English is the degree of comparison of adjectives. Superlative adjectives
01.03.2014
English adjectives do not have the morphological characteristics of case, gender and number. Their only morphological characteristic is degrees of comparison. By degrees of comparison, only quality adjectives- that is, those that denote any sign that can manifest itself to a greater or lesser extent. These adjectives answer the question βwhat?β. For example, adjectives big, cheerful, beautiful can have degrees of comparison. It's easy to imagine something prettier, or someone smarter. But relative adjectives ( book, yesterday) or possessive adjectives ( paternal, hare) do not have degrees of comparison. It is impossible to imagine anything more yesterday or less paternal.
You can practice using degrees of comparison by doing the following.
A separate topic for consideration is also the strengthening of the degrees of comparison of adjectives. I devoted a whole to this topic.
You can practice exponents of comparison using value amplification by going through the following.
Exists three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative.
Formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.
positive degree.
positive degree(positive degree) indicates the presence of quality. She is the adjective itself:
full (full), polite (polite), profound (solid), noble (noble), beautiful (beautiful).
Comparative.
comparative(comparative degree) indicates a greater intensity of quality. This degree according to the nature of education can be simple or compound. A simple degree of comparison is formed by adding the ending -er to the stem of the adjective:
full - fuller (full - fuller)
If the adjective ends in -e, then add only -r :
If the adjective ends in -y , then -y becomes -i :
happy - happier (happy - happier)
The final consonant will be doubled if the vowel in the last syllable of the word is short and stressed:
simple form comparative degree characteristic of
monosyllabic adjectives:
Full - fuller (full - fuller)
deep - deeper (deep - deeper)
big - bigger (big - more)
disyllabic adjectives if the stress falls on the last syllable:
polite - politer (polite - more polite)
profound - profounder (solid - more thorough)
disyllabic adjectives ending in -le , -y, -some, -ow, -er .
noble -nobler (noble - more noble)
silly - sillier (stupid - dumber)
handsome - handsomer (handsome - more beautiful)
narrow - narrower (narrow - already)
tender - tenderer (gentle - more tender)
The remaining two-syllable and all three- and more-complex adjectives have a compound form of the comparative degree. It is formed by adding the word more.
beautiful - more beautiful (beautiful - more beautiful)
curious - more curious (curious - more curious)
Here are a few sample sentences using a comparative degree.
Holidays at the seaside are more splendid than in the country.
The street I live in is much narrower than this one.
Which of the two lakes is deeper?
Mary is more beautiful than her cousin.
Superlative degree.
Superlatives(superlative degree) comparison of adjectives indicates the greatest manifestation of quality. This degree also has a simple and compound form similar to the comparative degree. In most cases, adjectives in the superlative degree are preceded by the article the.
The simple form is formed by adding the ending -est :
full - the fullest (full - the most complete)
deep - the deepest (deep - the deepest)
polite - politest (polite - the most polite)
happy - the happiest (happy - the happiest)
silly - the silliest (stupid - the most stupid)
big -the biggest (big - largest)
A complex form of superlative degree of comparison is formed by adding the word most:
beautiful - the most beautiful (beautiful - most beautiful)
curious - the most curious (curious - the most curious)
Here are the usage examples superlatives in offers.
Bob is the cleverest man I've ever met.
Molly is the most attentive girl in her class.
Lack of money is our biggest problem.
Yours is the silliest joke I've ever heard.
Special cases of formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives.
There are a number of adjectives that form degrees of comparison not by the rule. These adjectives and their derivatives must be memorized. Here is a complete list of such adjectives.
good - better - the best (good - best - best)
bad - worse - the worst (bad - worst - worst)
many - more - most (many - more - largest / most)
little - less - the least (small / few - less - smallest / least)
far - further - the furthest (far - further - the most distant (about time))
Pay attention to the following pairs, in which, depending on the semantic meaning, the forms of degrees also change:
old - older - oldest (old / older - older - oldest / oldest)
old - elder - the eldest (old / eldest - older - oldest / eldest (only in the description of brothers or sisters))
near - nearer - the nearest (closest - closer - closest (about distance))
near - nearer - the next (close - closer - next (in time))
late - later - the latest (later - later (about time) - the latest / latest at the moment)
late - last - the last(later - later (of those mentioned) - most recent (will not happen again) / past.
