Are there degrees of comparison? Three degrees of comparison of adjectives in English: rules of formation, examples

The concept of degrees of comparison

In accordance with their general grammatical meaning, qualitative adjectives have two degrees of comparison, showing to what extent the attribute is manifested in the subject. These are comparative and superlative degrees of comparison.

Comparative degree of adjective

The comparative degree of an adjective denotes a greater or lesser manifestation of a characteristic in a particular object. For example:

This cake is sweeter than cake.

The comparative degree can be simple or compound.

The simple comparative degree is formed using the suffixes -ee-(-ee-), -e-, -she-/-zhe.

Beautiful - more beautiful

Wise - wiser

Before the suffix -e- there is usually an alternation of base consonants:

Sweet - sweeter

Low - below

Adjectives in the form of the simple comparative degree do not change either by gender, or by case, or by number. In sentences they can serve as a predicate and a determiner. For example:

This city is more beautiful than our native one.

Adjective more beautiful stands in the form of a simple comparative degree. In this sentence it functions as a predicate.

Let's find a nicer place.

The same adjective in the simple comparative degree will be a modifier.

The compound comparative degree is formed by adding words to the adjective more or less.

Sweet - more or less sweet

Tall - more or less tall

Adjectives in the form of the compound comparative degree change according to gender, number and case as follows: the first word - more or less- remains unchanged. And the second word changes:

To higher

About the less beautiful

In a sentence, adjectives in the form of the compound comparative degree can be both predicates and modifiers:

The weather today is warmer than a week ago.

In this sentence we see that the adjective in the form of the compound comparative degree performs the function of a predicate.

Kolya liked warmer water.

The same form of comparative degree will be a definition.

Remember:

The comparative degree of adjectives cannot be formed in both a simple and a compound way.

It would be a mistake to use the “sweeter” construction. The correct options will be sweeter And sweeter .

Superlative comparison of adjectives

A superlative degree denotes the superiority of a given subject compared to others on some basis:

Everest - the highest peak in the world.

The superlative degree, like the comparative degree, can be simple or compound.

The simple superlative form is formed using the suffixes -eysh- or -aysh-:

Quiet - quietest

Wise - wisest

Adjectives in the form of the simple superlative degree of comparison can change according to gender, number and case. In a sentence they are both definitions and predicates.

Everest - the highest peak in the world.

Adjective highest is the definition.

This crater is the deepest.

Adjective deepest- predicate.

Compound superlative adjectives can be formed in two ways:

1. By adding words to the adjective most, most, least:

Smart is the smartest

High - the highest

In the form of a compound superlative with the word most Both words change according to gender, cases and numbers:

To the smartest

About the most beautiful

In the form of a compound superlative with words most And least Only the second word changes:

About the highest

In a sentence, this superlative form can serve as both a predicate and a modifier.

2. The word is added to the simple comparative form of the adjective Total, if this is a comparison with inanimate objects, or a word everyone, if this is a comparison with living objects or with a number of the same objects.

This house is the tallest in the area.

This house is taller than all the houses in the area.

This boy is taller than everyone else in school.

In sentences, such superlative forms can only be predicates.

Remember:

The superlative degree of comparison of adjectives cannot be formed in both a simple and a compound way.

Forms like “deepest” are erroneous.

You need to use other forms of superlative comparison - either deepest, or the deepest.

Bibliography

1. Russian language. 6th grade: Baranov M.T. and others - M.: Education, 2008.
2. Russian language. Theory. 5-9 grades: V.V. Babaytseva, L.D. Chesnokova - M.: Bustard, 2008.
3. Russian language. 6th grade: ed. MM. Razumovskaya, P.A. Lekanta - M.: Bustard, 2010.

1. About degrees of comparison ().
2. Yaklass.ru ().

Homework

Write down the proverbs by forming the comparative degree:

True (light) sun.

Old friend (best) of the new two.

Morning evening (tricky).

Rainy summer (bad) autumn.

Health (dear) gold.

Choose adjectives that have degrees of comparison. Form all possible degrees of comparison from these adjectives.

Tin soldier, tin eyes, cold day, long train, brave deed, kind person, stupid question, heart muscle, heartfelt greetings, stone house, stone face, short dress, fat boy, blue scarf, Moscow metro, children's literature, double chin , woolen suit, lead bullet, lead clouds, city park, heavy briefcase, heavy industry, deaf old man, deaf consonant, grandfather's office, Machine work, tit's nest, crow's foot, dog kennel, cleft palate, wolf's fur coat, wolf's appetite, deer horns, marines, dog cold, Katyusha's bicycle, grinding machine, snake venom, snake smile, vegetable oil, lean face, mouse tail, neighbor's garden, grandiose plans, observant person, tragic fate, wooden voice, chicken paw, chicken soup, squirrel collar, iron will, grandfather's words, birds' hubbub, hare's hat, December frosts, school uniform, Serezhin's briefcase, Barents Sea, Bering Strait.

