Pretty comparative degree. Formation and use of adjectives in English

Adjective– a word that describes the characteristics, properties or qualities of a noun.

Adjectives can describe any characteristics (properties or qualities) of a noun, such as:

color: red (red), green (green), blue (blue, cyan), yellow (yellow);
age: old (old), new (new), young (young), ancient (ancient);
quality or value of an item: expensive (expensive), refined (recycled), cheap (cheap), nice (cute);
human qualities: smart (smart), beautiful (beautiful), friendly (friendly), short (low);
emotional state of a person: happy (happy), sad (sad), ecstatic (excited), tired (tired); and so on

Comparative adjectives(or comparative adjectives)

Adjectives are often used for comparison purposes. Such adjectives are called comparative adjectives. To get a comparative adjective, you need to either add the suffix “-er” to the main form of the adjective, or put the auxiliary word “more” in front of the adjective.

Superlative adjectives(or superlative adjectives)

The superlative adjective describes the most extreme case and is used to characterize an item that is “the most…” among a number of items. To form a superlative adjective, you can either add the suffix “-est” to the base form of the adjective, or put the auxiliary word “most” in front of the adjective.

One-syllable adjectives

Typically, the comparative form of adjectives consisting of one syllable is formed by adding the suffix “-er” to the base form, and the superlative form is formed by adding the suffix “-est”.

For example:

Adjective	Comparative degree	Superlative
smart (smart)	smarter (smarter)	smartest (the smartest)
fast	faster (faster)	fastest (fastest)
old (old)	older (older)	oldest (oldest)
warm (warm)	warmer (warmer)	warmest (warmest)

Adjectives consisting of two syllables

The comparative degree of two-syllable adjectives is formed by adding the suffix “-er” to the base form or by using the word “more” before the adjective. To form a superlative degree, add the suffix “-est” or the word “most”.

For example:

Adjective	Comparative degree	Superlative
friendly	friendlier (friendlier)	friendliest (most friendly)
pretty (handsome)	prettier (prettier)	prettiest (most beautiful)
sneaky (cunning)	sneakier (cunning)	sneakiest (the most cunning)
crazy (crazy)	crazier (crazier)	craziest (the craziest)

Typically, if an adjective ends in the letter “-y,” the letter “-y” is removed and the suffix “-ier” is added to the base word instead to form a comparative, or the suffix “-iest” to form a superlative.

Here are some examples of forming comparative and superlative degrees for adjectives consisting of one syllable, using the function words “more” and “most”.

Adjective	Comparative degree	Superlative
honest (honest)	more honest (more honest)	most honest (the most honest)
extreme (extreme)	more extreme (more extreme)	most extreme (most extreme)
helpful (helpful)	more helpful	most helpful (most useful)
careful	more careful	most careful (most careful)

When forming the comparative or superlative degree of adjectives, it is important to use only one of the possible suffixes / function words:

“more” or

Adjectives consisting of three or more syllables

The comparative degree of adjectives consisting of three syllables is formed using the word “more”, which is placed before the adjective. To form a superlative degree, the word “most” is added in the same way.

For example:

Adjective	Comparative degree	Superlative
delicious (delicious)	more delicious (tastier)	most delicious (the most delicious)
beautiful (beautiful)	more beautiful (more beautiful)	most beautiful (the most beautiful)
exciting (exciting)	more exciting (more exciting)	most exciting (most exciting)
sensitive	more sensitive (more sensitive)	most sensitive (most sensitive)

Exceptions to the general rule

Some adjectives are irregular, that is, the comparative and superlative degrees for them are not formed according to general rules. You need to remember such adjectives.

For example:

Using adjectives

Adjectives are usually placed immediately before the noun they describe.

For example:

They bought a new (adjective) computer (noun).

He has a nice (adjective) bicycle (noun).

I like green (adjective) apples (noun) more than red (adjective) apples (noun).

Sometimes adjectives can be placed after the noun they define.

For example:

Let's try something (noun) new (adjective).

He likes his coffee (noun) black (adjective).

In addition, adjectives can be placed after the verb “to be”.

For example:

I am (verb “be”) friendly (adjective).

Angelina (noun) is (verb “be”) beautiful (adjective).

The girls (noun) are (verb “be”) diligent (adjective).

Vacation (noun) will be (verb “be”) fun (adjective).

