Comparative degree and superlative adjectives

The adjective is the very part of the speech without which our language can not exist. And it's not just the need to make imagery. Without adjectives, even banal concretization of objects is impossible. If we do not know the exact characteristics of a particular object, we can not imagine it, and therefore, it is difficult to foresee what actions we can take towards this object.

We all understand that objects can not be the same. One of them is bigger, the second one is smaller, the third one is heavier, and the fourth one is generally darker in color. So how do you describe something that differs from other objects with its features? How to highlight this difference? It is for this that we need a comparative degree and an excellent degree of comparison of the names of adjectives. Let's try to figure out what it is.

And for what?

As mentioned above, a comparative and superlative degree of adjectives is needed in order to identify the object through comparing it with another object. Usually one of the items is initially called so that a person can imagine what he will have to compare with, and then the signs of the new object are listed with respect to the original, so that when comparing we could form an idea of what is not yet known to us.

A comparative degree and an excellent degree is really necessary in education to help the learner to better understand the nature of the subject, which, of course, contributes to the successful assimilation of the material. At the same time, our everyday speech would become much more scarce, if it did not have these very comparisons - then in a number of situations we simply could not express our thought! To form a comparative and excellent degree of the names of adjectives and adverbs (as will be discussed later) is not at all difficult. The main thing is to be able to apply them correctly.

From what we form?

First of all, it is necessary to understand that the comparative and excellent degree of adjectives is a phenomenon characteristic only for qualitative parts of speech. Possessive adjectives, for example, which indicate the belonging of an object to someone, can not form something like this: the ball can not, for example, be larger than Tanin, than Sashin, and the tail has more foxes than a wolf. The same can be said about relative adjectives: the table is more wooden than the chair? Nonsense!

So be sure to remember that only quality adjectives have a comparative degree and an excellent degree.

Comparative - synthetics

Let's start with the comparative degree of the name of the adjective. First, you need to understand that it is simple and complex, that is, it is formed either with the help of special suffixes, or by adding certain words that emphasize the difference between objects. A simple degree, it is also called synthetic, as mentioned above, is formed with the help of formative suffixes, which are added to the basis of the word. The choice of the suffix depends on which sound ends this very basis. For most consonant sounds (except for a few exceptions, which will be discussed below), the suffixes -eee- and -ey- are suitable: bright - light, hot - hot, and so on.

The suffix -e- is used in such cases:

• When the adjective ends with r, x, d, t (expensive - expensive, dry - dry, rich - rich, young - eco). By the way, here, as you have already noticed, there is also an alternation of consonant sound in the root of the word, which is also an important point.
• When the adjective ends with the suffix -k- (high-high, low-bottom).
• In cases, exceptions, which unfortunately do not yield to any logic (cheap - cheaper).

And the last group of suffixes -she and -she- are also used in single cases, more as exceptions (thin - thin, deep - deeper).

In addition, we can not fail to mention that there is a certain number of words, in which, even at the formation of a comparative and excellent degree, the root itself changes (good - BETTER, poor - IT IS worse).

Everyday speech allows the addition of a prefix -to-the adjective, already standing in comparative degree, in order to soften this difference a little (light-lighter-lighter, expensive-more expensive-more expensive). In the sentence, this form of the name of the adjective is most often part of a composite nominal predicate. Moreover, it does not change by birth, by numbers and by cases.

Comparative - Analytics

Let us pass to the composite-analytical form of the comparative degree of the name of the adjective. Here everything is much simpler: the words "more" and "less" are used before the adjective (riskier - more risky, educated - less educated). In the proposal, the analytical form fully corresponds to the functions of the usual name of the adjective.

Excellent - synthetics

An excellent degree of comparison demonstrates, as is clear from the title, the absolute superiority of some feature, the highest degree of its manifestation. It also has a synthetic (simple) and analytical (composite) form.

"Synthetics" is formed with the help of a number of suffixes -yush-, -aish-, -sh- (simple - simple, quiet - tishaya). In addition, the literary style allows the use of the prefix -nai-, which is added to the adjective in a comparative degree (small - the smallest, the simplest - the simplest). There is already a change in gender, numbers and cases, in contrast to the comparative degree.

Excellent - Analytics

With a compound form, everything is as simple as with a comparative degree. It usually adds the words "most", "most / least", inherent for the most part to the book style (MOST successful, LEAST rational, SIMPLEST), and "all / all" combined with an adjective in comparative degree that are used in colloquial speech (Smarter than all, more interesting than all).

Degrees of comparison of adverbs

Now let's move on to another part of the speech - the dialect. Its necessity and usefulness are undeniable. In principle, they have a lot in common. Comparative and excellent degree of adverbs - the rule, in comparison with the adjective, is much less voluminous and much easier.

First, it should be noted that the degrees of comparison form only adverbs ending in -o, -e, which are based on qualitative adjectives (simple, quiet, deep).

Secondly, we have all the same two forms: comparative and excellent, with a division into the simple and the composite in the first case. For the formation of a simple comparative degree, the suffixes -e-, -e-, -e- and -he- are added to the adverb without this characteristic -o, e: simply-forgiving, funny-mixed. Whereas the composite form is created using already known words "more / less" and the original form of the adverb - LESS loudly, MORE freely. With an excellent degree of adverb, it is much simpler: there is no synthetic form, and the analytical form is formed by adding a short "all" to the comparative degree of the adverb (quietly - quietly - quieter than ALL, boldly - boldly - bolder than all).

We generalize

We have studied the comparative and excellent degree. A table that will help summarize and repeat all of the above material is presented below.

Conclusion

A comparative degree and an excellent degree is a subject, in principle, elementary. It is enough to know a few suffixes to successfully perform numerous grammar exercises. By the way, this feature of adjectives and adverbs is inherent in many languages. Here, for example, English: a comparative and excellent degree in this language is formed by adding either a suffix to monosyllabic words, or amplifying words to multisyllabic words. Everything is even simpler here than with us! If desired, you can master this rule without difficulty. Practice, practice and practice again!