Big comparative. Superlative adjectives in English: examples

(good, yellow, interesting).

Adjectives in English do not change either by gender, or by number, or by case. Adjectives in English can only be modified by degrees of comparison.

Adjectives can be simple or derived. Simple adjectives have neither prefixes nor suffixes. Derived adjectives contain suffixes or prefixes, or both at the same time.

Adjectives form, as in Russian, two degrees of comparison: comparative and superlative. The basic form of the adjective does not express comparison and is called the positive degree.

Adjective

An adjective is a part of speech that is used to denote a characteristic of an object.

a clever boy
an English book (English book)
good butter (good butter)
a cold winter

An adjective in English has three forms of degrees of comparison:

positive degree
comparative degree
superlative degree.

Adjective degrees

Formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives

The basic form of an adjective is the positive degree. The comparative and superlative forms are usually formed from the positive degree in one of two ways:

The first way to form degrees of comparison of adjectives. If the form of an adjective in the positive degree consists of one syllable, the form of its comparative degree is formed using the suffix -er, and the superlative form - using the suffix -est, which are added to the base of the form of the positive degree.

The second way to form degrees of comparison of adjectives. From adjectives whose positive form consists of three or more syllables, the comparative degree is formed using the word more, and the superlative degree - using the word most, which are placed before the positive form of the adjective.

From two-syllable adjectives, the comparative and superlative forms are also formed using the words more and most.

Sometimes there are forms of two-syllable adjectives, formed using the suffixes -er and -est. Most often these are adjectives whose positive form ends in -у, -er, -ow.

Some adjectives form special forms of degrees of comparison, and these adjectives must be immediately memorized in all forms.

The adjective old forms degrees of comparison in two ways. In most cases, the suffix -er or -est is added to the base of the positive degree form.

However, in cases where they talk about members of the same family - “elder brother”, “eldest of the brothers”, they use the form elder (senior) or eldest (eldest).

To correctly write forms of degrees of comparison of adjectives, you need to know that when adding the suffixes -er and -est, the final letters of the adjective in the form of a positive degree change as follows:

y changes to i after a consonant and does not change after a vowel: dry dry (dry) - drier - driest But: gay (cheerful) - gayer - gayest
e is omitted: nice (good) - nicer - nicest
the consonant is doubled in one-syllable adjectives after a short vowel: big - bigger - biggest

Using an adjective

The adjective is usually used in a sentence as a definition of a noun and stands before the word being defined. An adjective can also be a nominal member of a compound nominal predicate (predicative) and in this case stand after the linking verb to be.
Not a clever boy. He's a smart boy. (Clever - definition.) .Not is clever. He is smart. (Clever is a nominal member of a compound nominal predicate.)

Not all adjectives are used in these two functions. Adjectives alive (alive), afraid (scared), asleep (sleeping), awake (awake), ill (sick) and some others are used only as a nominal member of a compound nominal predicate.

To denote a lower or lowest degree of quality of one item compared to another, the adjective is usually preceded by the word less (fewer, less) or least (least of all).

Additional material.

Degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs.

In English, as well as in Russian, adjectives and adverbs have three degrees of comparison:

positive
comparative
excellent.

In English there are two ways of constructing degrees of comparison.

1. For short (one syllable) words:

Notes:

superlative adjective often used definite article; When constructing degrees of comparison of adjectives in writing:

the final consonant with the preceding short vowel is doubled: big (bigger ((the) biggest
if there is a consonant before the final -y, then -y goes into -i:
easy (easy ((the) easiest; early (earlier ((the) earliest
when adding -er u -est, the final -e is omitted: (see large above). Spelling features do not affect pronunciation.

2. For long (two or more syllables) words:

It doesn't make sense to lengthen the word any further, so in English we add another short word in front:

beautiful beautiful
more beautiful
easily easy
more easily easier
most easily

To pass values least and least of all (least) the words less and least are used respectively:

less beautiful
least beautiful least beautiful

Note:

Sometimes monosyllabic words form degrees of comparison using more / less or most / least, and conversely, words consisting of more than one syllable have -er / -est at the end; it depends only on the sound - if some form is perceived better by ear than another, it is put into the sentence: crisp - more crisp - (the) most crisp sounds better than crisp - crisper (the) crispest.

