Degrees of comparison of adjectives briefly. Degrees of comparison of adjectives

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.

Which acts as the initial form: kind - kinder, more/less kind, kindest, kindest, kindest of all.

Expresses the attribute of a given object without comparison with the attribute of another object; it is neutral in relation to the degree of manifestation of the attribute.

comparative

Comparative forms indicate:

1. A characteristic that is manifested to a greater extent in one object than in another.

• Elbrus higher Kazbek.
• This first sound was followed by another, harder And lingering...
• (I. S. Turgenev)
• Further experiments were more complex than the previous ones.
• (Academician I.P. Pavlov)

2. A feature that manifests itself differently in the same object at different times is contained either to a greater or to a lesser extent.

• I am now more modest became in desires,
• My life or you I dreamed of...
• (S. A. Yesenin)
• Faith has become more reserved what it was.

The comparative degree can be simple(consist of one word) and composite(consist of two words).

Comparative degree education

Adjective initial form	Comparative degree means of education	Comparative adjective
spicy interesting nonsensical	Simple form -her (-to her)	sharp her (to her) interesting her more pointless
Adjectives with stems g, k, x, d, t, st hot quiet Expensive young steep	-e+ alternation of final consonant stem	hot e hush e dear e younger e steep e
Adjectives with suffixes - To -, -OK -(-ek -) bottom to th high ok	-e+ truncation of suffixes - To -, -OK -(-ek -)	bottom e higher e
long thin	-she+ truncation of the final consonant of the stem g, k	share she tone she
high big	By - + -she(-e)	on higher for more
good bad small	from other bases	better worse less
solid weak sweet	Compound form words more, less	harder less weak sweeter

Qualitative adjectives with suffixes do not have a simple comparative form - sk -, -ov -, -l -, -n -(they don’t even have short forms!): friendly, mass, blood, emaciated, etc. This also includes adjectives with the suffix - To - such as fusible, bulky, heavy, individual non-derivative words (flat, decrepit, proud, sloping) and words denoting the colors of animals: brown, savrasy, etc.

Superlative

Superlative forms indicate:

1. A characteristic that is manifested in a given object to the highest degree or more than in all other objects.

• Elbrus - highest from the Caucasus mountains.
• In this group Ivanov - the most capable And hardworking student.
• you today the best.

2. The maximum degree of quality without comparison with other objects, including as part of stable expressions: the kindest soul, the worst enemy.

• Arrived the most important stage in your life.
• Everything needs to be figured out the smallest details.

Superlative education

Adjective initial form	Educational means of superlatives	Superlative adjective
strict brief quiet high	Simple form -aish -+ alternation of final consonant stem	watchman aishiy kratch aishiy hush aishiy high aishiy
brave wonderful	-eish -	brave eishiy wonderful eishiy
high ok Beautiful	nai -+ -sh- (truncation of suffix - OK -) nai - + -eish -	highest the most beautiful
good bad small	from other bases	best worst less
solid accessible	Compound form the word is the most	the hardest the most affordable
loyal funny	words most, least	most faithful least fun
sad smart interesting	compare step. adj. + genitive case of the pronoun all - all	saddest of all smarter than everyone else the most interesting of all

Qualitative adjectives with suffixes do not form a simple superlative form - sk -, -n -, -ov -(-ev -), -To -, -ast -, -ist -: native, businesslike, loud, vociferous, colorful, spreading, thoroughbred, many words with suffixes - Liv -, -chiv -, -ovat - (-evat -): turbulent, talkative, whitish.

Qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison: positive(original form), comparative(com parativ) And excellent(superlative). Grammatical category degrees of comparison acts as a grammaticalized core of the functional-semantic category of gradualism, the meaning of which is realized by multi-level linguistic means. The meaning of degrees of comparison is that the comparative degree conveys intensity of a feature in comparison with the same feature in another object .

Scientific discussion

From Aristotle to the present day, words conveying gradual meaning (measure, degree, magnitude of a characteristic, process, phenomenon, object), have been the object of study by many researchers 3 . M. V. Lomonosov in his “Russian Grammar” considered the degrees of comparison of the category subjective assessment. Russian grammarians of the 19th century. These aspects brought us closer together. Two categories of quality levels have been established - non-relative(old, old, old) And relative(the oldest of..., one is older than the other) .

