Degrees of adjectives comparison - Degrees of comparison of adjectives
Adjectives in English do not change by number or case, they change by degrees of comparison. This applies to qualitative adjectives. Relative adjectives do not have degrees of comparison (about qualitative and relative adjectives - see the material "").
There are three degrees of comparison of qualitative adjectives in English:
1. Positive. An adjective in its usual form.big big
2. Comparative. Shows that one object has bo? higher degree of quality than the other. Often used with the preposition than.
bigger
3. Superlative. Indicates that the object has the highest degree of quality.
the biggest
Rules for the formation of degrees of comparison
1. The comparative degree is formed by adding the suffix -er [?r] to the stem of the word. Superlative - suffix -est [?st]. A few nuances:A. In adjectives with one syllable, the last letter is doubled.
hot - hotter - the hottest hot - hotter - the hottest
b. If the last letter of the adjective is -y, and there is a consonant before it, then it is replaced with -i; if it is a vowel, then -y remains unchanged.
busy - busier - the busiest
gray - grayer - the grayest gray - grayer - the grayest
V. If the last letter in an adjective is silent -e (that is, not pronounced), then when written it is omitted and merged with -e in the comparative or superlative suffix.
cute - cuter - the cutest
2. If an adjective has two or more syllables, then in the comparative degree more is used before it, and in the superlative degree - the most:
beautiful - more beautiful - the most beautiful beautiful - more beautiful - the most beautiful/most beautiful
3. There are a number of two-syllable adjectives that can change according to both the first rule and the second:
able
angry angry
clever
common common
cruel
frequent
friendly friendly
gentle
handsome
narrow narrow
pleasant
polite polite
quiet
serious serious
simple
sour sour
4. Exceptional adjectives:
good/well - better - the best
good - better - the best/best
bad - worse - the worst
bad - worse - worst
little - less - the least
small - less - the smallest/smallest
much (with uncountable)/many (with countable) - more - the most
a lot - more - most of all
old - older - the oldest
old - older - the oldest
old - elder - the eldest
elder - older - the oldest (only about people; for example: my elder brother my elder brother)
late - later - the latest/the last
late - more recent - the latest (new, latest in time)
near - nearer - the nearest
closest - closer - closest (distance)
near - nearer - next/the next
close - closer - next (in time or in order)
far - farther - the farthest
farthest - more distant - farthest (distance only)
far - further - the furthest
distant - more distant - the most distant (in the abstract sense)
One of the easy and understandable topics is degrees of comparison of English adjectives.
There are 2 nuances in it that are worth paying attention to.
The practical exercises at the end of the article will help you fully understand the material and use it in speech.
Goal: to understand the principle of formation of two degrees of comparison.
Comparative is needed to compare objects and phenomena, and superlative is needed to distinguish it from the mass on some basis.
Officially, there is also positive or neutral when the adjective is in the initial form. There are no differences in the formation of adjectives in English and Russian.
This is the first point.
Second: there are six exceptions.
Most qualitative adjectives that have a quality characteristic have degrees of comparison: big - bigger - the biggest.
For comparison: sea - sea - the most sea. “Marine” is not a qualitative adjective and has no degrees of comparison.
There are simple adjectives, and there are those with more syllables.
Simple adjectives
Consist of 1 - 2 syllables: strange, brave, tiny. Degrees of comparison are formed synthetically, that is, by adding a suffix and an article.
Further in the tables: positive - I, comparative - II, excellent - III.
| I | II | III |
|||
| High | high | er | the | high |
est |
| Small | small | small | |||
| Strong | strong | strong | |||
| Rich | rich | rich | |||
| Big | big | bigg | |||
| Hungry | hungri | hungri | |||
| Healthy | healthi |
healthi |
|||
| Happy | happy | happy |
|||
Replacement: letter y changes to i.
Which consonants are doubled: g,n, t, p, l.
When: after a closed syllable.
