3 forms of adjectives. Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English

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An adjective is a part of speech denoting a sign of an object, person, phenomenon. As in Russian, there are three degrees of comparison of adjectives in English language: positive, comparative and superlative.

What are the degrees of comparison of an adjective?

The degrees of comparison are three forms of the adjective expressing different degrees of quality. Here are some examples:

• positive degree- this is the main, as in a dictionary, form of an adjective when it is not compared with anything:

This dog good- This dog is kind.

• comparative two features are compared:

This dog kinder than mine - This dog is kinder than mine.

• Superlatives- characteristic of the type "most-most":

This the kindest dog in the world. - This is the kindest dog in the world.

As you can see, a positive degree is just an adjective in its usual form without any special endings, there are no difficulties here. Speaking of degrees of comparison, they always mean comparative and superlative degrees.

Comparative degree of adjectives (Comparative Degree)

The comparative degree is used when the characteristics of objects, persons, phenomena are compared.

The comparative degree of adjectives can be formed in two ways:

• With the end -er.
• With the help of words more And less(more and less).

The method depends on how many syllables are in the word.

Let's take a closer look at the table.

One-syllable adjectives

-er.

kind - kind er(kind - kinder)

smart - smart er(smart - smarter)

tall - tall er(high - higher)

When the comparative degree is formed using -er, spelling changes are possible:

• If the adjective ends in -e, this letter is omitted before -er,

cut e– cut er(cute - cuter)

whit e– whit er(white - whiter)

• In adjectives on -y, final -y changes to -i,

bus y– bus i er (busy - more busy)

laz y– laz i er (lazy - lazier)

• If the adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a short vowel, it is doubled.

bi g- bi gg er (large - more)

thi n– thi nn er (thin - thinner)

Two-syllable adjectives

As can be seen from the table, two-syllable adjectives can be formed in both ways. How to understand which way to choose?

Some manuals say that adjectives ending in -e, -er, -ow, -le should be added with -er, and with the rest of the words more \ less. But in practice this is not always the case, it is easier to be guided by these simple principles:

• In most cases, k two-syllable adjectives form a comparative degree with the help of more \ less.
• Some two-syllable adjectives form the comparative degree in both ways, it's just that one way is more popular than the other.
• more \ less It's grammatically correct anyway.

Trisyllabic adjectives

In all cases, three- and more-complex adjectives form the form of the comparative degree with the help of more \ less(more \ less).

beautiful - more beautiful (beautiful - more beautiful)

reliable - more reliable (reliable - more reliable)

Superlative degree of adjectives (Superlative Degree)

The superlative degree is used when one object (person, phenomenon) surpasses all others in some way, is “the most-most”.

The superlative degree of adjectives, like the comparative, can be formed in two ways:

• With the end -est.
• With the help of words most\least(most \ least).

Please note that adjectives (more precisely, the nouns they define) are used in superlatives with the article the, since we are talking about some kind of very-very, and therefore a unique subject:

the nearest town - the nearest city,

the longest journey - the longest journey.

The way the superlative degree is formed depends on the number of syllables in the word.

One-syllable adjectives

One-syllable adjectives form a comparative degree with the ending -est.

broad - the broad est(wide - widest)

fine - the fin est(elegant - the most elegant)

At the same time, the same changes occur in the spelling of the word as in the formation of the comparative degree:

• If the adjective ends in -e, it is omitted before -est

cut e– cut est(cute - the cutest)

whit e– the whit est(white is the whitest)

• In adjectives on -y, final-y changes to -i

bus y– the bus i est (busy - busiest)

laz y– the laz i est (lazy - the laziest)

• If the adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a short vowel, it is doubled.

bi g– bi gg est (big - biggest)

thi n– the thi nn est (thin - thinnest)

Two-syllable adjectives

The situation is the same as with the comparative degree. Somewhere it is written that adjectives with -e, -er, -ow, -le should be added with -er, and with the rest of the words more \ less. But in practice it is easier to be guided by these principles:

• In most cases, two-syllable adjectives are added most\least.
• Some two-syllable adjectives can also form the superlative with -er.
• When in doubt, use the method with the addition most\least- He's unbeatable.