The forms of degrees of comparison of some adjectives and adverbs in English are not formed according to the rule:

Note: The word little can be either an adjective or an adverb; V in this case it is used only as an adverb little; if you need to construct degrees of comparison from the adjective small, we use the word small (see above).

Note: the forms elder / eldest are used more often when the speaker is talking about members of his family:

My father is older than my mother. My father is older than my mother.
This is my eldest son. This is my eldest son.

In most other cases, degrees of comparison of adjectives are formed using method 1:

old old er old est

The word most with indefinite article(a most) is not a degree of comparison, but means very: a most beautiful girl is a very beautiful girl.

The word most can appear before a plural noun or pronoun (often with the preposition of) and has the meaning many/most:

Most people like this. Many people like it. Most of them will not be able to come. Most of them won't be able to come.

The definite article is preserved before the superlative form even if there is no noun: Not is the best. He's the best.

To denote the comparative degree of an adjective, the word than is used; in order to avoid repetition of the same noun, the word one is often used as a substitute for this noun or a possessive pronoun in absolute form:

My car is bigger than their one / theirs. My car is bigger than theirs.
These cigars are stronger than those ones. These cigars are stronger than those.

In the second part of comparative constructions, you can use pronouns both in the objective case (colloquial version) and accusative case(literary version, usually with an auxiliary verb):

She reads more than him / he does. She reads more than him.
You are taller than me / I am. You are taller than me.
Didn't come earlier than them / they did. He arrived earlier than them but
I know him better than her. I know him better than her.
I know him better than she does. I know him better than she does.

When comparing the same quality, the combination as ... as (same (same) ... as (s) / as (same) ... as (s) is used: She is as beautiful as my mother(She is as beautiful as my mother.

When comparing quality in a negative form, the combination not so ... as is more often used (not such ... as: I am not so beautiful as her / she is.(I'm not as beautiful as her.

When comparing with a multiple effect, the combination as ... as with numerals is used; the second as may be omitted if another comparison object is not mentioned in the situation:

My sister is twice as beautiful (as yours).(My sister is twice as beautiful (as yours).
His car is about three times as big (as my car).(His car is three times larger (mine).

The word half in such cases means half as much:

This liquid is half as strong (as that one).(This liquid is twice as weak (that one). I have half as much money (as you have).(I have half as much money (than you).

Sometimes a comparison can be strengthened with the help of additional words; more often than others, much is used for this: much more / less beautiful;

The Russian version of what..., the... is translated into English language the+ comparative degree of adjective... the + comparative degree of adjective:

The faster you come the more you will get. The faster you arrive, the more you will get.
The sooner you do it the better. The sooner you do this, the better.

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- in 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. Says that an object has highest degree 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)

Expressing various degrees of quality inherent in the object whose name is determined by this adjective or adverb. These degrees are positive(Positive Degree), comparative(Comparative Degree), excellent(Superlative Degree).

Positive degree (interesting - interesting) adjectives are called their basic form, which does not express the degree of comparison.

Comparative degree (more interesting - more interesting)(comparative) adjectives. The comparative degree allows you to compare objects.

If the adjective consists of 1 syllable, the ending -er is added: nice -nicer; big - bigger. If there are two syllables and the ending of the verb in the base form is -y, the ending changes to -ier: heavy - heavier; early - early. If the adjective is long (consists of 2/3/4 syllables), the word more is used - more: expensive - more expensive.

Superlative degree (the most interesting - the most interesting)(superlative) adjectives. The superlative degree of adjectives in English is necessary to indicate the quality to which the word “most” can be added.

Don't forget to add the article the! If the adjective consists of 1 syllable, the ending the...-est is added: nice - the nicest; big - the biggest. If there are two syllables and the ending of the verb in the base form -y, the ending changes to the...-iest: heavy - the heaviest; early - the earliest. If the adjective is long (consists of 2/3/4 syllables), the word most is used - the most (most): expensive - the most expensive.