What is a closed syllable: in a syllable after a vowel there must be a consonant.
Example in Russian: daughter, bank, diary.
Examples of an open syllable: do_ro_ga, ka_fe, kra_sa_vi_tsa_.
*Note: if the adjective has an “e” at the end, then it does not double. Fine - finer - the finest.
Compound adjectives
They change through the analytical method of education.
This is achieved by adding the words “more” and “most”, “more” and “the most”.
| I | II | III | |||
| important | more | important | the most | important | |
| emotional | emotional | emotional | |||
different |
different | different | |||
| beautiful | beautiful | beautiful | |||
| successful | successful | ||||
| expensive | expensive | expensive | |||
| answered | answered | answered | |||
| efficient | efficient | efficient | |||
4 exceptions + 2 more
Ancient adjectives are not modified according to relatively new rules in English. Hence the exceptions.
| I | II | III | |
good |
better | the |
best |
| bad | worse | worst | |
| little | less | least | |
| many/much | more | most | |
There are six such words, two more are given below. Why are these adjectives “special”?
The words far and old: have some differences.
“Distant” in two senses: time and space. Comparative and superlative degrees have different meanings and spellings.
The word “far” has two meanings: space and time.
Also, these differences are obvious in the degrees of comparison: father/further, where the first means “distant” in space, and the second means “further” in time.
What shall we do with further generations? - What should we do with future generations?
The same is true with the word “old”: to say that someone is older, we use “older”.
If “older” is the form of the word for the comparative degree “elder”.
When we need superlative, we use “the oldest” to indicate age, and “the eldest” to indicate seniority, usually in the family.
Our lovely granny isn`t the oldest one in our family. - Our beloved grandmother is not yet the oldest in our huge family.
Use
The comparative degree presupposes the presence of the word “than,” exactly as in the Russian language. Its equivalent is "than".
Example: Mary`s husband is richer than Sue`s. This teacher is cleverer than that one. Those girls are more beautiful than models.
Practice
Understanding does not mean being able to. Only practice and skill training give the result of speaking.
Below are tasks that will help you do this. By repeating similar work on the Ebbinghaus scale, you can quickly master the topic in practice, and not just understand it.
Form degrees of comparison:
Poor - … - … .
Fluffy - … - … .
Good - … - … .
Interesting - … - … .
Difficult - … - … .
Sweet - … - … .
Wonderful - … - … .
Insert the desired option:
Betty is (funny) girl in our summer camp!
Mike`s sister is (successful) than Jack`s cousin.
Our pets are (nice) at this competition!
Grandfather`s (old) in our family.
My (old) brother is a real professional.
(Interesting) thing about travels is meeting new friends.
Translation into Russian:
I don`t know anybody more dangerous than Hitler.
We like reading the newest fashion magazines.
Father is the strongest!
Translation into English:
The farthest shop.
She's the best.
These kids are so smart!
I have never seen anyone more beautiful than you!
Writing:
1. Happy - happ.er - the happ.est.
2. Hungry - hungr.er - the hungr.est.
3. Thin - thin.er - the thin.est.
4. Fat - fat.er - the fat.est.
Difficulties that arise when using degrees of comparison of adjectives in English in oral and written speech suggest the presence of discrepancies.
In this case, you should focus on the structural combination of complex adjectives.
Every day you and I compare different things: this car is better than that one, and the other one is generally the best. One person is cuter than the other. And someone considers himself the most beautiful.Today you will learn about degrees of comparison of adjectives in English: what they are and how they are formed.
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that denotes a quality (attribute) that an object or person has. For example: tall, clear, smart.
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What degrees of comparison are there for adjectives?
Depending on what we are comparing, we can distinguish several degrees of comparison. Let's look at examples of how we can compare objects.
1. Comparison of 2 items based on a common feature.
- And we need to understand who has these qualities more.
We can compare these apples by their redness.
