Form comparative and superlative forms. Comparisons of adjectives in English

Quality adjectiveshave degrees of comparison. They express a greater or lesser degree of quality in a given subject compared to another subject.
For example: (My house is more beautiful than your house). sometimes the comparison takes place within the same object (increase or decrease) in different periods of its development, i.e. at the present moment, compared to its past state.
For example: (Demand for a product has become higher than last year).

Adjectives have two degrees of comparison:
comparative;
excellent.

1.Comparative adjective means that some feature is manifested to a greater or lesser extent in one subject than in another.
For example: I am happier than you. Your briefcase is heavier than mine. My dog ​​is smarter than yours.

The comparative degree is:
A) simple
B) complex

BUT) Simple comparative degree formed with suffixes:
"her" (s): For example: beautiful - more beautiful, smart - smarter, cold - colder;
"e" (with alternation of the last consonant of the stem or without alternation):
For example: big - more, short - shorter, sweet - sweeter;
"she": For example: old - older, young - younger.
Sometimes, when forming the comparative degree of an adjective, a different root is used.
Good is better, bad is worse, small is less.
Adjectives in the form of a simple comparative degree do not change and do not have endings!

B) Compound Comparative is formed from the full form of the positive degree of the adjective with the help of particles more and less.
Big - more (less) big, beautiful - more (less) beautiful.

2) Superlative adjectives.
The superlative degree shows that some feature is manifested in the given subject to the greatest extent, in comparison with the same feature in other homogeneous subjects.
This is my best game; He is the smartest boy in the class.

Superlatives are:
A) simple
B) complex
The superlative degree of an adjective can change by gender, number, and case.
(We approached the highest mountains).

BUT) simple superlatives formed with the help of suffixes "eysh", "aysh".
For example: stupidest, deepest, rarest, closest
Sometimes, when forming the superlative degree of an adjective, a different root is used.
For example: Good is the best, bad is the worst.
B) Compound Superlative is formed from the full form of the positive degree of the adjective using the particles most, most and least.
For example: Small - the smallest, the smallest, the least small, smart - the smartest, the smartest, the least smart.

Adjectives in the superlative degree, like the full forms of the positive degree of adjectives, change in gender, number and case.

Publication date: 01/28/2012 17:58 UTC

• Morphological analysis of the adjective in Russian.
• Full and short forms of adjectives. Declension and spelling of case forms of adjectives in Russian.
• The concept of an adjective. Morphological features of adjectives. Classes of adjectives in Russian.

Degrees of adjectives comparison Degrees of comparison of adjectives

Adjectives in English do not change in number or case, they change in degrees of comparison. This applies to quality adjectives. Relative adjectives do not have degrees of comparison (about qualitative and relative adjectives - in the material "").

There are three degrees of comparison of quality adjectives in English:

Rules for the formation of degrees of comparison

Which acts as the original form: kind - kinder, more / less kind, kindest, kindest, kindest of all.

It expresses the attribute of a given object beyond comparison with the attribute of another object, in relation to the degree of manifestation of the attribute, it is neutral.

comparative

Comparative forms denote:

1. A sign that is manifested in one subject to a greater extent than in another.

• Elbrus higher Kazbek.
• This first sound was followed by another, harder and lingering...
• (I. S. Turgenev)
• Further experiments were more complex than the previous ones.
• (Academician I.P. Pavlov)

2. A sign that manifests itself differently in the same object at different times, is contained either to a greater or lesser extent.

• I am now more modest became in desire
• My life or you dreamed of me ...
• (S. A. Yesenin)
• Faith has become more restrained than it was.

Comparative degree can be simple(consist of one word) and composite(composed of two words).

Comparative Degree Education

Qualitative adjectives with suffixes do not have a simple comparative degree - sk -, -ov -, -l -, -n -(they don’t have short forms either!): friendly, massive, bloody, emaciated, etc. This also includes adjectives with the suffix - to - such as fusible, bulky, heavy, separate non-derivative words (flat, dilapidated, proud, sloping) and words denoting animal colors: brown, savrasy, etc.