Positive degree	Comparative degree	Superlative
cold - cold	cold er	the cold est
hot - hot	hot ter	the hott est
sunny - sunny	sun ier	the sun iest
dangerous - dangerous	more dangerous	the most dangerous
Exceptions:
good/well - good	better - better	(the) best - the best, the best
bad/badly - bad/ill - sick, unhealthy (about a person)	worse - worse/in worse condition health (about a person)	(the) worst - the worst, worst/in the most difficult condition (about a person)
little - little, small	less - less	(the) least - least of all, smallest, smallest
many, much - a lot	more - more	(the) most - most of all. largest (by number, size, degree)
far - distant, distant	farther ["fɑːðə], further ["fɜːðə] - further: further news = any more news	(the) farthest, furthest - the farthest
old - old	older (about age)/elder (about seniority) - older: elder brother - older brother	(the) oldest/eldest - the oldest
late - late	later - later	(the) last - last

After adjectives, superlatives should be used in with cities, buildings, etc. exceptions: of my life, of the year. For example, It's one of the oldest castles in Britain. - This is one of the oldest castles in Great Britain. It was one of the worst experience of my life. - It was one of the worst experiences of my life.

Rule the... the...

Rule than... the... (the... the...) You can use the... the... with two comparative adjectives to show the dependence of one on the other. For example:

The warmer the weather, the better I feel. - The warmer the weather, the better I feel.

The harder he works, the more money he get. - The more he works, the more money he receives.

The more electricity you use, the higher your bill will be. - The more electricity you use, the higher your utility bill will be.

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

The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow.

Rule as ... as /than

Rule so... as... (or such... as...) (as... as...). Between as and as only an adjective is used without a comparative or superlative degree. For example:

… as often as he could... - as often as he could

In Russian, adjectives are words that denote a characteristic of an object, phenomenon or person and answer the question “what”. Similar to Russian, in English adjectives also exist and play an important role, decorating speech, making it more lively and vibrant.

We can say that, in general, all the rules of adjectives that exist in the Russian language are also present in English. The presence of degrees of comparison of adjectives was no exception - when studying foreign language This is one of the main topics related to the rules of writing adjectives. At the same time, the good news is that degrees of comparison are also the easiest rule. The reason is that the method of forming degrees of comparison of adjectives almost completely coincides with the Russian-language method.

Let's figure out which ones exist degrees of comparison of adjectives in English, and how they are formed.

Existing degrees of comparison

In order to make English speech more rich, the language distinguishes two degrees of comparison of adjectives - comparative and superlative. Sometimes, in accordance with another classification, a positive degree of comparison is added to the traditional two varieties - this is the ordinary form of the adjective that is familiar to us.

The main task of degrees of comparison is to facilitate the ability to speak more accurately about a particular phenomenon and subject. In addition to adjectives, there are also degrees of comparison for adverbs - i.e. we can say that those parts of speech whose goal is to describe characteristics have them.

Before you get acquainted with the degrees of comparison, it is worth remembering that all adjectives themselves are divided into three large groups- relative, qualitative and attractive. If an adjective expresses the quality of an object, it is called qualitative. Examples of these are “good” stool, “cold” weather. At the same time, other varieties are distinguished - relative and possessive. Example of relative adjectives: “plastic” window, “dog” tail. An example of possessive adjectives is “grandmother’s” grandson, “Serezhin’s” textbook. Everything is the same as in Russian.

It is important to remember that only qualitative adjectives can have degrees of comparison. You can't say that the tail will be "less doggy" and the grandson "more granny." But we can always judge the quality of the weather - the weather is “less cold”, and the chair is “better” than the chair.

