Three forms of adjectives in English. Superlative adjectives

In any language there are words that amazingly color speech, make it more vivid, figurative and expressive. Without them, any story would be dry and boring. IN everyday life, without noticing it, people constantly compare surrounding objects, phenomena and... each other.

And adjectives help them to a large extent in this.

Adjective

An adjective is a part of speech that in a certain way describes a sign of an object, characterizing its properties. Compared to Russian adjectives, English ones behave more “democratically”: they have one and only form, which 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

Rule for using comparative degrees

According to their semantic meaning, adjectives are relative and qualitative.

Relative adjectives

Relative adjectives characterize an object in a naming order, that is, they denote properties of the object that cannot be further strengthened or imagined in a larger or smaller volume.

These adjectives can mean:

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, incredible liter thermos. Or give them a touch of comparison: more September leaf fall, less urban architecture. It turns out to be complete nonsense.

Please note: it is impossible to find antonyms for these adjectives - words with opposite meanings.

Qualitative adjectives

The second group of adjectives is essentially more flexible. It consists of high-quality adjectives, which provide more opportunities to add additional shades to the description qualitative signs one or another object. They denote the properties of an object, which can easily be compared and strengthened.

For example:

magnitude(large, small);
weight(light, heavy);
outlines(smooth, curved);
shade(white, light);
sound(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).

There is no discomfort when comparing these qualities: colder (colder), louder (louder), sweeter (sweeter).

Everything is fine 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 often called dictionary form. This form of the adjective has nothing to do with comparison.
For example: Volga – long river. The Volga is a long river. Influenza is a very dangerous disease. Flu is very dangerous disease.
Comparative (more/less). 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 (largest/smallest). Used when comparing three or more items. With its help, the item that has the most outstanding properties is singled out from all.
For example: The Volga is a long river, the Nile is longer than the Volga, but the Amazon is the long est river in the world. Flu is very dangerous disease, pneumonia is more dangerous than flu, but AIDS is the most dangerous disease of all.

From these examples we can derive the most general rule for the formation of comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives in English:

To short adjectives (1-2 syllables) add: the suffix -er in the comparative degree and the suffix -est in the superlative degree;
For long adjectives (3 or more syllables) add: the word more is in the comparative degree and the most is in the superlative degree.

Positive degree

This is an adjective form that neutrally describes a feature (property) of an object; that is, it simply indicates its presence.

For example:

My cousin is a very nice girl. My cousin- a very pretty girl.

She has a smart fashionable dress on. She is wearing a beautiful fashionable dress.

In its positive form, an 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 conjunction “same ... as ...” is used. In English it corresponds to the conjunction “as..., as...”.

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 objects being compared does not have the specified attribute, then the conjunction “not the same... as...” 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 of one or another attribute in two (or more) objects.

Two options for forming the comparative degree of an adjective:

adding the suffix -er,
using the words more/less immediately before the adjective.

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Comparative degree of monosyllabic adjectives

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 an adjective consisting of one syllable ends with a consonant and is preceded by a short vowel, then the last letter in the word is doubled.

For example:

big-bi gg er (big - more);

hot-ho tt er (hot - hotter).

When the letter “e” is already present at the end of a monosyllabic adjective, then when adding the suffix –er there is no duplication of this letter.

For example:

pale – pal er(pale - paler);

cute - cuter (cuter - cuter).

Superlative degree of one-syllable adjectives

The superlative degree of an adjective demonstrates the highest/lowest degree of possession of some 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, but instead of the suffix -er, the suffix -est is used.

The superlative formula is: positive + est

For example:

pale – the pal est(pale – the palest);

cute – the cut est(darling – the cutest).

If a one-syllable 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 (big - largest);

hot – the ho tt est (hot – the hottest).

When the letter “e” is already present at the end of a monosyllabic adjective, then adding the suffix -est does not duplicate this letter.

For example:

larg e– the larg est(large - largest);

nice – the nic est(handsome – the most beautiful).

In order to emphasize the uniqueness and unsurpassability of an object, the definite article “the” is always used before the superlative adjective.

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 large cities, but Tokyo surpasses them all in terms of population. This makes it unique, which is what the article “the” emphasizes.

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 degree formula: more/less + positive degree

For example:

fabulous – more fabulous (incredible - even more incredible)

or less fabulous (less incredible).

Superlative degree of polysyllabic adjectives

Words that help form 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 (the most incredible/least incredible);

important (important) – the most/ the least important (the most important or the least important).