Trisyllabic adjectives

In all cases, three- or more complex adjectives form the superlative form with the help of most\least.

expensive - the most expensive (expensive - the most expensive)

underestimated-the most underestimated (underestimated - the most underestimated)

Table: degrees of comparison of adjectives in English

Let's summarize all of the above in one table.

Non-standard formation of degrees of comparison

Some adjectives in English form degrees of comparison in a non-standard way, they need to be remembered.

positive degree	comparative	Superlatives
Good	Better	best
Bad	Word	Worst
Little	Less	Least
Much	More	Most
Far	Further	furthest

Sentences with comparative and superlative adjectives

In a sentence, degrees of comparison are used according to formulas similar to similar constructions in Russian

comparative

When comparing one object with another, the than union is used.

My bike is faster than your car. - My bike faster than your car.

Martin swims slower than Kate. – Martin swims slower than Kate.

It is better than nothing. - This better than nothing.

As in Russian, the subject with which the comparison is made can only be implied.

The book is better(than the movie). - Book better(than a movie).

My boat is more comfortable(than yours). - my boat convenient(than yours).

Superlatives

In superlative sentences, than is not used because there is no comparison.

This is the best day in my life. - This best day in my life.

The worst nightmare I had was about rabbits. - The worst the nightmare I had was about rabbits.

What's the shortest way home? - Which The shortest way back home?

Where is the nearest ATM? - Where nearest ATM?

Expressions like "The more, the better"

Quite often there are expressions like the more, the better- the bigger, the better. They are based on a simple formula:

The + comparative degree, the + comparative degree.

The phrase can be supplemented with other words, but its basis is just that.

For example:

The more, the better. - The bigger, the better.

The longer you think, the less time you have.- The longer you think, the less time you have.

The older you get the more you realize - The older you get, the more you understand.

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Hello my dear readers.

English grammar rules are quite easy to understand for both adults and children. To prove it to you, today we will analyze one of the most popular topics: degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.

Bright and memorable tables will not leave you indifferent, and the practical part, consisting of tasks, exercises and, will forever consolidate the knowledge gained.

Ready to start the lesson?

Let's start simple

You probably know that in English there is 3 degrees of comparison of adjectives: simple, comparative and superlative.

• Remember, and better write down: If in front of you English word from one syllable (hot, big, cool, kind) - just add the ending -er to the end of the adjective and get a comparative degree.

For example:

hot-hotter wide-wide

big bigger kind kinder

• But do not forget that there is also a superlative degree (this is when something is the very best\beautiful\fast). So, if we still have a word of one syllable, then the superlative degree is formed by adding the article the at the beginning of the word and the ending -est at the end.

For example:

hot-hotter-the hottest wide-wider-the widest

big-bigger-the biggest kind-kinder-the kindest

This is where the simple part of the rule ends.

And the next one begins.

Don't forget the important

• If you haven't noticed, then in the examples above we have doubled consonants. This only happens under the following conditions:

1. The word consists from one syllable.
2. The word ends like this: one vowel + one consonant.

For example,

fat-fatter-the fattest

• I will talk about the obvious, but sometimes confusing - to words ending in a vowel -e, we simply add -r And -st.(this is also seen in the above examples)
• One more important point! There is a list of short adjectives consisting of two syllables and ending in - y. When we form degrees of comparison with them, then the letter -y is replaced by -i .

For example,

lucky-luckier-the lucki est.

• There is an unspoken rule that adjectives consisting of two syllables can form degrees of comparison in the second way about which read below.

Another way to form degrees of comparison

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see you.