Note that we can compare things only if they have the same qualities. For example, we cannot compare these apples based on their redness:
2. Comparing an object with the same thing, but at different times.
- We have an object (person) that has some quality during a certain period of time.
- There is the same item, but in a different time period.
- And we need to understand what has changed in this capacity over this period.
We can compare apples by freshness:
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3. Comparing objects with each other in order to identify the one with the most pronounced characteristic.
- We have an object (person) that has some quality.
- There are other items that have the same qualities.
- And we understand which object (person) of all of them is the best in terms of these qualities.
This is the reddest apple of all the apples on this plate.
Thus, two degrees of comparison can be distinguished:
- Comparative - we compare objects based on characteristics (examples 1 and 2).
- Excellent - we compare objects in order to identify the object with the most pronounced characteristic (example 3).
Now we will consider each degree of comparison separately.
How the comparative degree of adjectives is formed in English
We need it to compare something or someone with each other. For example, one car is more expensive than another, my friend is older than me.
Depending on the adjective, there are 2 comparative forms:
1. Simple form of comparative degree formed with adjectives that consist of one, two or three syllables. For example: soft (soft), new (new), dirty (dirty), calm (quiet), cool (cool), deep (deep).
2. Complex form of comparative degree formed with adjectives that consist of three or more syllables. For example: dangerous, frightened, effective, handsome, interesting, surprised.
1. Simple form of comparative degree of adjectives formed by adding the ending -er.
adjective + -er
Small (small) - small er(less);
sweet (sweet) - sweet er(sweeter).
For example
Your hair is long er than mine.
Your hair is longer than mine.
Her car is cheap er than his.
Her car is cheaper than his.
Below we will tell you what nuances there are when adding -er.
2. Complex comparative form adjectives is formed using the words more (more) or less (less), which are placed before the adjective.
more/ less+ adjective
Cheerful (happy) - more cheerful (happier);
strange (strange) - less strange (less strange).
For example
Explain your idea more clearly.
Explain your idea more clearly.
This book is more interesting than that.
This book is more interesting than that one.
Rules for adding the ending -er
1. If the adjective ends in -e, then only the letter -r is added:
larg e(huge) - larg er(larger);
simple e(simple) - simple er(easier).
Boys are brav er than girls.
Boys are braver than girls.
2. The last consonant is doubled if there is a vowel before it:
b ig(big) - bi gger(more);
h ot(hot) - ho tter(hot).
China is bi gger than Japan.
China is bigger than Japan.
3. If the adjective ends in -y, then -y changes to -i:
dr y(dry) - dr ier(drier);
eas y(light) - eas ier(easier).
He was lucky ier than many painters.
He was luckier than many artists.
How are the superlative degrees of adjectives formed in English?
We need superlatives to show that an item has the best characteristics: the largest, the most expensive, the best. For example: “This is the most talented writer I have ever read.”
Depending on the adjective, there are 2 superlative forms.
1. Simple superlative form formed with adjectives that consist of one, two or three syllables.
2. Complex superlative form formed with adjectives that consist of three or more syllables.
1. Simple superlative form adjectives formed by adding the ending -est. Before the adjective itself we put the article the.
the+ adjective + -est
The rules for adding the ending -est are the same as adding the ending -er.
Small (small) - the small est(the smallest);
easy (easy) - the easy est(the easiest).
Examples
2. Complex superlative form adjectives is formed using the words most (most) or least (smallest), which are placed before the adjective. Before these words we put the article the.
the + most/least +adjective
beautiful (beautiful) - the most beautiful ( most Beautiful);
interesting (interesting) - theleast interesting ( least interesting or the most Not interesting).
For example
How much is the most expensive car?
How much does the most expensive car cost?
Summer is the most favorite season of mine.
Summer is my favorite time of the year.
He is the least talented actor in our class.
He is the least talented actor in our class.
