Slim is comparative and superlative. Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English

An adverb and an adjective have a lot in common. As close relatives, they are similar in many ways, but there are also differences. Formation of degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs in English language- a vivid example of this.

What are the degrees of comparison?

An adverb and an adjective are closest “relatives”. They both help diversify speech, make it more interesting, richer and richer. The only difference is that the first is an adverb, emotionally colors the verb (brightly, draw beautifully), and the second is an adjective, describes the noun and thereby serves as the main source of its expressiveness (quiet, foggy morning).

They both love to compare. An adjective is an excellent helper when it is necessary to compare two objects (Comparative degree) or to indicate that some attribute is manifested in one object to the greatest or least extent (Superlative degree). The adverb is not far behind. It also likes to compare or emphasize superiority, but with the only difference - it is interested in the nature of the action:

Tom runs faster than Jack does - Tom runs faster than Jack (Comparative degree)

During the meeting Ann spoke loudest - During the meeting, Anna spoke the loudest (Superlative)

Monosyllabic adverbs

Comparative and superlative adverbs in English that consist of one syllable are formed using suffixes -er and -est:

Late - later - latest (late - later - most late)

High - higher - highest (high - higher - above all)

Adverbs of two or more syllables ending in -ly

English adverbs that consist of two or more syllables and end with the suffix -ly, form degrees of comparison by adding to them the words more/less (more/less) and most/least (most/least):

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Properly - more properly - most properly (correctly - more correctly - most correctly)

Constantly - more constantly - most constantly (constantly - more constantly - most constantly)

Among the huge list of polysyllabic adverbs, a number of words stand out that form degrees of comparison in two ways: suffixally or using the words more/less (more/less) and most/least (most/least): early (earlier/more early), loudly (louder/ more loudly), quickly (quicker/more quickly), slowly (slower/more slowly).

Exceptions

Adjectives and adverbs are similar in one more way - in the list of exceptions, which form degrees of comparison in their own unique way. They are presented in the following table “Degrees of comparison of adverbs in English”:

*Positive degree*	*comparative*	*Superlative*	*Translation*
			Good - better - best of all
			Bad - worse - worst of all
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Let us remember once again that the adjective ( Adjective) is a word that denotes a characteristic of an object, person or phenomenon. It answers the question “which one?” Let's look at how to form degrees of comparison of adjectives in English.

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

Comparative degree of adjectives in English. Comparative degree

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

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

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

Superlative adjectives in English. Superlative degree

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

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

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

Special adjectives

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

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

Exceptional adjectives

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

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

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

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

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

Test

Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English

Adjective [ˈadʒɪktɪv] or adjective in English is a part of speech that denotes a characteristic of an object/person/phenomenon. Perhaps, after the verb and noun, it is the most used of all tenses. According to their meaning, adjectives are divided into relative and qualitative. The latter differ in that they can vary in degree of comparison. Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English are formed according to certain rules, which will be discussed today.

There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. All of them are similar to Russian degrees, and therefore this topic should not be taken seriously. Let's look at each degree separately, examining its features, education and methods of use.

Positive degree [ˈpɒzɪtɪv dɪˈɡriː] or positive degree is the easiest. The English language has simplified your task, and therefore there is no need to obtain this degree. You just need to take an English adjective in its simple dictionary form and use the word in a sentence. Since when we use an adjective in this form we are not comparing it with anything, the positive degree is often considered separately, outside the topic of comparison. In any case, you need to know about it. Examples of positive degrees:

But for comparison, comparative and superlative degrees are used. There are more nuances in these degrees that need to be examined in more detail.

Comparative degree of adjectives in English

Comparative degree or comparative degree is used to compare the characteristics / attributes of two or more objects and persons. Perhaps such an explanation did not clarify anything for you, but this topic is characteristic of both the English language and the Russian language, so if you compare this form with the Russian comparative degree everything will become much clearer:

We are sure that you no longer have any questions regarding what a comparative degree is. But how do you create this degree in English? For this, two comparative forms are used:

If a word consists of one or two syllables, it has a comparative ending –er:

However, when adding –er, you need to take into account certain nuances:

If the adjective ends in –e, this letter is omitted:

But the ending –y changes to –i:

Exceptions are words that have a vowel before –y:

If the adjective has three or more syllables, the degree is formed by adding the words more (more) and less (less):

Degrees of comparison of adjectives in English - superlative adjectives

Superlative degree or superlative form in English is used to show that some object or person, in comparison with others, is “the very best,” that is, superior to all others. The superlative form is also compared with Russian adjectives in the same degree. Eg:

There are also two options for forming this form of the adjective. Each of them is preceded by a definite, since superlative adjectives imply a specific, special object or person:

The ending –est is added to an adjective with one or two syllables:

Positive degree	Superlative
large (large)	the largest (largest)
great (great)	the greatest (greatest)
pretty (handsome)	the prettiest (the most beautiful)
dear (dear)	the dearest (the most expensive)
funny	the funniest (the funniest)
short	the shortest (the shortest)
long	the longest (longest)

Please note that the rules for appending endings also apply to this form.