English adjectives (as in Russian) have two degrees of comparison - comparative and superlative. Comparative degree of English adjectives used to compare two objects on some basis, and superlative- to compare three or more objects. And the basic form of adjectives, as it is given in the dictionary, is called a positive degree.
Formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives in English
Degrees of comparison are formed using suffixes -er And -est , or additional words more (less) And the most (the least) .
How to choose one or another way of forming the degree of comparison?
The answer is quite simple, but meaningful: the way the degree of comparison is formed depends on the number of syllables in the adjective.
| positive degree | comparative | Superlatives | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-syllable adjectives (synthetic way) | π cold (cold) | π cold er (colder) | π cold est (the coldest) |
| π big (big) | π bigg er (more) | π the bigg est (biggest) | |
| π short (short) | π short er (Briefly speaking) | π short est(The shortest) | |
| Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y (synthetic way) | π happy y (happy) | π happy ier (happier) | π the happy iest (the happiest) |
| π bus y (busy) | π bus ier (busier) | π bus iest (busiest) | |
| Two-syllable adjectives ending in other letters (analytical way) | π boring (boring) | π more boring (more boring) | π the most boring (most boring) |
| π important (important) | π less important (less important) | π the least important (least important) | |
| Adjectives of three or more syllables (analytical way) | π interesting (interesting) | π less interesting (less interesting) | π the least interesting (least interesting) |
| π beautiful (Beautiful) | π more beautiful (more beautiful) | π the most beautiful (the most beautiful) |
Spelling rules for the formation of comparative degrees
1. If a one-syllable adjective ends in a consonant and is preceded by a short vowel, then the consonant is doubled when adding suffixes: π bi g β π bi gg er, π ho t β π ho tt er.
2. If a two-syllable adjective ends in a letter -y , then when adding suffixes, the letter -y changes to -i .
Exceptions in the formation of comparative degrees (suppletive method)
| positive degree | comparative | Superlatives |
|---|---|---|
| π good (good) | πbetter (better) | π best (best) |
| π bad (bad) | π worse (worse) | π the worst (worst) |
| π many (many (for countable)) | π more (more) | π most (largest) |
| π much (many (for uncountable)) | ||
| π little (little (for uncountable)) | π less (less) | π at least (the smallest) |
| π far (far) | π farther (further) | π the farthest (the furthest) |
| π further | π the furthest |
Comparative constructions of English adjectives
- π Moscow is larg er than Rostov-on-Don. β Moscow pain more than Rostov-on-Don.
- π This film is less interesting than that one. - This movie less interesting than that one.
- π This story is much longer than that one. - This story much longer than that.
- π This book is less gripping than that one. - This book less exciting than that.
- π This book is far better than that one. - This book much better than that.
- π The sonn er you come the better. β How soon her you will come all the better.
- π The old er I get the happy er I am. β How old she I'm becoming, topics happy her.
- π This dress is less beautiful than that one. - This dress not like that beautiful, How That.
- π It was ten times more difficult than I expected. - It was ten times more difficult than I expected.
- π She can swim three times further than you. - she swims three times as far as You.
- But: π She is twice as beautiful as her sister. β But: She twice more beautiful, how her sister.
- π Moscow is the bigg est city ββin Russia. - Moscow - most Big city in Russia.
- π This film is the best I could find. - This movie the best one I could find.
- π This story is the best I've ever read. - This story the best one I've read.
- π This book is the best of all. - This book the best of all.
- π He is by far the best student in the group. - Of course, he best student in a group.