In English, there are three degrees of comparison for adjectives: comparative, superlative and positive:

The positive degree of comparison (positive) is the simplest, most familiar form of an adjective. This type of degree of comparison describes the property of an object or phenomenon: cold - cold, soft - soft. Here is an example of a sentence that uses a positive adjective: The dog is kind - the dog is kind.
Comparative degree of comparison (comparative) is a kind of comparison of the object or phenomenon under consideration with another according to a certain characteristic. For example: one is bright and the other is brighter (bright - brighter), one is hot and the other is even hotter (warm - warmer). Here is an example of a sentence that uses a comparative adjective: The dog is kinder - the dog is kinder.
The superlative degree of comparison (superlative) assumes that an object or phenomenon has the strongest characteristics for a selected attribute in comparison with any other phenomenon or object. The kitten can be the most beautiful, the game can be the most interesting. Here is an example of a sentence that uses a superlative adjective: The dog is the kindest - the kindest dog.

However, despite the more or less simple rule for the types of degrees of comparison, it is much more difficult to understand exactly how to construct them in English. In many ways, the rules depend not only on the degree of comparison, but also on the original word itself.

How are degrees of comparison formed in English?

The rule for forming comparative degrees for adjectives largely depends on the length of the adjective itself, which is the “source”. The basic rules are presented below

Comparative degree:

For short adjectives, the length of which does not exceed two syllables, the ending “-er” is most often used in the comparative degree. Let's give an example: hot - hotter (hot - hotter), long - longer (long - longer);
In the case when the original adjective itself has the ending “-e”, in a comparative degree “-r” is added to it: strange - stranger (strange - more strange);
When an adjective has the ending “y”, it is comparatively replaced by “-i”, after which the ending “er”, already known to us, is added: lucky - luckier (lucky - luckier), easy - easier (easy - easier);
When ending the name of an adjective with a consonant preceded by a vowel, the comparative degree involves doubling this consonant: hot - hotter (hot - hotter);

For long words in English that have more than two syllables, forming the comparative degree involves using the words more/less. Let's look at examples: serious - more serious (serious - more serious), difficult - less difficult (difficult - less complex).

Superlative according to the rules, it is approximately similar to the comparative: for short adjectives the ending “est” is used and - in mandatory- article “the”: hot - the hottest (hot - the hottest), long - the longest (long - the longest), easy - the easiest (light - the easiest), hot - the hottest (hot - the hottest). For long words of the English language, the superlative degree of comparison is built using the words the most/the least (most/least): serious - the most serious (serious - the most serious), difficult - the least difficult (difficult - the least difficult).

Varieties of methods for forming comparative degrees

Conventionally, the above rules can be grouped into several ways: analytical, synthetic, suppletive and the method of forming complex adjectives.

Analytical method

Analytical is the method of forming comparative and superlative adjectives, where additional words more/less (more/less) and the most/the least (most/least) are used. Then all that remains is to add the original adjective to get the desired degree of comparison.

Let's try to correctly translate comparative degrees in sentences.

This sweater is warm, that one is warmer, but my mother bought the warmest sweater. — This sweater is warm, that’s warmer, but my mom bought the warmest sweater.

This film is interesting, but yesterday there was a more interesting cartoon, although I watched the most interesting film a month ago. — This film is interesting, but yesterday the cartoon was more interesting, although the most interesting film I watched a month ago.

Synthetic method

The synthetic way of constructing comparative degrees for adjectives involves the use of endings. You have already seen them above.

Let's try to translate the sentences using the synthetic method of formation:

This path was longer than usual, but the path through the park is the longest. — This path was longer than normal, but the path through the park is the longest.

Supplemental method

In addition to the above methods of forming comparative degrees for adjectives, the suppletive method is widely popular. These are exception words that do not fit the usual rules - in this case, each word has a unique form of comparative and superlative comparison. We recommend that you memorize this table so that you can use it in spoken and written English without prompting.

The words farther and farthest are usually used to denote physical positions, while further and furthest are used for general categories. Compare these two sentences:

Your brother will ask you further questions. — Further questions will be asked by your brother.

The words elder and eldest are used to denote seniority in a family, while older and oldest describe age in general. Compare these two sentences:

My eldest daughter got married last month. — My eldest daughter got married last month.

The oldest person in the world was from Indonesia. — The oldest person in the world was from Indonesia.

