Qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison. This is how the language expresses that signs can have a greater or lesser degree. Tea can be sweet to a greater or lesser extent, right? And the language conveys this content.
The degrees of comparison thus convey the idea of comparison. They do it systematically. Three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative.
· Positive - this means that the trait is expressed without assessing the degree: high, cheerful, warm.
· Comparative determines a greater or lesser degree: higher, more cheerful, warmer, higher, more cheerful, warmer, less high, less cheerful, less warm.
· Superlative expresses the greatest or least degree: the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest, the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest.
It can be seen from the examples that the degrees of comparison are expressed in different ways. In comparative and superlative degrees, the meaning is transmitted either with the help of suffixes: above, its merry, the highest, the most 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: higher, less high, highest.
Among the simple forms in Russian, as in other languages, for example, in English, there are forms formed from a different stem. Examples:
good, bad - positive degree
better, worse - comparative degree
best, worst - superlative
Words in simple and complex comparative and superlative degrees change differently:
Comparative degree (simple): above, below - does not change.
Comparative degree (complex): lower, lower, lower - the adjective itself changes, the change is possible by cases, numbers, and in the singular - by gender.
Superlatives (simple): highest, highest, highest - varies by cases, numbers, and in the singular - by gender, i.e. as in a positive way.
Superlatives (complex): the highest, the highest, the highest - both words change by cases, numbers, and in the singular - by gender, i.e. as in a positive way.
Adjectives in a simple comparative form in a sentence are part of the predicate:
Anna and Ivan are brother and sister. AnnaolderIvan. She used towas higher, and nowaboveIvan.
The remaining forms of comparison are both in the role of a definition and in the role of a predicate:
I approached more matureguys.
Guys were older than I thought.
I turned tothe oldestguys.
These guys are the oldest of those who are engaged in the circle.
ONLY QUALITATIVE ADJECTS HAVE COMPARATIVE DEGREES!
Qualitative adjectives differ in that they can denote a feature 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 forms of degrees of comparison are formed. The semantic basis of the degrees of comparison is a quantitative assessment of the feature measure. In the paradigm of degrees of comparison, the original adjective is called the positive degree form.
Comparative degree (comparative) - denotes a quality that is in any subject to a greater extent than in another, the name of which is put in the form of a gender case or nominative case; the latter is preceded by a comparative conjunction How(truth is more precious than gold).
Superlative (superlative) - denotes the highest degree of quality in any subject compared to another: favorite writer; are declined 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 it must 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 compare the degree of the adjective, if related to a verb, then compare the degree of the adverb ( oak is stronger than birch- adjunct; he gripped the handle tighter- adverb)
Forms of the comparative degree tend to be used in a position when connected, i.e. in the role of a predicate, but can also be a definition.
Formed from the base of the original adjective with the help of suffixes - her (s) - bolder,whiter(productive way) or -e, -she - more expensive, richer(unproductive way).
From adjectives with stem to k, g, x and some words with stems in d, t, st comparative degree is formed by means of a suffix –e(at the same time, the final consonant stems alternate with hissing ones) ( loud - louder, quiet - quieter, cool - cooler). In adjectives on -OK and -to the generating stem is truncated, the remaining final consonant alternates with a hissing or paired soft ( high is higher, low is lower).
Comparative forms with suffix –she single ( distant - further, early - earlier, long - longer).
From three adjectives, the form is formed in a suppletive way ( small - less, good - better, bad - worse).
Forms of the comparative degree are not formed from adjectives that name signs that do not change in degrees. Sometimes they are not formed in accordance with the usage, and not the meaning ( dilapidated, alien, scanty).
A 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).
Superlatives
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, ultimate degree of quality in any object without comparison with others. In other words, it can denote an irrespectively high degree of quality: worst enemy, kindest creature.
A simple form is formed by adding a suffix –eysh (-aysh). At the same time, it is not formed from all adjectives; usually those lexemes do not have it, from which the form of the comparative degree is not formed. It may also be absent in those forms that have the form of a comparative degree. These are quality 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 form of superlative degree is formed, tk. the feature incompleteness value is incompatible with the feature high degree value ( the most deaf, the most deaf).
The superlative form denotes the highest degree of quality. In contrast to the comparative degree, superlative forms cannot express a comparative assessment of the degree of a feature in the same subject and in two subjects.
Degrees of comparison are a variable morphological feature of quality adjectives. There are forms of positive, comparative and superlative degrees: new - newer - newest; warm - more/less warm - the warmest.
