Qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison. This is how language expresses the fact that signs can have a greater or lesser degree. Tea can be sweet to a greater or lesser extent, right? And language conveys this content.
Degrees of comparison thus convey the idea of comparison. They do this systematically. There are three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative.
· Positive - this means that the trait is expressed without assessing the degree: tall, cheerful, warm.
· The comparative determines a greater or lesser degree: higher, more cheerful, warmer, taller, more cheerful, warmer, less tall, less cheerful, less warm.
· The superlative expresses the greatest or least degree: the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest, the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest.
From the examples it is clear that the degrees of comparison are expressed in different ways. In the comparative and superlative degrees, the meaning is conveyed either with the help of suffixes: higher e, cheerful, highest, cheerful, or with the help of words: more, less, most . Therefore, comparative and superlative degrees of comparison can be expressed:
· simple forms: higher, highest,
· compound forms: taller, less tall, highest.
Among the simple forms in the Russian language, as in other languages, for example, in English, there are forms formed from another stem. Examples:
good, bad - positive degree
better, worse - comparative degree
best, worst - superlative
Words in the simple and complex comparative and superlative degrees change in different ways:
Comparative degree (simple): higher, lower - does not change.
Comparative degree (complex): lower, lower, lower - the adjective itself changes, change is possible by cases, numbers, and in the singular - by gender.
Superlative (simple): highest, highest, highest - changes according to cases, numbers, and in the singular - according to gender, i.e. as in a positive degree.
Superlative degree (difficult): the highest, the highest, the highest - both words change according to cases, numbers, and in the singular - according to gender, i.e. as in a positive degree.
Adjectives in simple comparative form in a sentence are part of the predicate:
Anna and Ivan are brother and sister. AnnaolderIvana. She used towas higher, and nowhigherIvan.
Other forms of comparison can be used both as a definition and as a predicate:
I approached more matureguys.
Guys were more mature than I thought.
I turned tothe oldestguys.
These guys are the oldest of those who study in the circle.
This topic is very simple, it is easy even for those who have recently started learning English. If you already know several adjectives in English, then after studying the material in this article, you will be able to 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 for adjectives. First degree - positive. This is a simple adjective, as you study it: interesting, beautiful, good and so on.
Next degree - comparative. If you have two objects and you compare them on one basis or another, then you will talk about it in a comparative manner: bigger, smaller, more interesting, more beautiful and so on.
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 the others. About him we say that he is the best: 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. As an example, let's remember some adjectives in English that you probably know:
Small - small
big - big
easy - light, 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 item 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. This will determine the method you will use to complete your degree. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then you need to add a suffix to it - er:
Small (small) - smaller (less)
big (large) - bigger (more)
easy (simple) - easier (simpler)
If your adjective is long (more than two syllables), then if you load it with a suffix, it will be impossible 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 with what:
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 objects in front of you that you need to compare and choose one based on some characteristic, then you need to use not the comparative, but the superlative form.
How you form this degree will depend on how many syllables your adjective has. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then a 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, you need to use the word than in the comparison.
Prepositions are used with superlative adjectives 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 a 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 or 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.
Article the.
You may ask why the article is used in the examples with the word most the. We remember that this article is used to indicate something specific that is known to the interlocutors. When we talk about superlatives, we single out one item from a group as the only one 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 would like 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 Maria's youngest daughter.
Changes in spelling.
When forming comparatives and superlatives of adjectives, you should remember that additions of suffixes in English are often accompanied by changes in spelling.
There are two basic rules to remember with adjectives:
1. If a short adjective ends in -y, then when adding a suffix -y changes to i and the suffix is added:
Easy - 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 vowel under stress (closed stressed syllable), then the last consonant is doubled:
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 required 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 / the worst
far - farther - the farthest- farthest / farthest / furthest
little - less - the least- small/less/smallest
To compare two objects in English, you can also use the construction as...as (not as...as), with which adjectives are used in the positive degree. 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 you have 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, good luck in learning English!
ONLY QUALITATIVE ADJECTIVES HAVE DEGREES OF COMPARISON!
Qualitative adjectives differ in that they can denote a characteristic in varying degrees of its manifestation ( large – larger – largest). These forms are called degrees of comparison:
Comparative
Excellent
The paradigm of degrees of comparison also includes the adjective from which the forms of degrees of comparison are formed. The semantic basis of degrees of comparison is the quantitative assessment of the measure of the attribute. In the comparative degree paradigm, the original adjective is called the positive degree form.