Superlatives

Superlatives denote:

1. A feature that is manifested in a given subject to the highest degree or more than in all other subjects.

• Elbrus - highest from the mountains of the Caucasus.
• In this group Ivanov - most capable and hardworking student.
• you today the best.

2. The ultimate degree of quality without comparison with other subjects, including as part of set expressions: the kindest soul, the worst enemy.

• Has come the most important stage in your life.
• Everything needs to be figured out smallest details.

Superlative education

Qualitative adjectives with suffixes do not form a simple superlative form - sk -, -n -, -ov -(-ev -), -to -, -ast -, -ist -: native , business , loud , loud , colorful , sprawling , thoroughbred , many words with suffixes - Liv -, -chiv -, -ovate - (-evat -): boisterous, talkative, whitish.

Cold - colder - coldest. What were we doing now? Compared using Russian adjectives. Do you think this is not the case in English? You are welcome: cold - colder - the coldest. That's what it is degrees of comparison of adjectives. We were lucky: there are exactly the same degrees of comparison as in Russian. That is, simply comparative (colder) and excellent (coldest). Now let's find out how the 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 the superlative is the article the and ending - est (the oldest , the kindest ).

Two-syllable adjectives ending in - y , -er , -ow (spicy , clever , narrow) follow the same rules:

cleverer - the cleverest (smarter - smartest), narrower - the narrowest (narrower (narrower) - the narrowest)

However, adjectives ending in - y , change this letter to i :

spicier - the spiciest (sharper - the sharpest)

If a one-syllable adjective ends in vowel + consonant (hot, big, sad, fat), then in comparative degrees consonant doubles:

hotter - the hottest, fatter - the fattest.

2. All other two-syllable, three-syllable (and so on - in general, polysyllabic) adjectives form a 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 (in distance)) - the farthest(the furthest),
but far - further(further/following) - the furthest(most remote)

Near - nearer - the nearest / the next (nearest (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 - last(later in order) - the last(most recent in order)

By the formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives- all. With which I congratulate you. But if you want more, then you are always welcome (recommended for those who have already understood everything with the previous part):

Use lesser degree of comparison (i.e. less cold, less bright) goes with less , and to denote the smallest degree - the least (least cold, 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 is used much , still , far :

much colder(much colder ), much more beautiful(much prettier).

In a sentence for comparing objects, a bunch is used than (how):

She is cleverer than her sister(She is smarter than her sister).

And now degree education scheme for those who love algorithms :)

everything is normal, pay attention Stop! Just cramming!

This topic is very simple, it lends itself easily even to those who have recently started learning English. If you already know a few adjectives in English, then after studying the material in this article, you can easily form degrees of comparison.

But first, let's figure out how many degrees of comparison there are and why they are needed.

There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives. First degree - positive. It's a simple adjective as you learn it: interesting, beautiful, good etc.

Next degree - comparative. If you have two objects, and you compare them on one or another basis, then you will talk about it in a comparative degree: bigger, smaller, more interesting, more beautiful etc.

And the third degree that adjectives can have is excellent. When you compare several items on any basis, one of them will be superior to others. We say about him that he is the most: the most interesting, the biggest, the best.

In English, everything is exactly the same: there are three degrees of comparison, which are formed according to their own rules.

The first degree is positive. This is a common adjective. For example, let's remember some adjectives in English that you probably know:

Small - small
big - big
easy - easy, simple
interesting - interesting
popular - popular

If we describe one thing without comparing it with anything else, then a simple adjective is used, without suffixes. But as soon as the second object appears, for comparison, it becomes necessary to use comparative degree.