The initial form is a positive degree, naming a feature without correlating it with homogeneous features of other objects (new house); from it, by adding inflectional suffixes or auxiliary words, simple and compound forms of comparative and superlative degrees are formed.
The comparative degree indicates that the indicated feature is more characteristic of this object than for another object (or for the same object, but in a different period of time): Our apple tree is taller than the neighbor's; Today this girl was more talkative than yesterday.
A simple form of the comparative degree is formed by adding the inflectional suffixes -ee / -ee, -e, as well as the unproductive suffix -she to the base of the adjective: warm - warmer, warmer (colloquial); loud - louder; thin - thinner. In the form deeper (from deep), the suffix -zhe is used. If there is a suffix -k- or -ok- at the end of the stem, then it is often truncated: low - lower; distant - farther. From adjectives, small, bad, good forms of the comparative degree are formed with a change in the root: less, worse, better. In colloquial speech, the prefix po- is often added to the simple form of the comparative degree, meaning the incompleteness of the manifestation of the attribute (`a little`): older - older, less - smaller.
Often the formation of a simple form of the comparative degree is hindered by the lexical meaning of the word; for example, it is not formed from adjectives with an "absolute" qualitative meaning such as deaf, bald, dead, blind, or from adjectives denoting the speaker's subjective assessment of a feature: enormous, blue.
The compound form of the comparative degree is formed with the help of auxiliary words more, less: more beautiful, less loud. The meaning of this form is broader than the meaning of forms of the louder type, since not only a greater, but also a lesser degree of intensity of the feature is expressed (the simple form of the comparative degree indicates only a greater degree of the feature).
The syntactic functions of the compound form are also wider than those of the simple form of the comparative degree. A simple form is usually part of a compound predicate: This essay was more meaningful than the previous one. The compound form can perform the functions of not only a predicate, but also a definition: This time the student wrote a more meaningful essay. The compound form can be formed from almost any qualitative adjective, however, it is perceived as a somewhat bookish form and is used less frequently in colloquial speech than the simple form of the comparative degree.
The superlative degree of adjectives indicates that the attribute of the object indicated by this form is presented in its maximum manifestation, in the highest degree compared to the same attribute in other compared objects: the smartest of the students in the class, the brightest room, or this object in other periods of its existence: Today, workers received the highest salary in six months.
Superlatives can also be simple or compound. A simple form is formed by adding the inflectional suffix -eysh- to the base of the adjective: beautiful - the most beautiful or -aysh- (the last suffix is added only to the bases on k, g, x): thin - the thinnest. The prefix nai- is often added to this form: the most beautiful, the thinnest. From adjectives small, bad, good, the superlative form is formed with a change in the root: smaller, worse, better.
The compound superlative form is formed in several ways:
1) adding to the form of the positive degree of the auxiliary word most: the most intelligent;
2) adding to the form of a positive degree of auxiliary words most, least: most intelligent, least capable;
3) adding to the simple form of the comparative degree of the auxiliary word everything (if the characterized object is inanimate) or all (if the characterized object is animate): The investigation conducted by a private detective was the smartest of all; The most capable of all was the student Ivanov.
The most common compound form of the most intelligent type, used as both a predicate and a definition. Forms like smartest of all / all are used only as a predicate. Forms of the most/least capable type have the broadest meaning, denoting both the highest and the lowest degree of manifestation of the trait, however, these forms are used mainly in book speech (in business, scientific, newspaper and journalistic styles).
Modern Russian literary language / Ed. P. A. Lekanta - M., 2009
This topic is very simple, it lends itself easily even to those who have recently started learning English. If you already know a few adjectives in English, then after studying the material in this article, you can easily form degrees of comparison.
But first, let's figure out how many degrees of comparison there are and why they are needed.
There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives. First degree - positive. It's a simple adjective as you learn it: interesting, beautiful, good and so on.
Next degree - comparative. If you have two objects, and you compare them on one or another basis, then you will talk about it in a comparative degree: bigger, smaller, more interesting, more beautiful 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 others. We say about him that he is the most: the most interesting, the biggest, the best.
In English, everything is exactly the same: there are three degrees of comparison, which are formed according to their own rules.
The first degree is positive. This is a common adjective. For example, let's remember some adjectives in English that you probably know:
Small - small
big - big
easy - easy, simple
interesting - interesting
popular - popular
If we describe one thing without comparing it with anything else, then a simple adjective is used, without suffixes. But as soon as the second object appears, for comparison, it becomes necessary to use comparative degree.