- π He is not so young as my brother. - He not like that young, How my brother.
- π He is as young as my sister. - He same young, How my sister.
- Some more useful articles
Every language has words that miraculously colorize speech, make it more vivid, figurative and expressive. Without them, any story would be dry and boring. In everyday life, without noticing it themselves, people now and then compare the surrounding objects, phenomena and ... each other.
And to a large extent, adjectives help them in this.
Adjective
An adjective is a part of speech that in a certain way describes the attribute of an object that characterizes its properties. Compared to Russian adjectives, English adjectives behave more βdemocraticallyβ: they have a single form that is used to characterize a noun, regardless of its gender, number or case.
For example:
- beautiful th flower is beautiful s flowers are beautiful ohm flower
- beautiful flower - beautiful flowers - in a beautiful bloom
The Rule for Using Comparative Degrees
According to their semantic meaning, adjectives are relative and qualitative.
Relative adjectives
Relative adjectives characterize an object in naming order, that is, they denote such properties of an object that cannot be further strengthened or imagined in a larger or smaller volume.
These adjectives can refer to:
- time(annual plan, September leaf fall);
- place(urban architecture, sea cruise);
- purpose(sewing machine, food processor);
- material(glassware, log house);
- measure, weight(liter thermos, five-ton dump truck).
Try strengthening any of these adjectives: very sewing machine, incredibly liter thermos. Or give them a touch of comparison: more September leaf fall, less urban architecture. It turns out complete nonsense.
Note: it is impossible to find antonyms for these adjectives - words that are opposite in meaning.
Quality adjectives
The second group of adjectives is, in fact, more flexible. It consists of qualitative adjectives, which provide more opportunities for giving additional shades in the description of the qualitative features of an object. They denote the properties of an object, which can be subjected to both comparison and amplification.
For example: 
- magnitude(large, small);
- weight(light heavy);
- outlines(smooth, curved);
- shade(white, light);
- sounding(quiet, loud);
- temperature(hot Cold);
- taste(sweet, sour).
The meaning of any of these adjectives can be easily strengthened: very cold (very cold), too loud (too loud), too sweet (extremely sweet).
No discomfort arises when comparing these qualities: colder (colder), louder (louder), sweeter (sweeter).
Everything is in order and with antonyms: light - dark (light - dark); sad - cheerful (sad - joyful); high - low (high - low).
Degrees of comparison
Qualitative adjectives have 3 degrees:
- Positive (basic, absolute, initial). In old textbooks, it is still often called the dictionary form. This form of the adjective has nothing to do with comparison.
For example: The Volga is a long river. The Volga is a long river. The flu is very dangerous disease. Flu is a very dangerous disease. - Comparative (more/less). It is used when comparing two objects according to one of their inherent qualities.
For example: The Amazon River is longer than the Volga. The Amazon River is long er than the Volga. Pneumonia is more dangerous than the flu. Pneumonia is more dangerous than flu. - Excellent (highest/lowest). Used when comparing three or more items. With its help, the object that has the most outstanding properties is distinguished from all.
For example: The Volga is a long river, the Nile is longer than the Volga, but the Amazon is the longest river in the world. the long est river in the world. Flu is a very dangerous disease, pneumonia is more dangerous than flu, but AIDS is the most dangerous disease of all.
From these examples, one can deduce the most general rule of shaping in English language comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives:
- To short adjectives (1-2 syllables) is added: the suffix -er in the comparative degree and the suffix -est in the superlative;
- To long adjectives (3 or more syllables) is added: the word more in the comparative degree and the most in the superlative.
positive degree
This is an adjectival form that neutrally describes the attribute (property) of an object; that is, simply indicates its presence.
For example:
My cousin is a very nice girl. My cousin is a very pretty girl.
She has a smart fashionable dress on. She is wearing a beautiful trendy dress.
In a positive form, the adjective can also be used to compare objects, but only if we are talking about identical, identical qualities.