Comparative degree (comparative) - denotes a quality that is found in one subject to a greater extent than in another, the name of which is put in the form of the gender or nominative case; the latter is preceded by a comparative conjunction How(truth is more valuable than gold).
Superlative (superlative) - denotes the highest degree of quality in a subject compared to another: most favorite writer; inflected like regular adjectives.
Comparative and superlative degrees can be expressed in simple (synthetic) and complex (analytical) forms.
comparative
The simple form of the comparative degree does not change by gender, number and case; and therefore you need to be able to distinguish it from the form of the comparative degree of the adverb. If a word of this type is syntactically related to a noun, then it will compare the degree of the adjective; if it is connected to a verb, then it will compare the degree of the adverb ( oak is stronger than birch– adj; he squeezed the handle tighter– adverb)
Comparative forms tend to be used in the position of a connective, i.e. in the role of a predicate, but can also be a definition.
Formed from the base of the original adjective using suffixes –ee(s) – bolder,whiter(productive way) or –e, -she – more expensive, richer(unproductive way).
From adjectives with a stem on k, g, x and some words based on d, t, st comparative degree is formed using the suffix -e(in this case, final consonant stems alternate with sibilants) ( loud - louder, quiet - quieter, steep - steeper). In adjectives on -OK And -To the producing stem is truncation, the remaining final consonant alternates with a sibilant or paired soft ( high - above, low - below).
Comparative forms with suffix –she single ( distant - further, early - earlier, long - longer).
From three adjectives the form is formed suppletive way ( small - less, good - better, bad - worse).
Comparative forms are not formed from adjectives that name characteristics that do not change according to degrees. Sometimes they are not formed in accordance with the usage and not the meaning ( dilapidated, alien, scanty).
The complex form of degrees of comparison is formed by adding the word more. Moreover, such combinations can also be formed with a short form ( faster, more red).
Superlative
The simple form of the superlative degree has features in its meaning: in addition to the above basic meaning of the superiority of quality in an object compared to other objects, this form can denote the highest, extreme degree of quality in any object without comparison with others. In other words, it can denote a relatively high degree of quality: worst enemy, kindest creature.
The simple form is formed by adding a suffix –eysh (-aysh). Moreover, it is not formed from all adjectives; usually it is not found in those lexemes from which the comparative form is not formed. It may also be absent in those forms that have the form of a comparative degree. These are qualitative adjectives with suffixes –ast-, -ist, as well as many words with suffixes - liv-, -chiv-, -k-(narrow - narrower, hairy - hairier, silent - more silent).
A complex form is formed by combining a qualitative adjective and the word most. It is not related to lexical restrictions: the reddest, the kindest, the narrowest.
For adjectives with suffixes –ovat-(-evat-) no superlative form is formed, because the value of the incompleteness of the attribute is incompatible with the value of the high degree of the attribute ( the most deaf, the most deaf).
The superlative form denotes the highest degree of quality. Unlike the comparative degree, the superlative forms cannot express a comparative assessment of the degree of a characteristic in the same subject and in two subjects.
Adjectives and adverbs in many languages of the world have degrees of comparison. In English these are Positive Degree, Comparative Degree and Superlative degree, in Polish – rywny, wyższy, najwyższy, in French – le positif, le comparatif, le superlatif. The Russian language is no exception; it has positive, comparative and superlative adjectives. How are they different and what are their forms?
Degrees of comparison: types, table
Adjectives and adverbs derived from them have the ability to form degrees of comparison.There are three of them:
- Positive.Comparative.Excellent.
From which adjectives can we form degrees of comparison?
As you know, all adjectives in the Russian language are divided into several categories.
- Qualitative - means characteristics that an object or living creature can possess in different degrees: sweet, sweeter, sweetest. Relative - names the signs of an object or living creature in their relation to circumstances, actions or other persons, things: a telephone call, a wooden building. Possessive - indicate that something belongs to someone: Pushkin’s stanza, father’s parting words.
Adverbs that come from the qualitative category of adjectives can also form degrees of comparison: cheerful - cheerfully (more cheerfully).