Without calling the presented phenomena by a term gradualism, which modern scientists use, linguists have described a number of linguistic phenomena that correspond to the very essence of gradualism. All theories and descriptions of various quality levels with historical point of view represented an important perspective in the study of gradualism. Since the 15th century. In the Russian language there are all kinds of forms with graduated meanings.

Characteristics, procedurality, objectivity in a certain way (to a greater or lesser extent) correlate with the concepts degree, measure. Most words in the modern Russian language express changeable and measurable ( qualitative) sign: degrees of comparison (adjectives); formations with augmentative and diminutive suffixes (nouns); ways of verbal action with the meaning of measure; gradual oppositions in the lexical system of language; gradational syntactic constructions; the use of gradation as a stylistic method. As graduated And graduated units, words are considered that, due to their semantic and grammatical features, are capable of expressing one or another degree (measure) of manifestation of a characteristic: “In everyday language, “compare” means expressing one’s attitude, “evaluating”, “measuring”, guided by our feelings and our passions."

Graduality– functional-semantic category with meaning measures, degrees of manifestation a sign, process, phenomenon, state expressed by multi-level linguistic means. Comparative degree ( comparative) denotes a variable characteristic that can appear in an object to a greater or lesser extent than in another object. Wed: This question more difficultprevious one. – This question more difficult,than the previous one. Excellent degree ( superlative) denotes such a variable characteristic that manifests itself in an object to the greatest or smallest extent than in another object: This the most difficultquestion of the topic being studied. - This the most difficultquestion of the topic being studied.

The forms of comparative and superlative degrees can be simple(synthetic) and complex(analytical).

Simple form comparative degree has indicators - suffixes -ee(s), -e: high – highere(alternating s//sh at the root of the word + truncation of the stem - suffix -ok-), strong – strongher (strong-to her) and so on. From adjectives good, bad, small Supplemental comparative forms are formed: good is better, bad is worse etc. The simple superlative degree is formed by adding suffixes -eysh-, - aish-: highaishyay, strongeishth etc. For example: Leo Tolstoy is a geniuseishth fromwriters of the 20th century.

Complex form comparative degrees are formed by additional words more/less+ positive degree: more (less)tall (kind).

Complex form excellent degrees are formed in several ways:

• a) using an additional (auxiliary) word (particles) most: most complex, highest and so on.;
• b) using additional (auxiliary) words most, least: least complex etc.;
• c) the combination “simple form of comparative degree + pronoun in the genitive case Total(or everyone)": the hardest thing (of everyone) and etc.;
• d) the combination “reinforcing particle All + simple form of comparative degree": The pain in my heart became Allhote(M. Sholokhov).

In a sentence, a simple form usually performs a function predicate, and a composite can be like predicate, so and definition. Wed: She was more beautifulwhat he imagined her to be(L. Tolstoy).

The complex form of comparative and superlative degrees is formed from almost all qualitative adjectives. The simple form has limitations.

Forms of the simple comparative degree are not formed from adjectives:

• – with absolute qualitative value: bald, blind, lame, dumb, barefoot, deaf and so on.;
• – with a base on [ w"], [and]: beggar, stalwart and etc.;
• – with suffix -sk-: friendskoh, enemyskth etc.;
• – from some verbal adjectives with a suffix -k-: padToyay, moveToyay, shatToth etc.;
• – with suffix -ov-/-ev-: badovoh, boevOuch and so on.;
• – with suffix -l-: unyloh, mouthlth etc.;
• – from individual adjectives that stand apart for historical reasons, for example proud, young and etc.

Simple superlative forms are not formed from adjectives:

• – with suffix -sk-: friendskoh, tragicskoh, enemyskth etc.;
• – with suffix -k-: bastardTooh, thunderToyay, ringingToth and so on.;
• – with suffix -ov-/-ev-: rowovoh, stroevoh, boevOuch and etc.;
• - from adjectives proud, young etc.

Excellent degree has two types of meaning:

• 1) manifestation of a sign in highest degree compared to other items ( superlative): oldest ofworkers and so on.;
• 2) expression extreme degree manifestations of a characteristic regardless of other objects (regardless of the large measure of the characteristic - elative): Got into stupidestposition, this raresthappening etc.

IN grammatical relatively complex shapes comparative And excellent degrees are no different from positive(original) degree. Simple comparative forms are unchangeable, cf.: House(s) (pine tree(s), building(s)) higher,how...

Syntactic(syntagmatic) conditions The use of morphological formations of different types in the Russian language is characterized by the following features.