Answers:
Exercise 1.
1. Hot-Hotter-The hottest
2. Beautiful-More beautiful-The most beautiful
3. Happy-Happier-The happiest
4. Brave-Braver-The bravest
5. Fast-Faster-The Fastest
6. Calm-Calmer-The calmest
7. Cool-Cooler-The coolest
8. Loud-Louder-The loudest
9. Short-Shorter-The shortest
10. Strong-Stronger-The strongest
11. Dangerous-More dangerous-The most dangerous
12. Handsome-More handsome-The most handsome
13. Nice-Nice-The nicest
14. Sarcastic - More sarcastic - The most sarcastic
15. Bad-Worse- The worst

Exercise 2.
1. The safest \ the fastest.
2. Longer\Shorter
3.Louder
4.Closer
5. Bigger
6. More expensive
7. More beautiful
8. The best
9. The tallest
10 Taller

Exercise 3
1. The smartest
2.Worse
3. The kindest
4. The most populated
5. Further
6. (Much) happy
7. The best
8. The most popular
9. Further
10.Worst

Every day we compare different things: this car is better than that one, and the other, in general, is the best. One person is prettier than the other. And someone considers himself the most beautiful.Today you will learn about the degrees of comparison of adjectives in English: what they are and how they are formed.

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word denoting a quality (attribute) possessed by an object or person. For example: tall, clear, smart.

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What are the degrees of comparison of adjectives?

Depending on what we are comparing, we can distinguish several degrees of comparison. Let's look at examples of how we can compare items.

1. Comparison of 2 items on a common basis.

• And we need to understand who has more of these qualities.

We can compare these apples by their redness.

Note that we can only compare things if they have the same qualities. For example, we cannot compare these apples by their redness:

2. Comparison of an object with it, but at different times.

• We have an object (person) that has some quality in some period of time.
• There is the same subject, but in a different period of time.
• And we need to understand what has changed in this quality over this period.

Apples can be compared by freshness:

3. Comparison of objects with each other, in order to identify the one with the most pronounced feature.

• 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 them all is the best in terms of these qualities.

This is the reddest apple of all the apples on this plate.

Thus, we can distinguish 2 degrees of comparison:

1. Comparative - we compare objects on the basis (1 and 2 examples).
2. Excellent - we compare objects in order to identify an object with the most pronounced feature (3rd example).

Now we will consider each degree of comparison separately.

How is the comparative degree of adjectives formed in English

We need it to compare something or someone with each other. For example, one car is more expensive than another, my girlfriend is older than me.

Depending on the adjective, there are 2 forms of the comparative degree:

1. simple form comparative degree formed with adjectives that have one, two or three syllables. For example: soft (soft), new (new), dirty (dirty), calm (quiet), cool (cool), deep (deep).

2. A complex form of a comparative degree formed with adjectives that have three or more syllables. For example: dangerous (dangerous), frightened (scared), effective (effective), handsome (cute), interesting (interesting), surprised (surprised).

1. A simple form of the 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.

A little lower we will tell you what are the nuances when adding -er.

2. Complex form of the comparative degree 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 ideas 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) - simpl er(simpler).

Boys are brav er than girls.
Boys are braver than girls.

2. The last consonant is doubled if it is preceded by a vowel:

b ig(large) - bi gger(more);
h ot(hot)-ho ter(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(dry);
eas y(easy) - eas ier(easier).

He was lucky ier than many painters.
He was more successful than many artists.

How the superlative degree of adjectives is formed in English

We need a superlative degree to show that the subject has the most best performance: the biggest, 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 form of superlatives formed with adjectives that have one, two or three syllables.

2. Complex form of superlatives It is used with adjectives that have three or more syllables.

1. Simple form of superlatives adjectives formed by adding the ending -est. Before the adjective itself, we put the article the.

the+ adjective + -est

The rules for adding the -est ending are the same as for the -er endings.

Small (small) - the small est(the smallest);
easy (easy) - the easy est(the easiest).