Compound adjectives

Complex adjectives in English, as in Russian, are those that consist of two or more words related to different parts speech. Here are examples of English compound adjectives:

Adjective + noun + “ed”:

Red-haired - red-haired.

This red-haired girl is my mother. — This red-haired girl is my mother.

Numeral + noun:

Five-hour - five hours.

We attended a five-hour training. — We attended a five-hour training.

Numeral + noun + “ed”:

Two-sided - double-sided.

It was a two-way street. — It was a two-sided road.

And so on.

The general rule that unites compound adjectives in the English language is the use of a hyphen in them. This is necessary in order to avoid ambiguous interpretation in speech. Compare these two sentences:

Your department needs more qualified personnel. — You need more qualified personnel in your department.

Your company has more highly qualified personnel. — Your company has more-qualified staff.

If the first sentence conveys information that more personnel with qualified knowledge is required, then the second suggests that the company already has more such personnel than the other.

The formation of comparative degrees for complex adjectives of the English language occurs with the use of the words more-most, as well as by modifying the first part of the word, if there are two or more of them in the word. This rule is especially often used for words where the word begins with good/bad/well or another suppletive form. Examples of complex adjectives with degrees of comparison:

well— known(famous) -better— known (more famous) -best— known(most famous)

good— looking(attractive) -better— looking (more attractive) -best— looking(the most attractive).

Exercises to consolidate information

That's all the information you need to know to effortlessly create degrees of comparison for adjectives in English. At first glance, the rules are quite complex and there are many of them, but over time, with constant practice, you will understand that there is nothing complicated in the rule.

Using degrees of comparison, you will be able to express your thoughts more correctly, and your speech will be filled with knowledge. In the meantime, we bring to your attention Exercises for the degree of comparison of adjectives in English. Test and strengthen your knowledge!

Exercise 1. Below is a list of adjectives. Try to correctly formulate the degrees of comparison known to you for each of them:

Source adjective		Superlative (answer)
Hot
Happy (happy)
Beautiful (beautiful)
Brave (brave)
Calm (calm)
Fast
Cool (cold)
Short
Dangerous
Handsome (handsome)
Nice (cute)
Sarcastic (sarcastic)

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with necessary adjectives in the appropriate degree of comparison.

Bus is ____ means of city transport.

My computer was repaired, so he games play ___ today.

This flat is ___ than we had before.

A Calibri is ___ bird on the planet.

Nick is ___ than Tom.

Exercise 3. Open the brackets in the sentences using the correct one. comparative degree adjective

Kate was (beautiful) ___ girl in the whole university.

We felt (good) ___ than yesterday.

My mom was (kind) ___ than brother.

Africa is (warm) ___ continent than America.

The Beatles was (popular) ___ singer-group in America.

Answers to exercises.

Exercise 1.

Source adjective	Comparative degree (answer)	Superlative (answer)
Hot	Hotter	The hottest
Happy (happy)	Happier	The happiest
Beautiful (beautiful)	More beautiful	The most beautiful
Brave (brave)	Braver	The bravest
Calm (calm)	Calmer	The calmest
Fast	Faster	The Fastest
Cool (cold)	Cooler	The coolest
Short	Shorter	The shortest
Dangerous	More dangerous	The most dangerous
Handsome (handsome)	More handsome	The most handsome
Nice (cute)	Nicer	The nicest
Sarcastic (sarcastic)	More sarcastic	The most sarcastic

Exercise 2.

Bus is the biggest means of city transport.

My computer was repaired, so he games play better today.

This flat is more expensive than we had before.

A Calibri is the smallest bird on the planet.

Nick is taller than Tom.

Exercise 3.

Kate was the most beautiful girl in the whole university.

We felt better than yesterday.

My mom was kinder than brother.

Africa is warmer continent than America.

The Beatles were the most popular singer-group in America.

If you managed to complete all the exercises correctly, it means that by now you have understood rules for compiling degrees of comparison for adjectives. If you still encounter errors, try to practice for a week. We are sure that with a little desire and practice, you will definitely be able to learn English quickly and easily! We wish you success in your endeavors!

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