ONLY QUALITATIVE ADJECTIVES HAVE DEGREES OF COMPARISON!

Qualitative adjectives differ in that they can denote a characteristic in varying degrees of its manifestation ( large – larger – largest). These forms are called degrees of comparison:

Comparative

Excellent

The paradigm of degrees of comparison also includes the adjective from which the forms of degrees of comparison are formed. The semantic basis of degrees of comparison is the quantitative assessment of the measure of the attribute. In the comparative degree paradigm, the original adjective is called the positive degree form.

Comparative degree (comparative) - denotes a quality that is found in one subject to a greater extent than in another, the name of which is put in the form of the gender or nominative case; the latter is preceded by a comparative conjunction How(truth is more valuable than gold).

Superlative (superlative) - denotes the highest degree of quality in a subject compared to another: most favorite writer; inflected like regular adjectives.

Comparative and superlative degrees can be expressed in simple (synthetic) and complex (analytical) forms.

comparative

The simple form of the comparative degree does not change by gender, number and case; and therefore you need to be able to distinguish it from the form of the comparative degree of the adverb. If a word of this type is syntactically related to a noun, then it will compare the degree of the adjective; if it is connected to a verb, then it will compare the degree of the adverb ( oak is stronger than birch– adj; he squeezed the handle tighter– adverb)

Comparative forms tend to be used in the position of a connective, i.e. in the role of a predicate, but can also be a definition.

Formed from the base of the original adjective using suffixes –ee(s) – bolder,whiter(productive way) or –e, -she – more expensive, richer(unproductive way).

From adjectives with a stem on k, g, x and some words based on d, t, st comparative degree is formed using the suffix -e(in this case, final consonant stems alternate with sibilants) ( loud - louder, quiet - quieter, steep - steeper). In adjectives on -OK And -To the producing stem is truncation, the remaining final consonant alternates with a sibilant or paired soft ( high - above, low - below).

Comparative forms with suffix –she single ( distant - further, early - earlier, long - longer).

From three adjectives the form is formed suppletive way ( small - less, good - better, bad - worse).

Comparative forms are not formed from adjectives that name characteristics that do not change according to degrees. Sometimes they are not formed in accordance with the usage and not the meaning ( dilapidated, alien, scanty).

The complex form of degrees of comparison is formed by adding the word more. Moreover, such combinations can also be formed with a short form ( faster, more red).

Superlative

The simple form of the superlative degree has features in its meaning: in addition to the above basic meaning of the superiority of quality in an object compared to other objects, this form can denote the highest, extreme degree of quality in any object without comparison with others. In other words, it can denote a relatively high degree of quality: worst enemy, kindest creature.

The simple form is formed by adding a suffix –eysh (-aysh). Moreover, it is not formed from all adjectives; usually it is not found in those lexemes from which the comparative form is not formed. It may also be absent in those forms that have the form of a comparative degree. These are qualitative adjectives with suffixes –ast-, -ist, as well as many words with suffixes - liv-, -chiv-, -k-(narrow - narrower, hairy - hairier, silent - more silent).

A complex form is formed by combining a qualitative adjective and the word most. It is not related to lexical restrictions: the reddest, the kindest, the narrowest.

For adjectives with suffixes –ovat-(-evat-) no superlative form is formed, because the value of the incompleteness of the attribute is incompatible with the value of the high degree of the attribute ( the most deaf, the most deaf).

The superlative form denotes the highest degree of quality. Unlike the comparative degree, the superlative forms cannot express a comparative assessment of the degree of a characteristic in the same subject and in two subjects.

Qualitative adjectiveshave degrees of comparison. They express a greater or lesser degree of quality in a given item compared to another item.
For example: (My house is more beautiful than your house). sometimes the comparison is made within the same object (increase or decrease) at different periods of its development, i.e. at the present moment, compared to his past state.
For example: (Demand for the product has become higher than last year).

Adjectives have two degrees of comparison:
comparative;
excellent.

1.Comparative degree of adjective means that some characteristic is manifested to a greater or lesser extent in one object than in another.
For example: I'm happier than you. Your briefcase is heavier than mine. My dog ​​is smarter than yours.