1. Expressing the relative degree of presence of the characteristic, adjective in comparative or excellent degree is used as a gradual syntactic member – predicate or definitions. Wed:

So, reasoning, Selifan finally wandered into the most distant abstraction. Maybe it prompted him to do this another, more significant reason more serious, closer to the heart... But the reader will learn about all this gradually and in due time, if only he has the patience to read the proposed story, which is very long, which will then expand wider and more spacious as it approaches the end, which crowns the matter (N. Gogol).

These are complex, analytical formations. The role of the exponent is the word more(comparative degree) and words most or most(superlative). Superlative exponent most stylistically neutral, and the word most is bookish in nature. Wed:

Most typical cases; most simple question. - Disdaining the prudent comfort of castling, he sought to create the most unexpected, the most bizarre relationships between figures (V. Nabokov).

2. Adjectives in comparative degrees acting as definitions can express the result of a subjective assessment.

The shade of the meaning of a subjective assessment can be conveyed by lexical means, for example: elderly person (as opposed to old). Combined with the word more The adjective is used in both full and short form: this question is more important: important(composite form); this question is more important: more important(simple form). Short form more important conveys a state of mind in time: Currently this question more important.

Typical for the Russian language is the simple (synthetic) form of the comparative degree in -ee, -ey, -e. It is homonymous to the comparative form of the adverb. Wed: he behaves modestly(adv.); his demands are more modest(adj.).

Excellent The degree of the adjective, acting as a nominal predicate, has three forms similar to the forms of the comparative degree: this question is the most (important): most (important): most important of all (everything). If the superlative expresses quality inanimate or animate object, then preference is given to the forms “most + full form of the adjective”:

This suitcase the heaviest; His job the best.– Vronsky is one of the sons of Count Kirill Ivanovich Vronsky and one of the best samples of gilded youth (L. Tolstoy).

• 3. Comparative degree in function predicate-predicate used in special comparative constructions in which the object of comparison is expressed in one way or another. It is formed in two ways:
• 1) connecting a simple comparative form with a genitive comparison: Wilson is more important than other birds(V. Mayakovsky);
• 2) by connecting a compound comparative form consisting of the word more and the short form of the positive degree, and the conjunction than: Wilson is more important than the other bird.

The first method should be considered the most common, because the use of “forms of the comparative degree is not limited to simple morphological rules. The types of formation and functioning of degrees of comparison in the Russian language should be studied and assimilated in close connection with the syntactic and semantic conditions of their use.”

All qualitative-evaluative and most qualitative adjectives form degrees of comparison, expressing different degrees of quality. But in a number of cases they do not have degrees of comparison due to their semantics: adjectives like mute, barefoot and so on. denote absolute quality and logically do not allow comparatives or superlatives. It is important to note that comparative and superlative degrees indicate different meanings as opposed to meaning positive degrees:

"She's at two meetings at once..."

(V. Mayakovsky)

Forms of comparative degree with prefix more (smarter, more fun, cheaper etc.), acting as a predicate, acquire the shade of a “softened” comparative degree: He's younger than me; He will be smarter than all of us. -

And the man - he was quick-witted,

He went after the bear,

He planted a spear in it

What higher navel, lower liver

• (meaning “slightly higher/lower”).
• (A. Pushkin)

Forms of adjectives on -ee, -e, -she with attachment By- indicate the predominance of some quality in one of the objects being compared: (book) more interesting; (boy) smarter and so on.

In combination with the genitive case of attributive pronouns Total or everyone(which, in essence, became formants, indicators of the superlative degree) The comparative degree takes on the meaning of the superlative. Such stable combinations carry the meaning of the highest degree of quality by comparative contrast anything other items in the aggregate and not from the same category. This is a complex form of elative, which does not combine with forms on -eysh-, -aysh-. For example:

What struck him most was that from Monday he would be Luzhin (V. Nabokov); And the geese screamed, / Disappearing in the sky, / What is most precious / The native side... (M. Isakovsky).

All three degrees represent a gradational series: rough: rougher: rudest; rough: more rough: the roughest and so on.

In russian language comparative degree is often used to mean excellent. This usage is distinguished by genitive case of the second element at a comparative degree. It can also be used with superlatives: best of all, richest of all. In some cases you may notice a “limited” meaning of the superlative – better (...) all others except one (two...).

Based on Otto Jespersen’s system of degrees of comparison, which excludes from consideration the superlative degree as a type of comparative, we will highlight the stages of gradation:

• 1.Superiority (>) more dangerous (better) than...
• 2. Equality(=)s as dangerous (good) as...
• 3. Lower degree(less dangerous (good) than... etc.

