VF: Lesson - Adjective and Adverb Review

Adjective and Adverb Review

At this point, you have learned a great deal about adjectives in this module. Let's take a single 3rd declension adjective and go through all of its forms, both as an adjective and as an adverb.

3rd declension adjective: gravis, grave - serious

Positive Degree - Adjective

Start by obtaining the base:

  • Dictionary entry: gravis, grave
  • gravis is a double termination adjective (just two forms in the nominative), so we will use gravis to obtain the base:
    • gravis - is
    • Positive base: grav-

Decline the positive adjective forms, use 3rd i-stem adjective endings. For this adjective, masculine and feminine will be the same:

Declension of gravis, grave
Masculine/Feminine Neuter
Case Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative gravis graves grave gravia
Genitive gravis gravium gravis gravium
Dative gravi gravibus gravi gravibus
Accusative gravem graves grave gravia
Ablative gravi gravibus gravi gravibus
Vocative gravis graves grave gravia

Comparative Degree - Adjective

Start by obtaining the base:

  • Begin with the positive base: grav-
    • add -ior, -ius (gen. -ioris)
  • Dictionary Entry: gravior, gravius (gen. gravioris)
    • Remove -is from genitive form:
      • gravioris - is
    • Comparative base: gravior-

Decline the comparative adjective forms, use 3rd regular adjective endings. For all comparative adjectives, the masculine and feminine are the same:

Declension of gravior, gravius
Masculine/Feminine Neuter
Case Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative gravior graviores gravius graviora
Genitive gravioris graviorum gravioris graviorum
Dative graviori gravioribus graviori gravioribus
Accusative graviorem graviores gravius graviora
Ablative graviore gravioribus graviore gravioribus
Vocative gravior graviores gravius graviora

Superlative Degree - Adjective

Start by obtaining the base:

  • Begin with the positive base: grav- 
    • add -issimus, -issima, issimum
  • Dictionary Entry: gravissimus, gravissima, gravissimum
    • Remove -a from feminine form:
      • gravissima - a
    • Superlative base: gravissim-

Decline the superlative adjective forms, using 1st/2nd declension adjective endings. Masculine, feminine and neuter have their own set of endings. Also, do not forget there are different rules for adjectives ending in -er and some adjectives ending in -lis.

Superlative Forms of gravis
Masculine Feminine Neuter
Case Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
Nominative gravissimus gravissimi gravissima gravissimae gravissimum gravissima
Genitive gravissimi gravissimorum gravissimae gravissimarum gravissimi gravissimorum
Dative gravissimo gravissimis gravissimae gravissimis gravissimo gravissimis
Accusative gravissimum gravissimos gravissimam gravissimas gravissimum gravissima
Ablative gravissimo gravissimis gravissima gravissimis gravissimo gravissimis
Vocative gravissime gravissimi gravissima gravissimae gravissimum gravissima

Adverbs

Adverbs are formed using the adjective base as follows:

  • Positive adverb:
    • positive base + iter
    • grav + iter = graviter - seriously
  • Comparative adverb:
    • positive base + ius
    • grav + ius = gravius - more seriously
  • Superlative adverb;
    • superlative base + e
    • gravissim + e = gravissime - most seriously