Exceptional adjectives in the comparative degree in English
In English there are adjectives whose comparative and superlative degrees are not formed according to the rules. The only option is to remember them. Here are the most common ones.
| Adjective | comparative | Superlative |
| good good |
better better |
the best the best |
| bad bad |
worse worse |
the worst the worst |
| little small |
less less |
the least least |
| many/much numerous |
more more |
the most greatest |
| old (about family members) old |
elder older |
the eldest oldest |
| late late |
later last one listed |
the last last in order |
Examples
The weather today is worse than yesterday.
The weather today is worse than yesterday.
This pen is the best.
This pen is the best.
So, today we looked at the comparative and superlative degrees of comparison of adjectives. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.
Reinforcement task
Now put the following adjectives into comparative and superlative forms:
- expensive,
- strong,
- loud,
- dangerous,
- high,
- clever, clever
- interesting,
- dirty,
- lazy
- generous,
- clean
- rich
- good,
- important.
Leave your answers in the comments below the article.
Cold - colder - the coldest. What were we doing now? Comparisons were made using Russian adjectives. Do you think there is no such thing in English? Please: cold - colder - the coldest. That's what it is degrees of comparison of adjectives. We are lucky: there are exactly the same degrees of comparison as in Russian. That is, simply comparative (colder) and superior (coldest). Now let’s find out how degrees of comparison of adjectives are formed.
1. If an English adjective is taken from one syllable ( old , big , hot , kind , great), then the comparative degree is formed by the ending -er (older , kinder), and excellent is an article the and ending - est (the oldest , the kindest ).
Two-syllable adjectives ending in - y , -er , -ow (spicy , clever , narrow) are subject to the same rules:
cleverer - the cleverest (smarter - the smartest), narrower - the narrowest (narrower (narrower) - the narrowest)
Moreover, adjectives that end in - y , change this letter to i :
spicier - the spiciest (spicier - the hottest)
If a one-syllable adjective ends in vowel+consonant (hot, big, sad, fat), then in comparative degrees the consonant doubles:
hotter - the hottest, fatter - the fattest.
2. All other two-syllable, three-syllable (etc. - in general, polysyllabic) adjectives form the comparative degree by adding more , and excellent - the most :
more significant - the most significant,more beautiful - the most beautiful
Exception Examples(favorite section of all English learners):
Good - better - the best
Bad - worse - the worst
Little - less - the least
Far
-
farther(more distant (by distance)) - the
farthest(the furthest),
But
far
-
further(further/subsequent) - the
furthest(most distant)
Near - nearer - the nearest/the next (closest (by distance)/next)
Old - older(older) - the oldest(the oldest),
But
old-elder(older)- the eldest(oldest)
Late
-
later(later) - the
latest(latest),
But
late
-
the latter(later in order) - the
last(most recent in order)
On the formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives- All. I congratulate you on this. But if you want more, then you are always welcome (recommended for those who have already understood everything with the previous part):
Use less degree of comparison (i.e. less cool, less bright) comes with less , and to denote the smallest degree - the least (least cool, least bright):
less strong(less strong) - the least strong(least strong), less wide(less wide) - the least wide(least wide).
To strengthen the comparative degree it is used much , still , far :
much colder(much colder ), much more beautiful(much prettier).
The sentence uses the connective to compare objects than (how):
She is cleverer than her sister(She is smarter than her sister).
And now degree scheme for those who love algorithms :)
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Monosyllabic adjectives and adverbs form comparative and superlative degrees of comparison by adding suffixes - er And - est.
If monosyllabic adjectives and adverbs end in one consonant letter, preceded by one vowel letter, then before suffixes - er And - est the final consonant is doubled. However, the final letter " w» does not double.
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If monosyllabic adjectives and adverbs end in a silent letter " e", this vowel letter drops out before the suffixes - er And - est.
- cut e → cute r → the cute st
- pal e → pale r → the pale st
- lat e → late r → the late st
If monosyllabic adjectives and adverbs end in a vowel - y, preceded by a consonant - y changes to - i before suffixes - er And - est. But the final vowel is y does not change if another vowel letter precedes it.