If both objects being compared have the same quality, then the union "the same ... as ..." is used. In English, the union "as ..., as ..." corresponds to it.
For example:
This magazine is just as interesting as that one. This journal is as interesting as that one. His apartment is as big as yours. His flat is as big as yours.
If one of the compared objects does not have the indicated feature, then the union βnot the same ... as ...β is used. In English, it sounds like this: "not so ... as ...".
For example:
This magazine is not as interesting as that one. This journal is not so interesting as that one. His apartment is not as big as yours. His flat is not so big as yours.
In fact, more often the comparison occurs according to the principle: more or less than that or another feature for two (or more) objects.
Two options for the formation of the comparative degree of the adjective:
- adding the suffix -er,
- using the words more / less (more / less) immediately before the adjective.
Are you tired of learning English for years?
Those who attend even 1 lesson will learn more than in a few years! Surprised?
No homework. Without teeth. Without textbooks
From the course "ENGLISH BEFORE AUTOMATIC" you:
- Learn how to write good sentences in English without learning grammar
- Learn the secret of a progressive approach, thanks to which you can reduce learning English from 3 years to 15 weeks
- Will check your answers instantly+ get a thorough analysis of each task
- Download the dictionary in PDF and MP3 formats, learning tables and audio recording of all phrases
Comparative degree of monosyllabic adjectives
The formula for the comparative degree of an adjective of one syllable: positive degree + er
For example:
dark - darker (dark - darker);
light - lighter (light - lighter).
If the adjective, consisting of one syllable, ends with a consonant, and before it there is a short vowel, then the last letter in the word is doubled.
For example:
big-bi gg er (large - more);
hot-ho tt er (hot - hot).
When the letter βeβ is already present at the end of a monosyllabic adjective, then adding the suffix βer does not duplicate this letter.
For example:
paleβpal er(pale - paler);
cute - cuter (cute - cuter).
Superlative degree of monosyllabic adjectives
The superlative degree of an adjective demonstrates the highest/least degree of possession of a quality. Words with a similar meaning in Russian begin with the prefix "nai ..." or with the word "most": the best, the best.
The spelling for the superlative adjective is similar to the previous one, only the suffix -est is used instead of the -er suffix.
The formula for the superlative degree is: positive degree + est
For example:
pale-the pal est(pale - the palest);
cute-cut est(cute - the cutest).
If a monosyllabic adjective ends with a consonant and is preceded by a short vowel, then the last letter in the word is doubled.
For example:
big - the bi gg est (large - largest);
hot - the ho tt est (hot - the hottest).
When the letter βeβ is already present at the end of a monosyllabic adjective, then adding the suffix -est does not duplicate this letter.
For example:
larg eβ the larg est(large - largest);
nice-the nic est(beautiful - the most beautiful).
In order to emphasize the uniqueness, unsurpassedness of the object, the definite article "the" is always used before the adjective in the superlative degree.
For example:
Tokyo is the city with the highest density of population in the world.
Tokyo is the city with the highest population density in the world.
Indeed, there are many big cities, but Tokyo outnumbers them all. This makes it unique, which emphasizes the article "the".
Comparative degree of polysyllabic adjectives
If an adjective consists of two or more syllables, then it is called polysyllabic. The comparative degree of most of these adjectives is helped to form additional words: "more" (more) or "less" (less).
Comparative formula: more/less + positive power
For example:
fabulous- more fabulous (incredible - even more incredible)
or less fabulous (less fabulous).
Superlatives of polysyllabic adjectives
Helper words for the formation of the superlative degree of polysyllabic adjectives: the most or the least.
Superlative formula: the most/the least + positive degree
For example:
fabulous (incredible) - the most / the least fabulous (most incredible / least incredible);
important (important) - most/ the least important (most important or least important).
Spelling of adjectives in comparative and superlative degree
There are a number of two-syllable adjectives in English that form their comparative and superlative degrees in two ways:
- and with the help of the suffix "er", "est",
- and by adding the words "more/less", "the most/the least".
