The difficulty of using high-quality adjectives also lies in the ability to form them degrees of comparison.
- Positive degreeit is the simplest of all adjectives, since it simply says that this feature is present in the subject: cheerful, lightetc.
- comparativesuggests that some sign is manifested in the object to a greater or lesser extent. This degree is formed only from quality adjectives. It can be simple and complex. A simple one is formed using parts of a word - morphemes, and a complex one - using additional words. Moreover, words in the form of a simple comparative degree do not change, that is, they are not inflected.
Methods of education of a simple comparative degree:
⇒Do not form a simple comparative form:
- adjectives that have passed into the category of qualitative from possessive and relative: golden (guy), fox (character);
- adjectives that do not change in degrees, since they denote a constant sign: blind, deaf, single;
- adjectives with suffixes - SK-, -ESK-, -ОВ-, -К-, -ОНЬК-, -ОВАТ-, etc .: prickly, friendly, businesslike, tiny, whitish;<.li>
- adjectives for animal colors: black, gray, bay.
Moreover, words in the form of a complex comparative degree can be easily declined in cases, gender and numbers.
Methods for the formation of a simple superlative:
⇒Words that do not form a simple superlative:
- those that do not form a simple comparative degree (see above);
- separate adjectives with suffixes -CHIV-, -LIV-, -К-: hot, gullible;
- adjectives with suffixes -ИСТ-, -АСТ-: big-eyed, vociferous.
Comparison degrees are a variable morphological feature of qualitative adjectives. There are different forms of positive, comparative and superlative degrees: new - newer - newest; warm - more / less warm - warmest.
The initial form is the form of a positive degree, which names a feature without correlating it with similar 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 designated feature is characteristic of this object to a greater extent than for another object (or for the same object, but in a different period of time): Our apple tree is higher than the neighbor's; This girl was more talkative today than yesterday.
The simple form of the comparative degree is formed by adding to the base of the adjective inflectional suffixes -ee / -ey, -e, as well as the unproductive suffix -che: warm - warmer, warmer (colloquial); loud - louder; thin - thinner. In the deeper form (from deep), the suffix is \u200b\u200bused. If there is a suffix -k- or -ok- at the end of the stem, then it is often truncated: low - below; distant - further. 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, which means the incompleteness of the manifestation of the sign (`slightly`): older - older, less - less.
Often the lexical meaning of a word prevents the formation of a simple form of a comparative degree; 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 the attribute: enormous, blue.
The composite 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 type is louder, since not only a greater, but also a lesser degree of intensity of a feature is expressed (a simple form of a comparative degree indicates only a greater degree of a feature).
The syntactic functions of the composite form are also broader than those of the simple comparative form. The simple form is usually part of the compound predicate: This composition was more substantial 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 often 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 the given object in others periods of its existence: Today workers received the highest wages in six months.
The superlative degree can also be simple or compound. The simple form is formed by adding the inflectional suffix -eish- to the base of the adjective: beautiful - the most beautiful or -aish- (the last suffix is \u200b\u200battached only to stems on k, r, x): thin - the thinnest. To this form, the prefix is \u200b\u200boften added: the most beautiful, the most subtle. From adjectives small, bad, good superlatives are formed with a change of the root: smaller, worse, better.
The superlative compound form is formed in several ways:
1) adding to the form of the positive degree of the auxiliary word the most: the most intelligent;
2) adding to the form of a positive degree of auxiliary words most, least: the most intelligent, the 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 smartest of all was the investigation conducted by a private detective; The most talented student was Ivanov.
The most common compound form of the type is the most intelligent, used in the role of both predicate and definition. Forms like smartest / 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 a feature, 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
Adjectives in Russian. They are irreplaceable when it is necessary to compare one characteristic of an object or phenomenon with another. Let's try to understand the intricacies of this topic.
Adjective
Before you start studying the topic "Degrees of comparison of adjectives in Russian", you need to find out how this part of speech differs from all others. And she really has a lot of features. It's hard to imagine our speech without this colorful, graceful group. With the help of adjectives, we describe the appearance (low, cute, unsightly), character (kind, grumpy, difficult), age (young, old). However, not only human qualities, but also much more can be represented with their help. For example, no piece of fiction is complete without the use of adjectives. And the lyrics and even more so. Thanks to this part of speech, stories, poems, stories acquire expressiveness and imagery.
It helps to form such artistic means as epithets (dazzling beauty, wonderful morning), metaphors of a stone heart), comparisons (looks like the happiest; the sky is like azure watercolor).