Examples

2. Complex form of superlatives adjectives is formed using the words most (most) or least (least), 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 most not interesting).

For example

How much is the most expensive car?
How much is the most expensive car?

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.

Exception 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	Superlatives
good good	better better	the best the best
bad bad	worse worse	the worst the worst
little little	less less	the least least
many/much numerous	more more	the most largest
old (about family members) old	elder older	the eldest oldest
late late	later the 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 have analyzed 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,
• interesting,
• dirty,
• lazy,
• generous,
• clean,
• rich,
• good,
• important.

Leave your answers in the comments below the article.

In English, adjectives have 3 degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative. The general rules for the formation of each of them can be presented in the form of tables.

Adjective as a part of speech

What is an adjective? This is a part of speech that is designed to describe the signs and properties of objects. She answers the questions "Which?", "Which?" and "Whose?" There are two types of adjectives in English: quality And relative .

Of these, only qualitative ones can have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and excellent. Relatives cannot be combined with an adverb very (very) and form degrees of comparison. For example, from relative adjective“wooden” is impossible to form the comparative degree “more wooden”, while from the qualitative “cold” one can form two forms of adjectives - “colder” and “coldest”.

As can be seen from the examples, the degrees of comparison of adjectives in Russian are formed using suffixes or by adding words to initial form. And how things are in English - let's look at examples.

Positive

The initial form of the adjective is the positive degree: dangerous (dangerous, risky), famous (famous), curious (curious). In English, adjectives do not have gender, number, or case forms. In other words, when forming phrases or sentences, we take an adjective and put it before a noun: a dangerous car (dangerous car), a famous singer (famous singer), curious girls (curious girls).

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Comparative

The word "comparative" comes from the verb "compare". In other words, in a comparative degree, we compare the signs, properties of two or more objects. In this case, the union may appear in the sentence than (than) or construction the ... the ... (than ..., the ...), and the adjective itself changes form. There are two ways to form the comparative degree form:

• To a simple adjective, consisting of one or two syllables, the ending is added -er : fast - faster (fast - faster), weak - weaker (weak - weaker);
• To a complex adjective consisting of three or more syllables, the words are added more (more) or less (less) : aggressive - more aggressive (aggressive - more aggressive), desperate - less desperate (desperate - less desperate).

excellent

If in the comparative degree we set ourselves the task of comparing two objects, then in the superlative degree we need to single out among the multitude one “the most that is.” To qualify for this degree, one of the following must be completed:

• To a simple adjective consisting of one or two syllables, add definite article the and ending -est : fast - the fastest (fast - the fastest), weak - the weakest (weak - weakest);
• To a complex adjective consisting of three or more syllables, add the words the most (most) or the least (least) : aggressive - the moast aggressive (aggressive - the most aggressive), desperate - the least desperate (desperate - the least desperate).

General rules

General rules for the formation of degrees of comparison can be presented in the table "Degrees of comparison in English".

Pay attention to the following examples from the table: hot (hot) and lazy (lazy). In the comparative and superlative degree in the word hot (hot), the final consonant doubled, since the word ends in a vowel and consonant, and in the word lazy (lazy), the final vowel -y changed to -i.

Exceptions

In English, there are adjectives that are exceptions to the general rule for the formation of degrees of comparison. They are presented in the following exclusion table:

positive degree	comparative	Superlatives
good - good	better - better, best	the best - the best, (the) best
bad - bad	worse - worse, worse	the worst - the worst, (nai) worst
little - little	less - less	the least - the smallest, the slightest
much, many - a lot	more - more	the most - the largest
far - far, distant	farther/further - more distant/more distant	the farthest / furthest - the farthest / the farthest)
old - old, older	older/elder - older/older	the oldest / eldest - the oldest / oldest

Pay attention to the meaning of the words farther - the farthest (further - the farthest) and further - the furthest (more distant - the farthest): in the first case, the physical distance is meant, and in the second, the range in order. The same can be observed in the words older - the oldest (older - the oldest) and elder - the eldest (older - the oldest). In the first case, age is meant, and in the second, seniority in the family.