To form it, you need to look at the adjective: how many syllables it has, how long it is. It depends on the way you will use in the formation of the degree. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then you need to add a suffix to it - er:

Small (small) - smaller (smaller)
big (big) - bigger (more)
easy (simple) - easier (easier)

If your adjective is long (more than two syllables), then if you load it with another suffix, it will be unrealistic to pronounce it. Therefore, to form the comparative degree of such adjectives, the word is used more(more), which is placed before the adjective, just like in Russian:

Interesting - more interesting (more interesting)
popular - more popular (more popular)

If you are comparing two objects or phenomena in a sentence, then you will also need the word than(than) to indicate what you are actually comparing and against:

My room is smaller than my brother "s. - My room is smaller than my brother's.
His dog is bigger than mine. - His dog is bigger than mine.
This rule is easier than that one. - This rule is easier than that one.
Detectives are more interesting than historical novels. - Detective stories are more interesting than historical novels.
Is Lady Gaga more popular than Madonna? Is Lady Gaga more popular than Madonna?

Now let's move on to superlatives. If you have several items in front of you that you need to compare, choose one on some basis, then you need to use not a comparative, but an excellent form.

How you form this degree will depend on how many syllables your adjective has. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then the suffix is ​​added - est:

Small - the smallest
big - the biggest
easy - the easiest

If the adjective is long (more than two syllables), then the superlative degree should be formed using the word most(most):

Interesting - the most interesting
popular - the most popular

Prepositions IN and OF.

It was already mentioned above that when you compare two objects, then in comparison you need to use the word than (than).

Prepositions are used with adjectives in the superlative degree. in and of. The choice of preposition is determined by what you are comparing and what information comes after the comparison.

If you are talking about a place (country, city, world), then use the preposition in:

This is the oldest building in our town. - This is the oldest house in our city.
He is the most popular singer in the country. - He is the most popular singer in the country.
What is the highest mountain in the world? - What is the highest mountain in the world?

The preposition is also used when talking about a group of people, an organization:

I am the youngest pupil in the class. - I am the youngest student in the class.

Pretext on used when talking about a period of time:

Today is the longest day of the year. - Today is the longest day of the year.
It was the happiest day of my life. - It was the happiest day of my life.

The article the.

You ask why the article is used in examples with the word most the. We remember that this article is used to indicate something specific, known to the interlocutors. When it comes to superlatives, we single out one item from the group as the only or unique of its kind and it becomes defined:

He is the cleverest boy in the class. - He is the smartest boy in the class. (There is only one smartest student in the class)

This is the oldest house in the town. - This is the oldest house in the city. (There is only one oldest house in the city)

I want to draw your attention to the fact that the article the is not always used with superlative adjectives. If adjectives are preceded by a word that answers the question Whose? / Whose? (or a noun in ), then the article the is not needed:

This is my smallest bag. - This is my smallest bag.
She is Maria "s youngest daughter. - She is the youngest daughter of Mary.

Spelling changes.

When forming the comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives, you must remember that adding suffixes in English is often accompanied by changes in spelling.

With adjectives, there are two main rules to remember:

1. If a short adjective ends in -y, then when adding a suffix, -y changes to i and a suffix is ​​added:

Easy (simple) - easier - the easiest
noisy (noisy) - noisier - the noisiest
busy (busy) - busier - the busiest

2. If a short adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a stressed vowel (closed stressed syllable), then the last consonant is doubled:

Big (big) - bigger - the biggest
fat (fat) - fatter - the fattest

If the adjective ends in two consonants, or in a consonant preceded by a combination of vowels, then nothing is doubled, but the necessary suffix is ​​simply added:

Strong (strong) - stronger - the strongest
cold (cold) - colder - the coldest
weak (weak) - weaker - the weakest

Exceptions.

In English, there are exception adjectives, the comparative and superlative degrees of which are not formed according to the rule, without adding suffixes:

good - better - the best- good / better / the best

bad - worse - the worst- bad / worse / worst

far-farther-the farthest- distant / farther / farthest

little - less - the least- small/smaller/smallest

To compare two objects in English, you can also use the construction as...as (not as...as), with which adjectives in the positive degree are used. Read more about this design.

Try to avoid common mistakes, remember that if you have already added a suffix to the adjective, then you do not need to use the words more or most.

Now you can easily compare objects, people and phenomena and talk about it in English. To consolidate the material covered, remember as many adjectives as possible and try to form degrees of comparison from them, and it will be even more effective to make sentences with them. Leave comments, ask questions, success in learning English!