Spelling adjectives in comparative and superlative degrees

In English there are a number of disyllabic adjectives that form their comparative and superlative degrees in two ways:

and using 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 established cultural and speech tradition in a particular area.

The majority of two-syllable adjectives, when forming their forms of degrees of comparison, obey the following rule:

If the positive form of the adjective ends in -ow, -er, -le or -y, then in the comparative and superlative degrees 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 (already) – the narrowest (the narrowest);

Slender (slender) – slenderer (slimmer) – the slenderest (slimmer);

Subtle (thin) – subtler (thinner) – the subtlest (the thinnest);

Tiny (tiny) – tinier (even tinier) – tiniest (tiniest).

Exceptions

There are several adjectives in the English language that do not obey the general rule of 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 (the worst);
old (old) – older (older) – oldest (oldest) – by age;
old (old) – elder (older) – eldest (eldest) – among other relatives in the family;
far (distant) – farther (further) – the farthest (furthest) – about distance;
far (distant) – 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 forming adjectives in the comparative and superlative degrees, it is best to arrange them in tabular form.

Number of syllables in an adjective	Positive degree	Comparative degree	Superlative
One General rule Short vowel before a 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 End 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

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 qualitative adjectives- that is, those that denote any characteristic that may manifest itself to a greater or lesser extent. Such adjectives answer the question “which?” For example, the adjectives big, cheerful, beautiful can have degrees of comparison. It is not difficult to imagine something more beautiful, or someone more intelligent. But relative adjectives (bookish, yesterday) or possessive adjectives (fatherly, 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 degrees of comparison of adjectives. I dedicated an entire article to this topic.

You can practice degrees of comparison using value amplification by completing 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 (thorough), noble (noble), beautiful (beautiful).

Comparative degree.

Comparative degree(comparative degree) indicates greater intensity of quality. Depending on the nature of education, this degree can be simple or composite. The simple degree of comparison is formed by adding the ending -er to the base of the adjective:

full – fuller (full – fuller)

If the adjective ends in -e, then add only -r :

If an 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 is typical for

monosyllabic adjectives:

Full – fuller (full – fuller)

deep – deeper (deep – deeper)

big – bigger (big – bigger)

two-syllable adjectives, if the stress in them falls on the last syllable:

polite – politer (polite – more polite)

profound – profounder (thorough – more thorough)

two-syllable adjectives ending in -le, -y, -some, -ow, -er.

noble –nobler (noble – more noble)

silly – sillier (stupid – stupider)

handsome – handsomer (handsome – more beautiful)

narrow – narrower (narrow – narrower)

tender – tenderer (tender – more tender)

The remaining two-syllable and all three- and more complex adjectives have a compound comparative form. It is formed by adding the word more.

beautiful – more beautiful (beautiful – more beautiful)

curious – more curious (curious – more curious)

Here are a few example sentences using the 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.

Superlative(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, superlative degrees are placed before adjectives. 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 stupidest)

big – the biggest (big – the largest)

The compound superlative form is formed by adding the word most:

beautiful – the most beautiful (beautiful – the most beautiful)

curious – the most curious (curious – the most curious)

Here are examples of use superlatives in sentences.

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 according to the rule. These adjectives and their derivatives must be remembered. 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 – biggest / most)

little – less – the least (small / little – less – the 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 change:

old – older – oldest (old / older – older – oldest / eldest)

old – elder – the eldest (old / elder – older – the oldest / eldest (only in the description of brothers or sisters))

near - nearer - the nearest (close - closer - the closest (about distance))

near – nearer – the next (close – closer – next (in time))

late – later – the latest (late – later (about time) – the latest / last at the moment)

late – latter – the last (late – later (of those mentioned) – the most recent (this will not happen again) / past.

English adjectives are not difficult to learn, since they have one single word form that fits nouns of all genders and numbers. This form changes only in one case - when using an adjective in the comparative or superlative degree. In this case, either a suffix or a special additional word is added to the base. But, as is often the case in English, not all words behave according to general norm. Therefore, today we will study the grammatical rules and all the exceptions in the degree of comparison of adjectives in English.

IN English grammar There are three degrees of an adjective:

positive ) – the original form of the word, describing characteristics and qualities ( friendly);
comparative ) – describes the characteristics of an object/hero in comparison with another object ( more/less friendly);
superlative ) – indicates absolute perfection and unsurpassed characteristics ( the friendliest).

As already noted, changes in the stem of a word occur only in the comparative and superlative degrees. These comparative forms are obtained in two ways: by adding suffixes or by using additional words.