For example:
angry-angrier (or more angry)
angry - more angry;
polite - politer (or more polite)
polite - more polite, more polite.
The choice depends on the prevailing cultural and speech tradition in a particular area.
The predominant part of two-syllable adjectives, when forming their forms of degrees of comparison, obey the following rule:
If in the positive form of the adjective the ending is -ow, -er, -le or -y, then in the comparative and superlative degree you will find the same suffixes (-er or -est) as in monosyllabic words; in this case, the ending -y is first changed to -i, and then the suffix -er or -est is added.
For example:
Narrow (narrow) - narrower (narrower) - the narrowest (narrowest);
Slender (slender) -slenderer (slimmer) - the slenderest (slenderest);
Subtle (thin) - subtler (thinner) - the subtlest (thinnest);
Tiny (tiny) - tinier (even tinier) - tiniest (tiniest).
Exceptions
There are several adjectives in English that do not follow the general rule of form formation, since their degrees of comparison have been formed historically and require memorization.
Here is their list:
- good (good) - better (better) - the best (the best);
- bad (bad) - worse (worse) - the worst (worst);
- old (old) - older (older) - oldest (oldest) - by age;
- old (old) - elder (older) - eldest (oldest) - among other relatives in the family;
- far (far) - farther (further) - the farthest (farthest) - about distance;
- far (far) - further (further) - the furthest (farthest) - about time;
- many, much (many) - more (more) - the most (largest, largest);
- little (little, small) - less (less) - the least (smallest, smallest).
To facilitate the assimilation of the rules for the formation of adjectives in a comparative and superlative degree, it is best to arrange them in a tabular form.
| Number of syllables in an adjective | positive degree | Comparative
degree |
Superlatives |
| One
General rule Short vowel before consonant Ending -e ending -y |
Fa tter Cut er Dr ier |
The cool est The fa ttest The cut est The dr iest |
|
| Two
General rule ending -y Ending ending -le ending -er |
Tin ier Narrow er subtl er Slender er |
The proud est The tin iest Narrow est subtl est Slender est |
|
| Three or more
General rule |
More fantastic Less fantastic |
The most fantastic The least fantastic |
(good, yellow, interesting).
Adjectives in English do not change either by gender, or by numbers, or by cases. Adjectives in English can only change in degrees of comparison.
Adjectives are simple and derivative. Simple adjectives have neither prefixes nor suffixes. Derived adjectives have 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 feature of an object.
- a clever boy (smart boy)
- an English book (English book)
- good butter (good butter)
- a cold winter (cold winter)
An adjective in English has three forms of degrees of comparison:
- positive (positive degree)
- comparative (comparative degree)
- superlative (superlative degree).
Degrees of adjectives
Formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives (Degrees of comparison of adjectives)
The basic form of the adjective is the positive degree. The forms of comparative and superlative degrees are usually formed from the form of a positive degree in one of two ways:
The first way to form degrees of comparison of adjectives. If the form of an adjective in a positive degree consists of one syllable, the form of its comparative degree is formed using the suffix -eg, and the superlative form - using the suffix -est, which are added to the base of the form of a positive degree.
The second way of forming degrees of comparison of adjectives. From adjectives whose positive form consists of three or more syllables, the comparative degree is formed with the word more, and the superlative degree with the word most, which are placed before the positive form of the adjective.
From two-syllable adjectives, comparative and superlative forms are also formed using the words more and most.
Sometimes there are forms of two-syllable adjectives formed with the suffixes -er and -est. Most often these are adjectives, the positive form of which ends in -y, -er, -ow.
From some adjectives, the forms of degrees of comparison are formed especially, and these adjectives must be memorized immediately in all forms.
The adjective old forms degrees of comparison in two ways. In most cases, the suffix -eg or -est is added to the base form of the positive degree.