Comparative degree of adjectives in Russian
Before moving on to consider the comparative degree, it is worth mentioning a little about the positive degree. This is the name given to the initial degree of comparison (boring). In fact, it is considered only formally as a degree of comparison. But the next one is the comparative degree of the adjective (more boring, more boring). It serves to show that a certain object or person has a given quality in greater/lesser quantity than someone/something else. For example: “This tea is stronger (stronger) than the one we drank yesterday.”Information about comparative forms
In the example above, you can see that the comparative degree in Russian can be formed in the following ways: using suffixes or by adding an additional word (in this example it is “more”). It turns out that we can distinguish 2 forms of the comparative degree of adjectives in the Russian language: simple and compound, or as it is sometimes called, complex.Methods for forming a simple shape
There are several ways to form it.- Using the suffixes -ee, -ey, -e, -she, added to the base: cheerful - more cheerful. However, it is worth remembering that if suffixes of the comparative degree of adjectives -e, -she are used, then alternation of consonants in the root of the word may occur, and the suffixes -k, -ok, -ek may be eliminated altogether. For example: narrow - narrower, voiced - louder. Sometimes a simple form can be formed by adding the same -ee, -ey, -e, -she, as well as the prefix po-. For example: soon - quickly, quickly - quickly. Adjectives formed in this way, as a rule, are the province of colloquial speech. Sometimes the comparative degree of adjectives in the Russian language is formed using a different word stem: bad - worse.
Complex shape
Unlike the simple one, it is formed not with the help of suffixes or prefixes, but by adding the words “more” or “less” to the adjective in the positive degree. For example: “Rembrandt was a more brilliant artist than most of his contemporaries, but he was truly appreciated years after his death.” Adjectives in a complex form are inflected by case, change by number and accordingly by gender, while “more” and "less" remain unchanged. For example: more powerful (powerful, powerful, powerful). Both in simple form and in compound form, comparative adjectives in a sentence serve as predicates or definitions: “Their relationship was closer and more elevated than that of anyone around them.” .Having considered the information about the comparative degree, it is now worth moving on to studying the superlative degree. And it will help you not to forget how the comparative degree of adjectives is formed - the table. It briefly outlines all the information about simple and complex forms and their formation.
Brief information about superlatives
It serves to demonstrate that a certain object or living being is absolutely superior to any other in a certain quality, which is represented in it to the highest degree.For example: “The third little pig’s house was the strongest and the wolf could not destroy it.”
A little about superlatives
Knowledge of how simple and complex comparative degrees of adjectives are formed will help you understand this topic. In the case of the superlative degree, both of its forms have similar names: simple and compound (complex) and are formed according to the corresponding principle.
They are formed according to the same principle:
- The simple one is formed by adding the suffixes -eysh, -aysh to the stem: caring – most caring. Similar to the comparative, the superlative may also have the stem suffix -k: low, lowest. A word formed using a simple superlative form is declined according to cases and changes according to numbers and genders. While the comparative degree of an adjective in a simple form is devoid of this property. For example: “light”. As mentioned above, in comparative form it is invariably “lighter”. But in the superlative degree - “brightest”, it can change: “brightest”, “brightest”. The compound (complex) form is formed by adding the words “most”, “least” or “most” (“most”, “most”, “ most") to an adjective in the positive degree. For example: the brightest, the least entertaining, the funniest. In some cases, the comparative degree of the adjective plus the word “all” may also participate in the formation. For example: “This girl completed the task faster than anyone in the class.” As with the comparative form, the superlative adjective changes according to the same categories. And the additional words: “most” or “least” remain unchanged: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.” However, “most” also changes: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.”
Superlative and comparative degrees of adjectives: exercises to consolidate knowledge
To better remember all the material presented, you should practice by doing a few fairly simple exercises.- In this task you need to form all possible forms of degrees according to the model: attractive, more attractive, more attractive, most attractive, most attractive, most attractive. In this exercise, you need to select both superlative forms of the adjective, mark the suffixes and underline the alternating letters, according to the patterns. In this task you need to find errors and explain them. 1. Petrov is the best player in the entire team. 2. Things were getting worse in our company. 3. The air in the room became increasingly heavier. 4. Our enterprise turned out to be more successful. 5. Natasha’s shoes are cheaper than Sveta’s. In this exercise, you need to compare 2 objects of different properties, according to the example: French language and German (euphonious). – The French language is more euphonious than German. 1. Autumn and winter (warm). 2. Masha’s closet and Dima’s closet (convenient). 3. Laptop and smartphone (expensive). 4. Vladimir and Maxim (serious). 5. Katya and Valya (handsome). 6. Kyiv and Lvov (young).