A distinctive feature of adjectives is their ability to form short forms. The latter always play the role of a predicate in a sentence, which gives this part of speech another advantage - to give dynamics to any text.
What is a degree?
Anyone who studies Russian is faced with this question. Comparison of adjectives is a characteristic that helps to compare one subject with another.
For example, we have two balls in front of us. They are exactly the same, only one of them is slightly different in size. We need to compare them with each other and draw a conclusion: one ball more another. We can approach this issue from another angle and note that one ball smallerthan the second. And in fact, and in another case, we used a word characterizing the degree of comparison of these objects.
Now we will add to our subjects one more, the same, but much larger. We need to distinguish him from others. How are we going to do this? Use comparison, of course. Only now it is necessary to indicate that the third ball differs from the first and second at once. In this case, we say that he the biggest among them.
That is why we need them.We will describe each of their types in detail below.
comparative
When we have an adjective before us, which no one compares with anything, then it is characterized by a positive degree. But if one subject needs to be compared with another, then we will use the comparative degree of the adjective.
It has two subspecies. The first is called simple, or suffix. This means that the word used in this degree has a suffix characteristic of it.
For example: This table chic... Neighbor's table smarter our.
In the first case, the adjective is in a positive degree. In the second, the suffix "her" was added to it and with the help of this they compared one table with another.
The second variety is compound degree... As the name suggests, its formation does not occur with the help of morphemes, but with the use of special words.
For example: This project is very successful... The last project was more successful.
The word "more" helps us compare one project to another.
Another example: We got valuable information. The previous one turned out to be less valuable.
Now with the word "less" we have indicated a sign that manifested itself to a lesser extent.
It is worth remembering that the degrees of comparison of adjectives in the Russian language, regardless of the varieties, are formed only from Neither possessive nor relative possess this ability.
Superlative degree
In some situations, we need not just to compare one object or phenomenon with another, but to single it out from all similar ones. And here we will also be helped by the degree of comparison of adjectives in Russian. This degree of comparison is called excellent, which already implies the highest limit.
Like the comparative one, it has two varieties.
A simple degree is formed using suffixes.
For example: Ivanov the strongest of all athletes on the team.
The word "strong" with the suffix -eysh- formed and distinguished the athlete Ivanov among other members of the national team.
Next example: New tulle the most beautiful of those that I have seen.
In this case, the auxiliary word "most" gave this sentence the same meaning as in the previous example. This form is called composite.
Sometimes it can be accompanied by the prefix “na-” for amplification: the most beautiful.
Features:
In some cases, forms of degrees of comparison of adjectives have exceptions.
These include the words "good" and "bad". When we start to compare objects with their help, we will face some difficulties.
For example: We conducted good evening. Let's try to form a chain of degrees of comparison.
In a simple comparative, we will see that the word "good" does not exist. "Better" comes to replace him. And to the word "bad" we will select "worse". This phenomenon in Russian is called the suppletivism of the foundations. This means that the word must be radically changed in order to form a comparative degree.
Conclusion
Thus, we managed to find out not only the basics, but also some of the nuances on the topic "Degrees of comparison of adjectives in Russian".
Now this rule will not cause you any difficulties, since it is not difficult at all.
ONLY QUALITATIVE APPENDICES HAVE DEGREES OF COMPARISON!
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 measure of a feature. 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 some object to a greater extent than in another, the name of which is put in the form of genus case or name case; the latter is preceded by a comparative union Than(the truth is more expensive than gold).
Superlative degree (superlative) - denotes the highest degree of quality in any subject in comparison with another: favorite writer; inflected like ordinary 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 in 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 noun, then compare the degree of the adjective, if connected with a verb, then compare the degree of the adverb ( oak is stronger than birch- supplement; he gripped the handle tighter- adverb)
Forms of a comparative degree tend to be used in a position with a ligament, i.e. in the role of a predicate, but can also be a definition.
Formed from the stem of the original adjective using suffixes - her (s) - bolder,whiter(productive way) or - e, - more - more expensive, richer(unproductive way).
From adjectives based on k, r, xand some words based on d, t, stcomparative degree formed by suffix –E(while the final consonant stems alternate with sibilants) ( loud - louder, quiet - quieter, steep - cooler). In adjectives on -OKand -tothe generating stem is truncated, the remaining final consonant alternates with a hissing or paired soft ( high - higher, low - lower).
Comparative forms with suffix - moresingle ( far - farther, early - earlier, long - longer).
From three adjectives, the form is formed in the supplementary way ( small - less, good - better, bad - worse).