However, in cases where they talk about members of the same family - βelder brotherβ, βeldest of the brothersβ, they use the form elder (senior) or eldest (the eldest).
For the correct spelling of the forms of degrees of comparison of adjectives, you need to know that when the suffixes -er and -est are added, 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 omitted: nice (good) - nicer - nicest
- the consonant doubles in monosyllabic adjectives after a short vowel: big (big) - bigger - biggest
The use of the adjective
The adjective is usually used in a sentence as a definition to a noun and stands before the word being defined. An adjective can also be a nominal member of a compound nominal predicate (predicate) and in this case stand after the linking verb to be.
Not is a clever boy. He is a smart boy. (Clever is the definition.) .Not 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 (less, 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 to construct degrees of comparison.
1. For short (one-syllable) words:
Notes:
with the superlative degree of the adjective, the definite article is often used; When constructing degrees of comparison of adjectives in writing:
- the final consonant with the preceding short vowel is doubled: big (bigger ((the) biggest
- if the final -y is preceded by a consonant, then -y becomes -i:
easy (easier ((the) easiest; early (earlier ((the) earliest - when -er u -est is added, the final -e is omitted: (see large above). The spelling does not affect pronunciation.
2. For long (consisting of two or more syllables) words:
It doesn't make sense to lengthen the word even further, so another short word is added in front in English:
- beautiful
- more beautiful
- easily
- more easily
- most easily
To pass values least and least (least) the words less and least are used respectively:
- less beautiful
- least beautiful
Note:
Sometimes monosyllabic words form degrees of comparison with more / less or most / least, and vice versa, words consisting of more than one syllable have -er / -est at the end; it depends only on the sound - if some form is perceived by ear better than the other, it is put into a 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 this case it is used only as an adverb little; if you need to build degrees of comparison from the adjective small, use the word small (see above).
Note: elder / eldest forms are used more often when the speaker is talking about members of his family:
- My father is elder than my mother. My father is older than my mother.
- This is my eldest son. This is my eldest son.
In most other cases, the degrees of comparison of adjectives are formed according to method 1:
old old er old est
.The word most with the indefinite article (a most) is not a degree of comparison, but it matters very much: a most beautiful girl is a very beautiful girl.
The word most can come 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 is the best.
To indicate the comparative degree of the adjective, the word than is used (than; at the same time, in order to avoid repetition of the same noun, the word one is often put as a substitute for this noun or 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, pronouns can be used both in the objective case (colloquial variant) and the accusative case (literary variant, usually with an auxiliary verb):
- She reads more than him / he does. She reads more than he does.
- You are taller than me / I am. You are taller than me.
- Did not come earlier than them / they did. He came before they
- 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 (and) / so (same) ... as (and) 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 the same ... as: I am not so beautiful as her / she is.(I'm not as pretty as she is.
When comparing with a multiple effect, a combination of as ... as with numerals is used; the second as may be omitted if no other comparison object is mentioned in the situation:
- My sister is twice as beautiful (as yours).(My sister is twice as beautiful as (your).
- His car is about three times as big (as my car).(His car is three times bigger (mine).
The word half in such cases has a value 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 the money (than you).Sometimes the comparison can be strengthened with the help of additional words, more often than others much (much) is used for this: much more / less beautiful much more / less beautiful;
The Russian version than..., the... is translated into English the + comparative degree of the adjective... the + comparative degree of the adjective:
- The faster you come the more you will get. The sooner you arrive, the more you get.
- The sooner you do it the better. The sooner you do this, the better.
Adjectives ( Adjectives ) are words that express qualities, attributes of objects. They answer the question Which?. In a sentence, they usually define a noun. In English, they do not change either by gender, or by numbers, or by cases:
a little girl - a little girl
a little boy - little boy
little children - little children
With a little boy - with a little boy.
Adjectives change only in degrees of comparison (Degrees of Comparison). There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives: positive (Positive Degree), comparative (Comparative Degree), excellent (Superlative Degree).
