A Foundation Course in Reading German, 2017a

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Offline Textbook | A Foundation Course in Reading German https://courses.dcs.wisc.edu/wp/readinggerman/print-entire-textbook/ Page 63 of 151 12/8/2017 Das ist das älteste Buch in unserer Bibliothek. That is the oldest book in our library. German uses this superlative form in a different way when the adjective is not modifying a noun: Der Mercedes ist am teuersten. The Mercedes is the most expensive. This form is always am (contraction of an + dem, see your dictionary) followed by the superlative form of the adjective plus the grammatically appropriate adjective ending –en. Unit: 6: Conjunctions, comparatives 5. Adjectives as Adverbs In English, we generally differentiate adverbs and adjectives by adding the ending –ly to adjectives to form adverbs (for example: “hot”, “hotly”). In German, there is no such visible difference when a word is used either as an adverb or as an adjective. (Recall, however, Recognizing Adverbs vs. Adjectives in Unit 4.) This applies even for comparative and superlative adjectives. In all cases you can tell from the context which meaning is being used. Das Kind liest gut. The child reads well. Er läuft schneller. He runs more quickly. Sie läuft am schnellsten. She runs fastest. There are a few commonly used superlative words that are used only as adverbs such as höchst (highly), äußerst (extremely), and meistens (mostly). For instance, Dieses Buch ist höchst interessant. This book is (highly / most) interesting.
Offline Textbook | A Foundation Course in Reading German https://courses.dcs.wisc.edu/wp/readinggerman/print-entire-textbook/ Page 64 of 151 12/8/2017 You will often see superlative constructions with am used in an adverbial sense, especially based on the adverbial meanings of the superlative adjectives best– (best), meist– (most), and wenigst– (least): Meine Freunde haben gute Boote, aber mein Boot ist am besten ausgestattet. My friends have good boats, but my boat is best equipped. Sylvias Boot ist am wenigsten ausgestattet. Sylvia’s boat is the least equipped. Sylvia brauchte am meisten unsere Hilfe. Sylvia needed our help the most. If you are curious about the relation between gut and best, bear with us until the next unit. Unit: 6: Conjunctions, comparatives 6. So . . . Wie . . . Construction The construction so + (adjective or adverb) + wie expresses a comparison of equation, equivalent to the English expression “as . . . as . . .” These two examples demonstrate an adverbial and an adjectival use: Sie läuft so schnell wie er. She runs as (fast / quickly) as he does. Ihre Wohnung ist so groß wie die Wohnung ihrer Freundin. Her apartment is as large as her friend’s apartment. Unit: 6: Conjunctions, comparatives 7. Verb Formation WORD FORMATION These sections of the textbook help improve your speed during the skimming phase of reading and help you gradually build vocabulary.
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A Foundation Course in Reading German, 2017a

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