English Joke

Four Jewish ladies are playing Bridge.
Betty sighs and says, “Oy...”
Freda nods, sighs, and says, “Oy vey!”
Kitty says, "Oy veys meer!"
Charlotte chimes in: “Enough talk about the children already. Let's get back to the game."

In English there are three comparative degrees of adjectives: positive, comparative And excellent. Adverbs also form degrees of comparison using the same rules as adjectives.

The positive degree is the adjective in its usual "quiet" state:

I have a big dog.
I have big dog.

The comparative degree of adjectives is used to compare the level of quality of an object's property. Comparison occurs in both positive and negative directions. The negative side does not mean so much the semantic load of the adjective, for example: Apples at the market cheaper than in stores. This refers to the presence of the adverb “less” before the adjective.

In Russian examples of the comparative degree, two ways of expressing it were specifically given:

synthetic (using the ending "roads" e/cheaper e");
analytical using adverbs “more/less”.

But, if in Russian the adverbs “more” can be translated into a synthetic ending: more beautiful - beautiful her, then in English endings are added to some adjectives, and adverbs to others.

The choice of method for forming the degree depends on the number of syllables in the adjective. In both cases, comparative sentences use the particle Than.

If an adjective has one syllable, then a suffix is added to it -er.

The Moscow river is shorter than the Volga.
The Moscow River is shorter than the Volga.

Notes

if an adjective ends in a silent -e, then only one thing is added to it in the comparative degree -r.

Volvo is saf er than Lada.
Volvo is safer than Lada.

If an adjective ends in a consonant preceded by one vowel (closed syllable), then the final consonant, to maintain the brevity of the syllable, is doubled.

Today it is ho tter than yesterday.
Today is hotter than yesterday.

Some adjectives, due to historical reasons, have special forms of degrees of comparison: good-better; bad-worse; little-less; far-farther.

The situation is getting worse every day.
The situation is getting worse every day.

Disyllabic adjectives not ending on -y or -er And polysyllabic adjectives form degrees of comparison analytically by adding an adverb more(more) and less(less). Respectively, no no endings are added to these adjectives.

His lectures are more interesting than her lectures.

Please note, What more- this is the comparative degree of adverbs much / many; A less is the comparative degree of little.

Comparative degree is needed mainly to compare some things with others. After all, you must admit that it would be difficult to express yourself without comparing any objects. Every day in our dialect such comparative adjectives as “more beautiful, better, warmer, colder, cooler, etc.” are scrolled through, we just may not notice it. Therefore, the entire topic below is important for digestibility and is presented with accessible simplicity.

How do you turn a positive adjective into a comparative adjective?

First, let's figure out what is the positive degree of an adjective? It's simple. The positive degree of an adjective is the original form of an adjective that indicates the quality of an object and is used without any comparison with other objects. For example:

It's beautiful day – Beautiful day.
My teacher is very young - My teacher is too young.
They're very friendly people – They are very friendly people.
It's an expensive restaurant - This is an expensive restaurant.
The rooms are very small – The rooms are very small.

Another question may arise here. What is the comparative degree of an adjective? And here everything is even simpler. A comparative adjective is a form of an adjective that indicates the quality of one thing in relation to another thing. For example:

Vegetables are cheaper than meat – Vegetables are cheaper than meat.
This bag of potatoes is heavier than that bag of tomatoes – This bag of potatoes is heavier than that bag of tomatoes.
Spain is warmer than England – Spain is warmer than England.
This new car is faster than my old one – This new car is faster than my old one.
Sarah is older than her brother – Sarah is older than her brother.

Feel the difference? Now we will return to the main question: how to convert an adjective from a positive degree to a comparative degree?

When converting, the standard for all adjectives is to add the suffix “-er” to the end of the word. For example:

Standard rule: Adjective + suffix “-er”
Adjective (positive degree)	Translation	Adjective (compare step)	Translation
Old	Old	Old er	Older
Tall	High	Tall er	Higher
Slow	Slow	Slow er	Slower
Cold	Cold	Cold er	Colder
Small	Small	Small er	Less
Strong	Strong	Strong er	Stronger
Clean	Clean	Clean er	Cleaner
Short	Short	Short er	Briefly speaking
Long	Long	Long er	Longer
Cheap	Cheap	Cheap er	Cheaper

In English, when making comparisons, the conjunction “than” is often used:

The coast road to the town is shorter than the mountain road – The road along the embankment to the city is shorter than the road through the mountains.
My father is younger than my mother - My father is younger than my mother.
His new mobile is smaller than his old one - His new mobile phone is smaller than his old one.
The Empire State building is taller than the Statue of Liberty - The Empire State Building is taller than the Statue of Liberty.
Wool is warmer than cotton – Wool is warmer than cotton.

