Three Types of Comparison
This is the degree of comparison used for a modifier's base form, before adding endings like –er or words like more.
What is the positive degree?
You should use this specific degree of comparison when you are comparing exactly two things.
What is the comparative degree?
This is the term for a phrase or clause that makes a sentence awkward because it seems to modify the wrong word or group of words.
What is a misplaced modifier?
This type of modifier does not clearly and sensibly modify any word in the sentence.
: What is a dangling modifier?
When a sentence begins with a verbal phrase, it must immediately be followed by this punctuation mark.
The exact word that a starting verbal phrase modifies must appear in this specific location in the sentence.
One-syllable modifiers and some two-syllable modifiers form their comparative and superlative degrees by adding these two suffixes.
What are –er and –est?
You should use this specific degree of comparison when you are comparing more than two things.
What is the superlative degree?
Identify the misplaced modifier in this sentence and explain how to fix it: "The waiter served a hot plate of soup to the guest that was boiling."
The misplaced modifier is "that was boiling" (which makes it sound like the guest was boiling).
Identify the dangling modifier: "Walking to the store, the rain started to pour."
What is "Walking to the store" (the rain wasn't walking)?
The exact word that a starting verbal phrase modifies must appear in this specific location in the sentence.
What is immediately after the comma?
Modifiers that have more than two syllables must form their comparative and superlative degrees using these two words.
What are more and most?
This error occurs when a sentence incorrectly combines both an –er ending with more, or an –est ending with most.
What is a double comparison?
Identify the misplaced modifier in this sentence: "The girl ate a cold bowl of cereal."
What is "cold" (it modifies "cereal," not "bowl")?
Why is "Hungry after the game, the pizza tasted delicious" an example of a dangling modifier?
Because the pizza wasn't hungry (the person eating it was).
In the sentence "Running late, John missed the bus," identify the starting verbal phrase.
What is "Running late"?
To indicate a lower or lowest amount of a quality, you must use these two specific words before the modifier.
What are less and least?
When comparing one member of a group with the rest of the same group, you must include one of these two specific words to avoid a faulty comparison.
What are other or else?
Identify the misplaced modifier here: "We saw three wild elephants driving down the highway."
What is "driving down the highway" (the elephants weren't driving)?
Identify why this sentence contains a dangling modifier and explain the steps required to fix it: " can be seen from the hill."
The phrase "Walking home" is a dangling modifier because it doesn't clearly or sensibly modify any word in the sentence (the houses aren't walking).
What grammar rule is broken here: "Barking loudly at the mailman, the bone was dropped by the dog."
The word modified ("the dog") does not come immediately after the comma (the bone wasn't barking).
Modifiers like "good" (better, best) or "bad" (worse, worst) fall into this category because they do not follow regular rules.
What are irregular modifiers?
Fix this double comparison: "Of all the runners, Jackson was the most fastest."
What is "Jackson was the fastest"
Correct this sentence by putting the modifier in the right place: "I nearly fed all the dogs."
What is "I fed nearly all the dogs"?
Correct this dangling modifier so it has a clear subject: "Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on."
What is "Having finished the assignment, I turned on the TV" (or similar variation)?
Correct this sentence so the target word follows the rule of introductory verbal phrases: "Reading the book, the lights flickered."
What is "Reading the book, I noticed the lights flickered"