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The Comparative and the Superlative by Jeffery Donley, Ph.D.

Adjectives following sein and werden are uninflected in the comparative and superlative, and you use the structure of the superlative with am after sein and werden.

Exercise 21

Translate the following.

Im Dezember sind die Tage am kürzesten.

____________________________________________________
Im Dezember werden die Tage am kürzesten.

____________________________________________________
Sie wird jeden Tag hübscher.

____________________________________________________
Der Sohn ist jünger, aber die Mutter ist weiser.

____________________________________________________

Exercise 22

You decline comparative and superlative adjectives when they precede a noun.

Below, write the appropriate form of the adjective indicated. The answer to question 1 has been provided.

der älterer Bruder (alt, comparative)
meine________________ Schwestern ( jung, comparative)
die________________ Kinder (klein, superlative)
sein________________ Kind (klein, superlative)
der________________ Schwester ( jung, comparative)
die________________ Schwester ( jung, comparative)
des________________ Bruders (alt, superlative)
das________________ Kind (klein, superlative)
die________________ Brüder (alt, superlative)
ein________________ Bruder (alt, comparative)
des________________ Kindes (klein, superlative)

Exercise 23

When the superlative comes before a noun, you use it as an adjective. For example, in the phrase das interessanteste Buch, which translates as “the most interesting book,” the word interessanteste is the superlative and is used as an adjective with the appropriate ending.

When the superlative follows a verb, then you use am + the adjective, as in Dieser Zug ist am schnellsten, which means “This train is the fastest.”

Translate the following into English.

<tgroup cols="2" align="center"> <colspec colnum="1" colname="col1" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <colspec colnum="2" colname="col2" colwidth="50%" colsep="0" rowsep="0" align="left"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>1. <emphasis>Johann schreibt besser</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>2. <emphasis>Hans schreibt gut</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3. <emphasis>Aber Lois schreibt am besten</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>4. <emphasis>mein bester Freund</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>5. <emphasis>Dieses Buch ist am besten</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>6. <emphasis>das schönste Mödchen</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>7. <emphasis>Die Mutter ist am schönsten</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>8. <emphasis>Dieses Buch ist das Beste</emphasis>.</p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table>  <div id="pagination"><ul><li class="prev"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/the-adjective/adjectives-vs-adverbs-irregularity.htm" title="Adjectives vs. Adverbs: Irregularity">Adjectives vs. Adverbs: Irregularity</a></li><li class="next"><a href="http://www.netplaces.com/german-practice/the-adjective/cardinal-numbers.htm" title="Cardinal Numbers">Cardinal Numbers</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/the-comparative-and-the-superlative.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> The Comparative and the Superlative - German Practice </a></li> <li><a href="http://esl.about.com/od/grammarstructures/p/g_compsup.htm" zT="18/1YL/Zn"> Comparative Form - Superlative Form </a></li> <li><a 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