However, there are always a number of the following conversion rules that must be followed:

1. For two-syllable adjectives ending with a consonant and “-y”: change “-y” to “-i” + suffix “-er”:

Rule for two-syllable adjectives ending in “-y”: change y → i + suffix “-er”
Adjective (positive degree)	Translation	Adjective (compare step)	Translation
Happy	Happy	Happ ier	Happier
Easy	Easy	Eas ier	Easier
Dirty	Filthy	Dirt ier	Dirtier
Pretty	Cute	Prett ier	Cuter
Wealthy	Rich	Wealth ier	Richer

Examples:

English is easier than Japanese – English is easier than Japanese.
My suitcase is heavier than your suitcase - My suitcase is heavier than your suitcase.
Your car is dirtier than mine - Your car is dirtier than mine.
His new girlfriend is prettier than your Julia - His new girlfriend is prettier than your Julia.
Last time she was happier than today - Last time she was happier than today.

2. If a one-syllable adjective ends in a vowel and a consonant: add the last consonant + the suffix “-er”:

Adjective (positive degree)	Translation	Adjective (compare step)	Translation
Big	Big	Big ger	More
Hot	Hot	Hot ter	Hot
Fat	Thick	Fat ter	Thicker
Thin	Thin	Thin ner	Thinner

Examples:

The Grand Hotel is bigger than is the Sea View Hotel – “The Grand Hotel” is bigger than “The Sea View Hotel”.
My cup of tea is hotter than yours - My cup of tea is hotter than yours.
Mike is fatter than John - Mike is fatter than John.
The screw-driver is thinner than mine – This screwdriver is thinner than mine.

3. To adjectives ending in “-e”, add only one suffix “-r”:

Adjective (positive degree)	Translation	Adjective (compare step)	Translation
Nice	Nice	Nic er	More enjoyable
True	Loyal	Tru er	Or rather
White	White	Whit er	Whiter
Polite	Polite	Polit er	More polite
Large	Large	Large er	Larger

For example:

My arguments are truer than yours - My arguments are truer than yours.
Her shirt is whiter than her girlfriends’ – Her shirt is whiter than her friend’s.
Wheels of your car is larger than wheels of mine – The wheels of your car are larger than the wheels of mine.

4. Before two-syllable adjectives that do not end in “-y” and before adjectives that consist of 3 or more syllables, when converting to the comparative degree, add the service word “more” without adding a suffix:

For adjectives consisting of 2 or more syllables
Positive degree	Translation	Comparative degree	Translation
Careful	Careful	More careful	More careful
Worried	Excited	More worried	More excited
Expensive	Expensive	More expensive	More expensive
Intelligent	Smart	More intelligent	Smarter
Beautiful	Beautiful	More beautiful	More beautiful

For example:

The train is more expensive than the bus - The train is more expensive than the bus.
Drivers in this country are more careless than drivers in my country – Drivers in this country are more careless than drivers in my country.
The exam today was more difficult than last year’s exam - Today’s exam was more difficult than last year’s exam.
The students ask more intelligent questions than they did before - Students ask more intelligent questions than they asked before.
Her second book is more interesting than her first - Her second book is more interesting than her first.

5. We also cannot do without exceptions, which, when transformed, take on a completely different form than in all of the above points:

Exceptions to comparative adjectives
Positive degree	Translation	Comparative degree	Translation
Good	Good	Better	Better
Bad	Bad	Worse	Worse
Little	Small	Less	Less
Far	Far	Farther	Further

For example:

Ms. Davies is a better teacher than Mr. Andrews - Mrs. Davis is a better teacher than Mr. Andrews.
These boots are worse than those that we received last year - These boots are worse than those that we were given last year.
I’ve less money than you have - I have less money than you.
From here to Moscow is farther than to St. Petersburg – From here it is further to Moscow than to St. Petersburg.

To strengthen the expression, we can insert adverbs such as a bit (a little), a lot (much), much (significantly) before comparative adjectives:

She’s a lot happier now - She’s much happier now.
I’m a bit older than you - I’m a little older than you.
This book is much more interesting than the other one - This book is much more interesting than the others.