The comparative degree is:
A) simple
B) difficult

A) Simple comparative degree formed using suffixes:
“her”(s): For example: handsome - more beautiful, smart - smarter, cold - colder;
"e" (with or without alternation of the last consonant of the base):
For example: big - larger, short - shorter, sweet - sweeter;
“she”: For example: old – older, young – younger.
Sometimes a different root is used to form the comparative degree of an adjective.
Good is better, bad is worse, small is smaller.
Adjectives in the simple comparative form do not change and have no endings!

B) Complex comparative degree is formed from the full form of the positive degree of the adjective using the particles more and less.
Big – more (less) big, beautiful – more (less) beautiful.

2) Superlative adjectives.
The superlative degree shows that some attribute is manifested in a given object to the greatest extent, compared with the same attribute in other similar objects.
This is my best game; He is the smartest boy in the class.

Superlatives are:
A) simple
B) difficult
The superlative degree of an adjective can change according to gender, number and case.
(We have approached the highest mountains).

A) Simple superlative is formed using the suffixes “eysh”, “aysh”.
For example: The stupidest, the deepest, the rarest, the closest
Sometimes a different root is used to form the superlative degree of an adjective.
For example: Good is the best, bad is the worst.
B) Complex superlative is formed from the full form of the positive degree of the adjective using the particles most, most and least.
For example: Small - the smallest, the smallest, the least small, smart - the most intelligent, the most intelligent, the least intelligent.

Superlative adjectives, like full forms of positive adjectives, change according to gender, number and case.

Publication date: 01/28/2012 17:58 UTC

• Morphological analysis of the adjective in Russian.
• Full and short forms of adjectives. Declension and spelling of case forms of adjectives in Russian.
• The concept of an adjective. Morphological features of adjectives. Classes of adjectives in Russian.

Adjectives and adverbs in many languages ​​of the world have degrees of comparison. In English these are Positive Degree, Comparative Degree and Superlative degree, in Polish - rywny, wyższy, najwyższy, in French - le positif, le comparatif, le superlatif. The Russian language is no exception; it has positive, comparative and superlative adjectives. How are they different and what are their forms?

Degrees of comparison: types, table

Adjectives and adverbs derived from them have the ability to form degrees of comparison.

There are three of them:

• Positive.
• Comparative.
• Excellent.

Each of them expresses a different level of possession of an object or a specific specific quality.

For example: resourceful boy ( positive), however he can be more resourceful ( comparative), and in a certain life situation, even become the most resourceful ( excellent).

From which adjectives can we form degrees of comparison?

As you know, all adjectives in the Russian language are divided into several categories.

• Qualitative - means characteristics that an object or living creature can possess in different degrees: sweet, sweeter, sweetest.
• Relative - they call the signs of an object or living creature according to their relation to circumstances, actions or other persons, things: a telephone call, a wooden building.
• Possessive - indicate that something belongs to someone: Pushkin’s stanza, father’s parting words.

Only from the first category can the comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives be formed (charming - more charming, the most charming), since it is impossible to say: “a more wooden building” or “the most Pushkin stanza.”

Adverbs that come from the qualitative category of adjectives can also form degrees of comparison: cheerful - cheerfully (more cheerfully).

Comparative degree of adjectives in Russian

Before moving on to consider the comparative degree, it is worth mentioning a little about the positive degree. This is the name given to the initial degree of comparison (boring). In fact, it is considered only formally as a degree of comparison. But the next one is the comparative degree of the adjective (more boring, more boring). It serves to show that a certain object or person has a given quality in greater/lesser quantity than someone/something else. For example: “This tea is stronger (stronger) than the one we drank yesterday.”

Information about comparative forms

In the above example, you can see that the comparative degree in Russian can be formed in the following ways: using suffixes or by adding an additional word (in this example it is “more”). It turns out that we can distinguish 2 forms of the comparative degree of adjectives in the Russian language: simple and compound, or as it is sometimes called - complex.

Methods for forming a simple shape

There are several ways to form it.

• Using the suffixes -ee, -ey, -e, -she, added to the base: cheerful - more cheerful. However, it is worth remembering that if suffixes of the comparative degree of adjectives -e, -she are used, then alternation of consonants in the root of the word may occur, and the suffixes -k, -ok, -ek may be eliminated altogether. For example: narrow - narrower, ringing - louder.
• Sometimes a simple form can be formed by adding the same -ee, -ey, -e, -she, as well as the prefix po-. For example: soon - quickly, quickly - quickly. Adjectives formed in this way are usually the province of colloquial speech.
• Sometimes the comparative degree of adjectives in Russian is formed using a different word stem: bad - worse.