What have we learned?

From this article, we learned how Present Simple Tense is formed, in what cases this time is used, and also how to distinguish Present Simple Tense from other tenses. We learned how to build properly in this time negative sentence and how to ask the right question. We also learned all the adverbs of time, satellite words that are peculiar only to Present Simple Tense.

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Comparative adjectives are used to compare two or more objects with each other: objects, people, animals, etc. Bigger, smaller, prettier, faster, cheaper, better, smarter, braver, smarter, more daring- these are all comparative degrees of adjectives in Russian.

In English, adjectives also have a comparative degree ( comparative adjectives or simply comparative): bigger, less, more beautiful, faster, cheaper, better, cleverer, braver, more intelligent, more daring

The rules for the formation of comparative adjectives are very easy to understand, and to develop fluency you need experience, you need to repeat them more often, and it is better to repeat phrases, phrases or whole sentences. How to remember better, you can read in the article.

In this article, we will give many examples of the formation and use of the comparative degree of adjectives in English.

Comparative adjectives. Education rules. Examples.

Look at the table:

1. Examples for comparative adjectives formed from monosyllabic ones:

This coffee is very weak. I like it a bit stronger. (This coffee is very weak. I like a little stronger)
Going by bus is cheaper than by train. (The bus ride is cheaper than the train ride)
The weather is very cold today. I expected it to be warmer.(The weather is cold today. I expected it to be warmer)
The water is colder today than it was two days ago. (The water is colder today than it was two days ago)
Mike studies harder than his brother. (Mike studies harder than his brother)
This building is higher than that one. (This building is taller than that one)
My daughter is thinner than her. (My daughter is thinner than her)
My sister is older than me. (My sister is older than me)
Can we walk a bit faster? (Can we go a little faster?)

Pay attention to the following subtleties:
1. After the comparative degree of adjectives, the union is often used than(than), emphasizing the object for comparison.
2. If a one-syllable adjective ends in -e, then in a comparative degree only -r: large - larger, late - later, wide - wider.
3. If a one-syllable adjective ends one vowel + one consonant, then the comparative degree duplicates the consonant: big-bigger, wet-wetter, thin-thinner

2. Examples of comparative adjectives formed from disyllabic adjectives ending in -y:

Yesterday I woke up earlier than usual (Yesterday I woke up earlier than usual)
you look happier today (You look happier today)
My bag seemed to get heavy as I carried it (My bag seemed to be heavier when I carried it)
We were busier at work today than usual (We were busier at work today than usual)

3. Examples of the comparative degree of adjectives formed from disyllabic and more adjectives

I think Hungarian is more difficult than Spanish. (I think Hungarian is harder than Spanish)
For lanuage learners, enthusiasm is more important than talent. (For language learners, enthusiasm is more important than talent)
I expected the hotel to be more expensive. (I expected the hotel to be more expensive)
I'd like to do something more interesting(I would like to do something more interesting)
Why don't you phone me more often? (Why don't you call me more often?)
I'd like to have a more reliable car (I would like to have a more reliable car)
unfortunately his illness more serious than we thought at first. (Unfortunately, his illness was more serious than we thought at first)

4. Exceptions.

Some words don't obey general rules and form their comparative adjectives in a special way. They are called wrong IRREGULAR:

A holiday by the sea is better than a holiday in the mountains. (A holiday by the sea is better than a holiday in the mountains)
The warmer the weather the better I feel. (The warmer the weather, the better I feel)
I can't walk any further. (I can't go on)
The traffic is worse than usual today. (Traffic worse than usual today)
The weather got worse and worse. (weather gets worse and worse)
His English is becoming better from day to day. (His English is getting better day by day)