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Two-syllable adjectives ending in -ow, -le, -er, -y
Two-syllable adjectives that end in suffixes - ow, -le, -er, -y, can form comparative and superlative degrees both with the help of suffixes - er And - est, and with the help of words more(more) and the most(most). The choice depends on the preference of the speaker, however the suffixed form is er And - est occurs more often with short words.
- crazy → crazy er → the craziest
- crazy → more crazy →the most crazy
- pretty → pretty er → the prettiest
- pretty → more pretty →the most pretty
Adjectives quiet(quiet) and simple(simple) can form comparative and superlative degrees both with the help of suffixes - er And - est, and with the help of words more(more) and the most(most).
- quiet – quiet er → the quietest
- quiet → more quiet → the most quiet
- simple → simple er → the simplest
- simple → more simple → the most simple
- narrow → narrow er → the narrowest
- narrow → more narrow →the most narrow
More and most
Disyllabic And trisyllabic adjectives and adverbs (mostly with the suffix -ly) form degrees of comparison using words more(more) and the most(most).
- useful → more useful → the most useful
- stupid → more stupid → the most stupid
- curious → more curious → the most curious
- impressive → more impressive → the most impressive
- often → more often → the most often
- wisely → more wisely → the most wisely
- comfortably → more comfortably → the most comfortably
- independently → more independently → the most independently
More And most also used to form degrees of comparison in adjectives that are formed from participles, regardless of the number of syllables that make up the adjective.
- tired → more tired → the most tired
- hurt → more hurt → the most hurt
- caring → more caring → the most caring
- worrying → more worrying → the most worrying
- annoyed → more annoyed → the most annoyed
Exceptions
| POSITIVE SETPEN |
COMPARATIVE DEGREE |
EXCELLENT DEGREE |
|---|---|---|
| POSITIVE DEGREE |
COMPARER. DEGREE |
EXCELLENT. DEGREE |
| Exceptions | ||
| good, well good, good |
better best, better |
best the best, best |
| bad, badly bad, bad |
worse worse |
worst the worst |
| many, much numerous, many |
more more |
most most |
| little small, little |
less less |
least least, least |
| far distant, far away |
f a rther further along the distance |
f a rthest furthest in distance |
| far long ago |
f u rther more distant in time |
f u rthest furthest in time |
Adverbs early(early) and loudly(loudly) form degrees of comparison only with the help of suffixes - er And - est.
- early → early ier → the earliest
- loudly → loudl ier → the loudest
Adverbs quickly(quickly) and slowly(slowly) can have two different forms of degrees of comparison.
- quickly → quick er → the quickest
- quickly → more quickly → the most quickly
- slow → slow er → the slowest
- slowly → more slowly → the most slowly
Diminutives
Articles in degrees of comparison
- You should drive the fastest you can because we are already late.“You should go as fast as you can because we’re already late.”
- Use this information most wisely.– Use this information in the wisest way possible.
Definite article the may also be omitted before adjectives if they come after the verb to be or other linking verbs and are not followed by the noun or phrase that the adjective modifies.
- This man is (the) most powerful as he controls all banks in our country.– This man is the most influential, since he controls all the banks in our country.
- Kate is (the) cut est when she wears this dress. Kate is the cutest when she wears this dress.
Word most is not always an indicator of the superlative degree of adjectives and can be a synonym for the word very in meaning " extremely», « Very», « extremely" In this case, before most there may be a certain the, and the indefinite article a / an, or they may be absent before plural nouns. In this meaning most can be used with all adjectives, including monosyllabic ones.
- I am most happy to see you again.– I am extremely glad to see you again.
- These kids are most clever children.– These guys are really smart kids.
- You are right, Marry is the most beautiful woman.– You’re right: Mary is a very, very beautiful woman.
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