To form it, you need to look at the adjective: how many syllables it has, how long it is. It depends on the way you will use in the formation of the degree. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then you need to add a suffix to it - er:
Small (small) - smaller (smaller)
big (big) - bigger (more)
easy (simple) - easier (easier)
If your adjective is long (more than two syllables), then if you load it with another suffix, it will be unrealistic to pronounce it. Therefore, to form the comparative degree of such adjectives, the word is used more(more), which is placed before the adjective, just like in Russian:
Interesting - more interesting (more interesting)
popular - more popular (more popular)
If you are comparing two objects or phenomena in a sentence, then you will also need the word than(than) to indicate what you are actually comparing and against:
My room is smaller than my brother "s. - My room is smaller than my brother's.
His dog is bigger than mine. - His dog is bigger than mine.
This rule is easier than that one. - This rule is easier than that one.
Detectives are more interesting than historical novels. - Detective stories are more interesting than historical novels.
Is Lady Gaga more popular than Madonna? Is Lady Gaga more popular than Madonna?
Now let's move on to superlatives. If you have several items in front of you that you need to compare, choose one on some basis, then you need to use not a comparative, but an excellent form.
How you form this degree will depend on how many syllables your adjective has. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then the suffix is added - est:
Small - the smallest
big - the biggest
easy - the easiest
If the adjective is long (more than two syllables), then the superlative degree should be formed using the word most(most):
Interesting - the most interesting
popular - the most popular
Prepositions IN and OF.
It was already mentioned above that when you compare two objects, then in comparison you need to use the word than (than).
Prepositions are used with adjectives in the superlative degree. in and of. The choice of preposition is determined by what you are comparing and what information comes after the comparison.
If you are talking about a place (country, city, world), then use the preposition in:
This is the oldest building in our town. - This is the oldest house in our city.
He is the most popular singer in the country. - He is the most popular singer in the country.
What is the highest mountain in the world? - What is the highest mountain in the world?
The preposition is also used when talking about a group of people, an organization:
I am the youngest pupil in the class. - I am the youngest student in the class.
Pretext on used when talking about a period of time:
Today is the longest day of the year. - Today is the longest day of the year.
It was the happiest day of my life. - It was the happiest day of my life.
The article the.
You ask why the article is used in examples with the word most the. We remember that this article is used to indicate something specific, known to the interlocutors. When it comes to superlatives, we single out one item from the group as the only or unique of its kind and it becomes defined:
He is the cleverest boy in the class. - He is the smartest boy in the class. (There is only one smartest student in the class)
This is the oldest house in the town. - This is the oldest house in the city. (There is only one oldest house in the city)
I want to draw your attention to the fact that the article the is not always used with superlative adjectives. If adjectives are preceded by a word that answers the question Whose? / Whose? (or a noun in ), then the article the is not needed:
This is my smallest bag. - This is my smallest bag.
She is Maria "s youngest daughter. - She is the youngest daughter of Mary.
Spelling changes.
When forming the comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives, you must remember that adding suffixes in English is often accompanied by changes in spelling.
With adjectives, there are two main rules to remember:
1. If a short adjective ends in -y, then when adding a suffix, -y changes to i and a suffix is added:
Easy (simple) - easier - the easiest
noisy (noisy) - noisier - the noisiest
busy (busy) - busier - the busiest
2. If a short adjective ends in a consonant preceded by a stressed vowel (closed stressed syllable), then the last consonant is doubled:
Big (big) - bigger - the biggest
fat (fat) - fatter - the fattest
If the adjective ends in two consonants, or in a consonant preceded by a combination of vowels, then nothing is doubled, but the necessary suffix is simply added:
Strong (strong) - stronger - the strongest
cold (cold) - colder - the coldest
weak (weak) - weaker - the weakest
Exceptions.
In English, there are exception adjectives, the comparative and superlative degrees of which are not formed according to the rule, without adding suffixes:
good - better - the best- good / better / the best
bad - worse - the worst- bad / worse / worst
far-farther-the farthest- distant / farther / farthest
little - less - the least- small/smaller/smallest
To compare two objects in English, you can also use the construction as...as (not as...as), with which adjectives in the positive degree are used. Read more about this design.
Try to avoid common mistakes, remember that if you have already added a suffix to the adjective, then you do not need to use the words more or most.
Now you can easily compare objects, people and phenomena and talk about it in English. To consolidate the material covered, remember as many adjectives as possible and try to form degrees of comparison from them, and it will be even more effective to make sentences with them. Leave comments, ask questions, success in learning English!