It's obvious that first and third steps are closely related because

in both cases it is expressed inequality. There are two ways of expression with opposite meanings, which make it possible to reverse the relations of the first and third steps: worse than = less good than. Based on this, the following can be established equality: older than = less young than. Wed:

Levin himself did not remember his mother, and his only his sister was older than him, so that in the Shcherbatskys’ house he saw for the first time that very environment of the old noble, educated and honest family, which he was deprived of by the death of his father and mother (L. Tolstoy).

Comparison Levin's sister is older than him doesn't mean that Sister is old and the comparative degree can therefore mean lesser degree than the positive in the expression Sister is old. Similar offer Sister is older than Levin says nothing about Levin's old age; By old age Levina will be implied if we add the adverb more: The sister is even older than Levin. We see that such a use of the word more is not self-evident.

When negating a step superiority (1) Sister is not as old as Levin we get the value either equality(2), or lower degree(3). When negating a step equality(2) we get the value lower degree (3): less old than; younger than. Wed: And as old as V. An objection to this statement would be the following: Oh no, not as old as B, but much older.

There are designs proportional compliance, in which the determining element represents a period of time, but does not have an explicit expression. In such sentences the following meanings and features of their expression are revealed:

a) repetition of the comparative degree form:

It was becoming getting darker and darker (= the longer it has continued, the darker became). He was becoming more and more impatient; Heartache was getting hotter(M. Sholokhov);

b) formant All together with the comparative degree it forms the superlative degree: He said everything is more and more illegible.

V.V. Vinogradov pointed out that adjectives in - the greatest/- the greatest can have three meanings in modern Russian:

1) regardless of large measure (maximum degree) of the characteristic (elative meaning):

He is the smartest person; The weather is wonderful. – He began to tear out leaves and flowers in his hearts and sneezed from the smallest dust (V. Nabokov).

Some forms of the superlative degree break away from the paradigm and appear in the meaning of the elative, i.e. in the sense of an absolutely greater degree of quality: greatest scientist(does not mean the greatest) ,

• 2) excellent degrees: the most faithful of friends, the greatest poet,
• 3) comparative degrees (a meaning almost lost in modern Russian, but which has left traces in phraseology): upon closer inspection.

The most common is the use of forms on -the greatest/-the greatest in an elative sense. Such forms in free combinations have an evaluative character. Wed:

I found myself in a stupid situation; This is a rare case, etc. - This the smartest, most decent and most talented man (N. Gogol); But nothing of the sort happened, he listened calmly, and when his father, who was trying to pick up the most curious, most attractive(= “evaluative character”) details, said, among other things, that as an adult he would be called by his last name, the son blushed, blinked, leaned back on the pillow, opening his mouth and shaking his head... (V. Nabokov).

Gradual-evaluative value of the superlative degree of the form on -the greatest/-the greatest realized in combination with the preposition from:the most brilliant of (musicians), oldest of (workers)) and so on. For example:

And as in my cart... with clothes and linen there was also a bed, then in my misfortune I honored myself happiest of mortals (A. Pushkin).

Elative meaning is very close to the category of subjective evaluation. Elative forms express gradual meaning and serve to express the extreme degree of quality without indicating the relationship to other objects: Tiny specks of dust fluttered in the air; I found a rare specimen.

Consequently, the formal means of expressing the meanings of measure and degree (graduality) in the field of qualitative adjectives (and qualitative adverbs) is morphological level concerning the properties of morphemes and cases of analytical formation. As a grammaticalized core gradualism the corresponding category appears degrees of comparison – comparative, superlativeAndelative

