>______________________________________</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>4. ist Hotel hoch das</emphasis>.___________________________________</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> </ul> <h2>Exercise 19</h2> <p>In the singular you translate <emphasis>wenig</emphasis> as “little,” while in plural you translate it as “a few.”</p> <p>Translate the following.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>Was mache ich mit diesem wenigen Geld?</emphasis></p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Wenige Kinder spielen heute auf dem Spielplatz</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Er hat wenig Zeit</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Sie hat wenig Geld</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> </ul> <h2>Exercise 20</h2> <p>You may use <emphasis>früher</emphasis> and <emphasis>frühst</emphasis> as both adjectives and adverbs, but gern is solely an adverb. When you use it with a verb, you substitute it for <emphasis>mögen</emphasis> (to like). You may also use the comparative and superlative of <emphasis>gern</emphasis> (lieber and am liebsten) as adjectives.</p> <p>Translate the following German sentences and phrases.</p> <ul> <li><p><emphasis>mein liebster Bruder</emphasis></p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Sie singt gern</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Ich fahre früher</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> <li><p><emphasis>Ich nehme den früheren Zug</emphasis>.</p> <p>____________________________________________________</p></li> </ul>  <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/the-adjective/comparative-phrases.htm" title="Comparative Phrases">Comparative Phrases</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/the-adjective/the-comparative-and-the-superlative.htm" title="The Comparative and the Superlative">The Comparative and the Superlative</a> </li></ul></div></div> <div id="coda"> <div id="rel"><div class="n5">Related Articles</div><ul> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/the-adjective/adjectives-vs-adverbs-irregularity.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Adjectives vs. Adverbs: Irregularity - German Practice </a></li> <li><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/prepositions-adverbs-and-conjunctions/adverbial-constructions.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Adverbial Constructions - German Practice </a></li> <li><a href="http://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/gradableterm.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> gradability - definition and examples of gradable </a></li> <li><a href="http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermediate/a/a_adjoradv.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Adjective or Adverb? 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