It is worth remembering that not every qualitative adjective can form a simple form. It so happened historically that it is simply impossible to form it from some words. For example, from adjectives such as “grand” or “businesslike”. After all, you can’t say: “grower” or “more businesslike.”

Unlike the positive, the simple comparative degree has no ending and does not change. For example, the adjective “light” changes according to gender and number: “light”, “light”, “light”, etc. In addition, it is declined according to cases. But the comparative degree of the adjective - “lighter” - is unchanged.

In this form, words, as a rule, perform the syntactic role of a predicate: “Words of love are sweeter than honey,” and in some cases they serve as definitions: “Make sweeter jam.”

Complex shape

Unlike the simple one, it is formed not with the help of suffixes or prefixes, but by adding the words “more” or “less” to the adjective in the positive degree. For example: “Rembrandt was a more brilliant artist than most of his contemporaries, but he was truly appreciated years after his death.”

Adjectives in complex form are declined by case, change by number and, accordingly, by gender, while “more” and “less” remain unchanged. For example: more powerful (powerful, powerful, powerful).

Both in simple and compound form, comparative adjectives in a sentence serve as predicates or modifiers: “Their relationship was closer and more elevated than that of anyone around them.”

Having considered the information about the comparative degree, it is now worth moving on to studying the superlative degree. And it will help you not to forget how the comparative degree of adjectives is formed - the table.

It briefly outlines all the information about simple and complex forms and their formation.

Brief information about superlatives

It serves to demonstrate that a certain object or living being is absolutely superior to any other in a certain quality, which is represented in it to the highest degree.

For example: “The third little pig’s house was the strongest and the wolf could not destroy it.”

A little about superlatives

Knowledge of how simple and complex comparative degrees of adjectives are formed will help you understand this topic. In the case of the superlative degree, both of its forms have similar names: simple and compound (complex) and are formed according to the corresponding principle.

They are formed according to the same principle:

• The simple one is formed by adding the suffixes -eysh, -aysh to the stem: caring - caring. Similar to the comparative, the superlative may also lose the stem suffix -k: low, lowest. A word formed using a simple superlative form is declined according to cases and changes according to numbers and genders. While the comparative degree of an adjective in a simple form is devoid of this property. For example: “light”. As mentioned above, in comparative form it is invariably “lighter”. But in the superlative degree - “brightest”, it can change: “brightest”, “brightest”.
• The compound form is formed by adding the words "most", "least" or "most" ("most", "most", "most") to the adjective in the positive degree. For example: the brightest, the least entertaining, the funniest. In some cases, the comparative degree of the adjective plus the word “all” may also participate in the formation. For example: “This girl completed the task faster than anyone in the class.” As with the comparative form, the superlative adjective changes according to the same categories. And the additional words: “most” or “least” remain unchanged: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.” However, “most” also changes: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.”

As for the syntactic role, adjectives in this degree, as a rule, act as predicates: “A most amazing journey.” Less often - definitions: “It was a story about an amazing journey.” And in complex form, they most often serve as definitions: “He was smarter than everyone else at school.”

Superlative and comparative degrees of adjectives: exercises to consolidate knowledge

To better remember all the material presented, you should practice by doing a few fairly simple exercises.

The topic of comparative degrees of adjectives itself is quite easy. However, in order to avoid mistakes, it is worth remembering the basic rules, especially since in most European languages ​​adjectives also have 3 degrees of comparison. Therefore, having figured out what they are in Russian, you can safely take on the study of the grammar of foreign languages.

Degrees of comparison- the general name of three forms of an adjective or adverb, expressing different degrees of quality inherent in the object whose name is determined by this adjective or adverb. These degrees are positive, comparative and superlative

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Definition for an adjective in its degree of comparison

In terms of their formation, degrees of comparison have different sources, and are often formed from different roots; These are the so-called suppletive degrees of comparison. So, for example, the Russian adjective “good” (this form is called the positive degree) has a comparative degree “better” and a superlative degree “best”. In Latin bonus melior, superlative optimus; in ancient Greek ἀγαθός "good", comparative degree βελτίων , excellent βέλτιστος . Expressing different degrees of quality, forms of degrees of comparison can only be formed from qualitative adjectives, that is, those that denote quality (heavy - heavier, long - longer, tall - higher, dark gray - darker gray ...), and not material or accessory (like wooden, iron, wolf, fox, etc.). The latter are incapable of forming a comparative degree.