• Cm.: Kolesnikova S. M. Semantics of gradualism and ways of expressing it in modern Russian. M., 1998; Hers. Functional-semantic category of gradualism in modern Russian language. M., 2010. pp. 78-86.
• See additional: Falev I. A. On the question of degrees of comparison in the modern Russian language // Language and thinking. Vol. 9. M.; L. 1940; Nikulin A. S. Degrees of comparison in modern Russian. M.; L., 1937; Knyazev Yu. P. On the semantics of degrees of comparison of adjectives // Scientific notes of the Tartu State University. un-ta. T. 524: Problems of intrastructural functional description of language. Tartu, 1980; Kolesnikova S. M. Degrees of comparison of adjectives and the intensity of the attribute they express // Russian language at school. 1998. No. 5.
• Wed: Galich G. G. Gradual characteristics of qualitative adjectives, verbs and nouns of the modern German language: abstract. dis.... cand. Philol. Sci. L., 1981; Kharitonchik Z. A. Turansky I. I. Semantic category of intensity in modern English. M., 1990; Novikov L. A. Antonymy in Russian. M., 1973; Arutyunova N. D. Language and the human world. M., 1999; Apresyan Yu. D. Lexical semantics. Synonymous means of language. M., 1974; Wolf E. M. Functional semantics of evaluation. M., 1985; Ubin I. I. Lexical means of expressing intensity (based on the Russian and English languages): abstract. dis.... cand. Philol. Sci. M., 1974; Turansky I. I. Semantic category of intensity in English. M., 1990; Vorotnikov Yu. L. Degrees of quality in modern Russian language. M., 1999; Norman V. Yu. Gradation in the Russian language // Qnantitat und Graduierungals kognitiv-semantische Kategorien. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz verlg, 2001. pp. 381-403. Sapir E. Graduation: semantic research // New in foreign linguistics. M., 1986. P. 43; Halina N.V. The category of gradualism in words and texts. Barnaul, 1993; Krzhizhkova E. Quantitative determination of adjectives in the Russian language (lexico-syntactic + analysis) // Syntax and norm. M., 1974. S. 122-144; Bolinger D. Degree words. Paris: Mouton, 1972; Studia gramatyezne bulgarsko-polskie. T. 3: Ilosc, gradaeja, osoba. Wroclaw, 1989; Kolesnikova S. M. Graduality: linguistic description (based on the Russian language) // Akademiai Kiado. Budapest, 2011; Repasi D., Szekely G. On gradualism in a comparative aspect // Bulletin of MGOU. Ser. "Russian Philology". Vol. 5. M., 2010. P. 110-117; Kolesnikova S. M. Functional-semantic category of gradualism in the modern Russian language // Modern Nyelvoktatas: A Magyar Alkalmazott Nyelveszek es Nyelvtanarok Egyesfiletenek folyoirata. XVI. 2010. S. 116-118; Sjostrom S. Spatial relations: Towards a theory of spatial verbs, prepositions, a pronominal adverbs in Swedish. Goteborg: Dept. of linguistics, 1990.
• Kartsevsky S. O. Comparison // Questions of linguistics. 1976. No. 1. P. 112.
• Isachenko A.V. The grammatical structure of the Russian language in comparison with Slovak. Bratislava, 1965. P. 201.
• Cm.: Jespersen O. Philosophy of grammar: trans. from English M., 1958.

Qualitative adjectives have degrees of comparison. This is how language expresses the fact that signs can have a greater or lesser degree. Tea can be sweet to a greater or lesser extent, right? And language conveys this content.
Degrees of comparison thus convey the idea of ​​comparison. They do this systematically. There are three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative.

· Positive - this means that the trait is expressed without assessing the degree: tall, cheerful, warm.

· The comparative determines a greater or lesser degree: higher, more cheerful, warmer, taller, more cheerful, warmer, less tall, less cheerful, less warm.

· The superlative expresses the greatest or least degree: the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest, the highest, the most cheerful, the warmest.

From the examples it is clear that the degrees of comparison are expressed in different ways. In the comparative and superlative degrees, the meaning is conveyed either with the help of suffixes: higher e, cheerful, highest, cheerful, or with the help of words: more, less, most . Therefore, comparative and superlative degrees of comparison can be expressed:

· simple forms: higher, highest,

· compound forms: taller, less tall, highest.

Among the simple forms in the Russian language, as in other languages, for example, in English, there are forms formed from another stem. Examples:
good, bad - positive degree
better, worse - comparative degree
best, worst - superlative
Words in the simple and complex comparative and superlative degrees change in different ways:
Comparative degree (simple): higher, lower - does not change.
Comparative degree (complex): lower, lower, lower - the adjective itself changes, change is possible by cases, numbers, and in the singular - by gender.
Superlative (simple): highest, highest, highest - changes according to cases, numbers, and in the singular - according to gender, i.e. as in a positive degree.
Superlative degree (difficult): the highest, the highest, the highest - both words change according to cases, numbers, and in the singular - according to gender, i.e. as in a positive degree.

Adjectives in simple comparative form in a sentence are part of the predicate:

Anna and Ivan are brother and sister. AnnaolderIvana. She used towas higher, and nowhigherIvan.