This concludes this post. Perhaps you would like to ask or add something to this article. If so, please leave your comment below. Good luck.

Let us remember once again that the adjective ( Adjective) is a word that denotes a characteristic of an object, person or phenomenon. It answers the question “which one?” Let's look at how to form degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.

All adjectives are divided into two groups: qualitative ( qualitative) and relative ( relative). But we can’t compare all of them. For example, “wooden” is a relative adjective, and we cannot say “woodier.” And qualitative adjectives can be represented in the positive (beautiful), comparative (more beautiful) and superlative (most beautiful) degrees of comparison. Now we will talk about each degree in detail.

Comparative degree of adjectives in English. Comparative degree

First, let's briefly talk about the positive degree. The positive degree is the simple form of the adjective: smart, cheerful, gentle. You find this form in dictionaries. For example: brave(brave), new(new), cold(cold).

The comparative degree is used when comparing the characteristics of two or more objects or persons. Words such as “faster”, “higher”, “stronger” are comparative adjectives. How to form it?

For short adjectives (consisting of one or two syllables) you need to add an ending -er: cheap(cheap) - cheaper(cheaper), narrow(narrow) - narrower(already), long(long) - longer(longer).
- -e, then we simply add -r: close(close) – closer(closer).
- If the adjective ends in -y, That -y changes to -i: lucky(lucky) – luckier(luckier) easy(simple) - easier(simpler).
- If the adjective ends with a vowel + consonant combination, then the final consonant is doubled: big(big) - bigger(more), hot(hot) - hotter(hot).
The comparative degree of long adjectives (more than 2 syllables) is formed using words more(more) and less(less): expensive(Expensive) - more expensive(more expensive) serious(serious) - less serious(less serious) comfortable(comfortable) - more comfortable(more convenient).

Superlative adjectives in English. Superlative degree

If the comparative degree requires two objects to compare characteristics, then the superlative degree requires several objects, among which we will single out one “best.” To create this degree we do the following:

Add endings to short adjectives -est: thin(thin) - the thinnest(the thinnest), fast(fast) - the fastest(fastest). At the same time, adjectives -e, -y and the consonant letter is subject to the same rules as when forming the comparative degree: the simplest(the simplest), the busiest(busiest).
We use long adjectives with words most(most) and least(least): talented(talented) – the most talented(the most talented) interesting(interesting) - the least interesting(least interesting).

When forming this degree, it is necessary to use the article the, as written in the above examples.

Special adjectives

And in English there is a list of adjectives that can be used with suffixes and with words more/most, less/least.

Word	Translation
Able	Capable
Angry	Wicked
Clever	Smart
Common	General
Cruel	Cruel
Friendly	Friendly
Gentle	Gentle
Handsome	Beautiful
Narrow	Narrow
Pleasant	Nice
Polite	Polite
Quiet	Quiet
Serious	Serious
Simple	Simple
Sour	Sour

Exceptional adjectives

There are also adjectives whose degrees of comparison are not formed according to the general rule. These adjectives, as well as their forms, should be known by heart.

Good – better – the best(good - better - best).
Bad – worse – the worst(bad – worse – worst).
Little – less – the least(small – smaller – smallest).
Many/much – more – the most(many - more - greatest).
Old – older – the oldest(old - older - oldest).
Old – elder – the eldest(old – older – oldest) – about family members.
Late – later – the latest/last(late – more recent – latest/latest in time).
Late – the latter – the last(late – the second of the two listed – the last in order).
Near – nearer – the nearest(close – closer – closest in distance).
Near – nearer – next/the next(closer – closer – next in time/next in order).
Far – farther – the farthest(distant - more distant - furthest).
Far – further – the furthest(distant, distant – further – further/additional).

We invite you to study the table with degrees of comparison.

Adjective	Degrees of comparison
Adjective	Positive	Comparative	Excellent
Short, 1-2 syllables	Adjective cheap big happy	+ er cheaper bigger happier	+ est the cheapest the biggest the happiest
Long words of 2 or more syllables	Adjective expensive serious beautiful	More/less+ adjective more/less expensive more/less serious more/less beautiful	The most/least+ adjective the most/least expensive the most/least serious the most/least beautiful

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These are the basic rules for forming degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. Don't forget to take a test at the end to check how well you remember this material.

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Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English