Synthetic forms of adjectives

This form is typical for all one-syllable and some two-syllable adjectives (with endings – y, -er, -ow, -le, -some). When forming the comparative degree, the suffix – er is added to the stem of such words, and when constructing the superlative degree, the suffix – est is added.

* It is worth noting that in a sentence the superlative degree is used with the definite article: Iam the happiestpersonintheworld– I am the happiest person on earth!

It is noteworthy that the synthetic form is characteristic of a number of special two-syllable adjectives. These are the words: clever, common, friendly, simple, pleasant, handsome, polite, angry, quiet, gentle, cruel, narrow. They form degrees of comparison both by the suffixal method and by the analytical method, which we will discuss in the next section.

Analytical forms of adjectives

Polysyllabic adjectives can only be formed using special words: more (comparative) and most (superlative).

At the same time, analytical adjectives in the superlative degree are also written with the article the: Thebusis the mostconvenientmeansoftransport– The bus is the most convenient means of transport.

At first glance, everything in degree education is simple, clear and logical. But the English language would not be English if it did not make exceptions to the rules for some words.

Exceptions to the degree of comparison of adjectives in English

In this section we will look at everything special cases formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.

Special degrees of comparison

At the beginning of the article, we noted that the base of an adjective never changes. But in exceptional cases one has to face such a phenomenon as education comparative forms adjectives from completely different roots. This method of changing the form of a word is called suppletive. Adjectives with this original method There are very few formations of comparative degrees, but they are among the most common English words. Therefore, the table below must be memorized.

*adjectives have the same meaning, but are used for different classes of words ( much– uncountable nouns, many– countable nouns.).

To quickly and easily remember these exceptional cases, let's work with examples of their use in sentences.

It was a bad idea. My car is worse than yours. It was the worst day of the whole vacation.

This was a bad idea. My car is worse than yours. It was the worst day of the entire holiday.

She has a good house. Her house is better than mine. It is the best house in the whole city.

She has a good home. Her house is better than mine. This is the best house in the whole city.

I have much free time. I have more free time in winter than in summer. Most of my free time is spent on studying English.

I have a lot of free time. I have more free time in winter than in summer. Most of my free time is spent learning English.

We make a little progress in English. But our progress is less, than your friend's progress. And Bob had made the least progress in his group.

We have made some progress in English. But our progress is less than your friend's progress. And Bob was the least successful in his group.

Double degrees of comparison

Another interesting case are adjectives that have two degrees of comparison and both have different meanings. In English grammar there are 4 polysemous words, changes in forms and meanings of which should be learned by heart.

Positive degree	Comparative degree	Superlative
old	older older (grow up)	oldest oldest (adult)
old	elder eldest (related)	eldest the oldest (by position)
late	later later	latest latest (most recent, new, e.g.

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

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

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

Existing degrees of comparison

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are degrees of comparison formed in English?

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

Comparative degree:

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

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

Superlative according to the rules, it is approximately similar to the comparative: for short adjectives, the ending “est” and, without fail, the article “the” are used: hot - the hottest (hot - the hottest), long - the longest (long - the longest), easy - the easiest (light - the lightest), hot - the hottest (hot - the hottest). For long words of the English language, the superlative degree of comparison is built using the words the most/the least (most/least): serious - the most serious (serious - the most serious), difficult - the least difficult (difficult - the least difficult).

Varieties of methods for forming comparative degrees

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

Analytical method

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

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

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

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

Synthetic method

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

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

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

Supplemental method

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

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

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

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

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

Most old man in the world was from Indonesia. — The oldest person in the world was from Indonesia.

Compound adjectives

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

Adjective + noun + “ed”:

Red-haired - red-haired.

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

Numeral + noun:

Five-hour - five hours.

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

Numeral + noun + “ed”:

Two-sided - double-sided.

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

And so on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exercises to consolidate information

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

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

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

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

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

Bus is ____ means of city transport.

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

This flat is ___ than we had before.

A Calibri is ___ bird on the planet.

Nick is ___ than Tom.

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

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

We felt (good) ___ than yesterday.

My mom was (kind) ___ than brother.

Africa is (warm) ___ continent than America.

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

Answers to exercises.

Exercise 1.

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

Exercise 2.

Bus is the biggest means of city transport.

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

This flat is more expensive than we had before.

A Calibri is the smallest bird on the planet.

Nick is taller than Tom.

Exercise 3.

Kate was the most beautiful girl in the whole university.

We felt better than yesterday.

My mom was kinder than brother.

Africa is warmer continent than America.

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

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

» Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English