Other forms of comparison can be used both as a definition and as a predicate:
I approached more matureguys.
Guys were more mature than I thought.
I turned tothe oldestguys.
These guys are the oldest of those who study in the circle.

Adjectives (Adjectives) are words that express qualities, characteristics of objects. They answer the question Which?. In a sentence, they usually define a noun. In English they do not change either by gender, or by number, or by case:

a little girl - little girl

a little boy - little boy

little children - little children

With a little boy - with a little boy.

Adjectives change only by degrees of comparison (Degrees of Comparison). There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives: positive (Positive Degree), comparative (Comparative Degree), excellent (Superlative Degree).

Rules for the formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives.

Adjectives in the positive degree do not have any endings, for example: quick (fast), slow (slow), old (old), new (new). The comparative and superlative degrees are formed using the suffixes -er and -est or by adding the words more (more) and most (most). The choice of method depends on the original form of the adjective.

Monosyllabic and some two-syllable adjectives form the comparative degree with the suffix -er, and the superlative degree with the suffix -est. Using the suffixes -er, -est, degrees of comparison are formed into two-syllable adjectives ending in -er, -ow, -y, -le (clever, narrow, early, simple).

Here are some examples:

One- and two-syllable adjectives

Positive degree	comparative	Superlative
high - high	higher – higher, higher	highest - the highest
small - small	smaller - less	smallest – smallest, smallest
strong - strong	stronger – stronger, stronger	strongest - the strongest
cheap - cheap	cheaper - cheaper, cheaper	cheapest - the cheapest
quick - fast	quicker - faster	quickest - the fastest
new - new	newer – newer	newest - the newest
clean - clean	cleaner – cleaner, cleaner	cleanest - the cleanest
cold - cold	colder – colder, colder	coldest - the coldest
short - short	shorter - shorter, shorter	shortest - the shortest
great – great, big	greater - more	greatest – the greatest, greatest
weak - weak	weaker - weaker	weakest - the weakest
deep – deep	deeper – deeper, deeper	deepest - the deepest
low - low	lower - lower	lowest - the lowest
clever - smart	cleverer – smarter, more intelligent	cleverest – smartest, most intelligent
narrow - narrow	narrower - narrower	narrowest - the narrowest
shallow - small	shallower - smaller	shallowest - the smallest

When writing, certain spelling rules must be followed.

1. If an adjective has a short vowel and ends in one consonant, then in the comparative and superlative degrees this consonant is doubled:

big – bigger – biggest

big - bigger - biggest, biggest

Fat – fatter – fattest

thick, fatty – thicker – the thickest

Wet-wetter-wettest

wet, humid – more humid – the most humid

Sad – sadder – saddest

sad, sad – sadder – saddest

thin – thinner – thinnest

thin, thin – thinner – thinnest

2. If the adjective ends with a letter -y with a preceding consonant, then in the comparative and superlative degrees the letter y changes to i:

Easy – easier – easiest

light - lighter - lightest, lightest

early – earlier – earliest

early – earlier – earliest

dry – drier – driest

dry, arid – drier – driest

But the word shy (shy, fearful) does not obey this rule and forms degrees of comparison as follows:

shy – shyer – shyest.

3. If the adjective ends with a letter -e, then in the comparative and superlative degrees it is added -r, -st:

wide – wider – widest

wide - wider - widest, widest

late – later – latest

late – later – the latest

fine – finer – finest

good, wonderful – better – the best

simple – simpler – simplest

simple - simpler - simplest

Polysyllabic adjectives, i.e. Adjectives consisting of three or more syllables form degrees of comparison using the words more for the comparative degree and most for the superlative degree. Consider the following examples:

Polysyllabic adjectives

Positive degree	comparative	Superlative
interesting - interesting	more interesting – more interesting	most interesting - the most interesting
beautiful – beautiful	more beautiful - more beautiful	most beautiful - the most beautiful
expensive - expensive	more expensive - more expensive	most expensive - the most expensive
difficult - difficult	more difficult – more difficult	most difficult - the most difficult
dangerous – dangerous	more dangerous – more dangerous	most dangerous - the most dangerous
important - important	more important - more important	most important - the most important
comfortable - convenient	more comfortable - more comfortable	most comfortable - the most convenient

In the same way, i.e. Using the words more for the comparative degree and most for the superlative degree, some two-syllable words that end in -ed and - are formed into degrees of comparison.