Rules for the formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives.
Adjectives in a positive degree do not have any endings, for example: quick (fast), slow (slow), old (old), new (new). Comparative and superlative degrees are formed using the suffixes -er and -est or by adding the words more (more) and most (most). The choice of method depends on the original form of the adjective.
One-syllable and some two-syllable adjectives form the comparative with the suffix -er and the superlative with the suffix -est. With the help of the suffixes -er, -est, two-syllable adjectives ending in -er, -ow, -y, -le (clever, narrow, early, simple) form degrees of comparison.
Here are some examples:
One-syllable and two-syllable adjectives
| positive degree | comparative | Superlatives |
|---|---|---|
| high - high | higher - higher, higher | highest - the highest |
| small - small | smaller - less | smallest - smallest, smallest |
| strong - strong | stronger - stronger, stronger | strongest - the strongest |
| cheap - cheap | cheaper - cheaper, cheaper | cheapest - the cheapest |
| quick - fast | quicker - faster | quickest - the fastest |
| new - new | newer - newer | newest - the newest |
| clean - clean | cleaner - cleaner, cleaner | cleanest - the cleanest |
| cold - cold | colder - colder, colder | coldest - the coldest |
| short - short | shorter - shorter, shorter | shortest - the shortest |
| great - great, big | greater - more | greatest - the greatest, greatest |
| weak - weak | weaker - weaker | weakest - the weakest |
| deep - deep | deeper - deeper, deeper | deepest - the deepest |
| low - low | lower - lower | lowest - the lowest |
| clever - smart | cleverer - smarter, smarter | cleverest - the smartest, the smartest |
| narrow - narrow | narrower - narrower | narrowest - the narrowest |
| shallow - small | shallower - smaller | shallowest - the smallest |
When writing, certain spelling rules must be observed.
1. If the adjective has a short vowel and ends in one consonant, then in the comparative degree and in the superlative degree this consonant is doubled:
big-bigger-big
big - more - largest, largest
Fat-fatter-fattest
thick, fat - thicker - the thickest
Wet-wetter-wettest
wet, wet β wetter β wettest
sad-sadder-saddest
sad, sad - more sad - the saddest
thin - thinner - thinnest
thin, thin - thinner - thinnest
2. If the adjective ends with a letter -y with a preceding consonant, then in the comparative and superlative degrees the letter y changes to i:
Easy - easier - easiest
light - lighter - lightest, lightest
early-earlier-earliest
early β earlier β earliest
dry-drier-driest
dry, arid β drier β driest
But the word shy (shy, fearful) does not obey this rule and forms degrees of comparison as follows:
shy - shyer - shyest.
3. If the adjective ends with a letter -e, then in comparative and superlative degrees is added -r, -st:
wide - wider - widest
wide - wider - widest, widest
late - later - latest
late β later β latest
fine-finer-finest
good, beautiful - better - the best
simple - simpler - simplest
simple - easier - simplest
Polysyllabic adjectives, i.e. adjectives of three or more syllables form degrees of comparison with more for the comparative and most for the superlative. Consider the following examples:
Polysyllabic adjectives
| positive degree | comparative | Superlatives |
|---|---|---|
| interesting - interesting | more interesting - more interesting | most interesting - the most interesting |
| beautiful - beautiful | more beautiful - more beautiful | most beautiful - the most beautiful |
| expensive - expensive | more expensive - more expensive | most expensive - the most expensive |
| difficult - difficult | more difficult - more difficult | most difficult - the most difficult |
| dangerous - dangerous | more dangerous - more dangerous | most dangerous - the most dangerous |
| important - important | more important - more important | most important - the most important |
| comfortable - comfortable | more comfortable - more comfortable | most comfortable - the most comfortable |
In the same way, i.e. using the words more for the comparative degree and most for the superlative degree, form degrees of comparison of some disyllabic words that end in -ed and -