Forms of a comparative degree are not formed from adjectives that call signs that do not change in degrees. Sometimes they are not formed in accordance with the usus, and not the meaning ( shabby, alien, scanty).
The complex form of degrees of comparison is formed by the addition of the word more... Moreover, such combinations can be formed with a short form ( faster, more red).
Superlative degree
The simple form of the superlative degree has features in its meaning: in addition to the above-mentioned basic meaning of the superiority of quality in an object compared with other objects, this form can denote the highest, limiting degree of quality in any object without comparison with others. In other words, it can mean an irrespectively high degree of quality: worst enemy, kindest creature.
The simple form is formed by attaching a suffix -Eish (-eish). At the same time, it is not formed from all adjectives, usually it is absent in those lexemes 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 - hairy, silent - more silent).
A complex form is formed by a combination of a quality adjective and a word most... It is not related to lexical restrictions: the reddest, the kindest, the narrowest.
For adjectives with suffixes –Owat - (- evat-)no superlative form is formed because the value of the incomplete characteristic is incompatible with the value of the high degree of the characteristic ( deafest, most deafish).
The superlative shape denotes the highest quality. In contrast to the comparative degree, the forms of the superlative degree cannot express a comparative assessment of the degree of a feature in the same subject and in two subjects.
This topic is very simple, it lends itself easily even to those who have recently started learning English. If you already know several 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... This is a simple adjective as you learn it: interesting, beautiful, good etc.
The next degree is comparative... If you have two subjects, and you compare them according to one or another criterion, then you will talk about this in a comparative degree: bigger, smaller, more interesting, more beautiful etc.
And the third degree that adjectives can have is excellent... When you compare several items for any reason, one of them will outperform the others. We say about him that he is the most: the most interesting, the biggest, the best.
IN english language 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. As an 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 subject without comparing it to anything else, then a simple adjective is used, without suffixes. But as soon as the second item appears, for comparison, it becomes necessary to use comparative degree.
To form it, you need to look at the adjective: how many syllables it contains, how long it is. The method you use to complete your degree depends on this. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then you need to add a suffix to it - er:
Small - smaller
big (big) - bigger (more)
easy (simple) - easier (easier)
If your adjective is long (more than two syllables), then if you load it with a 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
If you are comparing two things or phenomena in a sentence, then you also need the word than (what) to indicate what you are actually comparing and with what:
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.
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 objects in front of you that you need to compare, choose one for some reason, then you need to use not a comparative, but an excellent form.
How you form this degree will depend on how many syllables you have in your adjective. If the adjective is short (1-2 syllables), then a suffix is \u200b\u200badded - 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
The prepositions IN and OF.
It was already mentioned above that when you compare two objects, then you need to use the word than in the comparison.
Prepositions are used in superlative degree with adjectives 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?
Also, the preposition is used when it comes to a group of people, an organization:
I am the youngest pupil in the class. - I am the youngest student in the class.
Pretext on use 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 may ask why most examples use the article the... We remember that this article is used to indicate something definite, known to the interlocutors. When it comes to the superlative degree, we single out one object from the group as one or only one of its kind and it becomes definite:
He is the cleverest boy in the class. - He's 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 would like to draw your attention to the fact that the article the is not always used with superlative adjectives. If the adjectives are preceded by a word that answers the question Whose? / Whose? (or 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 Maria.
Changes in spelling.
As you form comparative and superlative adjectives, you should remember that the addition of suffixes in English is often accompanied by spelling changes.
With adjectives, there are two basic rules to remember:
1. If a short adjective ends in -y, then when the suffix -y is added, it changes to i and the suffix is \u200b\u200badded:
Easy - the easiest
noisy - noisier - the noisiest
busy - busier - the busiest
2. If a short adjective ends in a consonant preceded by an stressed vowel (closed stressed syllable), then the last consonant is doubled:
Big - bigger - the biggest
fat (bold) - fatter - the fattest
If the adjective ends in two consonants, or in a consonant in front of which a combination of vowels, then nothing is doubled, but the required suffix is \u200b\u200bsimply added:
Strong (strong) - stronger - the strongest
cold (cold) - colder - the coldest
weak (weak) - weaker - the weakest
Exceptions.
In English, there are adjectives-exceptions, the comparative and superlatives of which are not formed according to the rule, without adding suffixes:
good - better - the best - good / better / best
bad - worse - the worst - bad / worse / worst
far - farther - the farthest - far / 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 are used in a positive degree. Read more about this construction.
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!