If an adjective has 3 or more syllables, then the words (the) most (most) and (the) least (least) are added to it:

Despite the rules, some two-syllable adjectives in comparative and superlative forms, however, can be formed with both –er / –est and more – less / most – least. For example, these include words such as:

Adjective	comparative		Superlative
	-er	more/less	-est	most/least
clever	cleverer	more (less) clever	cleverest	the most (least) clever
simple (simple)	simpler	more (less) simple	simplest	the most (least) simple
stupid	stupider	more (less) stupid	stupidest	the most (least) stupid
quiet	quieter	more (less) quiet	quietest	the most (least) quiet
common	commoner	more (less) common	commonest	the most (least) common
polite (polite)	politer	more (less) polite	politest	the most (least) polite
narrow	narrower	more (less) narrow	narrowest	the most (least) narrow
angry (angry)	angrier	more (less) angry	angry	the most (least) angry
cruel (cruel)	crueler	more (less) cruel	cruelest	the most (least) cruel
sour	sourer	more (less) sour	sourest	the most (least) sour
gentle	gentler	more (less) gentle	gentlest	the most (least) gentle
friendly (friendly)	friendlier	more (less) friendly	friendliest	the most (least) friendly
pleasant (nice)	pleasanter	more (less) pleasant	pleasantest	the most (least) pleasant
able (capable)	abler	more (less) able	ablest	the most (least) able

Preference is now increasingly given to the forms more / less and most / least.

There are also three-syllable exception adjectives that form degrees with –er and –est. These include words that, with the help of prefixes, change the original meaning of a short adjective to the opposite. For example, adjectives: happy (happy) - unhappy (unhappy), tidy (tidy) - untidy (untidy), kind (kind) - unkind (unkind), lucky (lucky) - unlucky (unsuccessful), safe (reliable) - unsafe (unreliable):

Positive degree	comparative	Superlative
unhappy	unhappier	unhappiest
untidy	untidier	untidyest
unkind	unkinder	unkindest
unlucky	unluckier	unluckiest
unsafe	unsafe	unsafe

In addition, there are exception words, all 3 forms of which are significantly different from each other and are not subject to standard education, just like English Irregular Verbs. These words of the English language just need to be remembered. Study them in the table:

Positive degree	comparative	Superlative

good (good)	better	the best
bad	worse	the worst
little (small)	less	the least (least)
many/much	more	the most (largest)
far (distant about the place)	farther (further)	the farthest (the farthest)
far (distant about place or time)	further (further)	the furthest (the farthest)
old (old about people and things)	older	the oldest (the oldest)
old (eldest in the family)	elder	the eldest (oldest)
late (late about time)	later (later)	the latest (latest)
late (last in order)	the latter (second of two)	the last (last)
near (close in distance)	nearer (closer)	the nearest (nearest)
near (close in order or time)	nearer (closer)	the next (next)

Compound adjectives in English that contain the above exceptions can be constructed in both ways:

The first option, however, is more preferable.

In other cases, compound adjectives use the second method of forming the comparative and superlative degrees:

Using the degree of comparison of adjectives in English

We talked about the rules for forming degrees, all that remains is to understand how to use these adjectives in sentences.

When using English comparative adjectives The sentence uses the conjunction than to introduce a comparison. Examples:

Animals are more honest than humans; you can always understand their intentions.	Animals are more honest than people. You can always understand their intentions.
Cars are faster than bicycles.	Cars are faster than bicycles.
Nothing can be worse than betrayal.	Nothing could be worse than betrayal.
It's better to try and fail than to fail to try.	It's better to try and fail than not to try at all.
There is no other name than yours in my head.	There are no other names in my head except yours.
Elizabeth made it a thousand times better than John but I decided not to hurt him and said nothing.	Elizabeth did it a thousand times better than John, but I decided not to upset him and didn’t tell him anything.
The black costume suits you better than the blue one.	A black suit suits you better than a blue one.
George won the fight because he was more prepared than his rival.	George won the fight because he was more prepared than his opponent.

You can add the adverb rather to the sentence, or rather to the word more. Rather more is usually used for comparison in the sense of “better... rather than...” or “better... than...”:

Sometimes the subject being compared may be omitted if the context implies it, or if the speaker knows that the interlocutor will understand it. Example sentences:

If you want to emphasize that the first person/object is much (much) better, more beautiful, etc., the sentence should contain the word much, which is placed before the degree:

Study the following table with examples:

The comparative degree is also used in three constructions:

The comparative degree, the comparative degree. In simple language, this construction is similar to the sentences “than..., so...”. Table with examples for clarity:

The more, the better.	The bigger, the better.
The less you know, the better you sleep.	The less you know the better you sleep.
The older you become, the more responsibilities you should take.	The older you get, the more responsibilities you need to take on.
The faster you run, the harder it is to catch.	The faster you run, the harder it is to catch you.
The more you procrastinate, the less time you have.	The more you procrastinate, the less time you have left.
The more dialects you know, the better you can communicate with people.	The more dialects you know, the better you can communicate with people.
The more you work, the more you get, remember this.	Remember, the more you work, the more you get.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.	The more I know, the more I realize that I know nothing.

More positive degree than positive degree. An analogue is the phrase “rather than... than.” This design is possible when we compare the characteristics of the same object/person.

You can also use “more than” in a row without adding words between them. This construction means “more than.” These two words can be followed by an adjective and/or a noun, both of which are acceptable:

For superlatives, no additional conjunctions are needed. Such adjectives are used in a sentence as a standard instead of the positive degree:

As in the Russian language, in such sentences the option is not “most”, but “one of the most”:

Two degrees of comparison can fit in one sentence:

Today we looked at the features of degrees of comparison of adjectives in English. Once you remember the rules for their formation, you will be able to use these degrees in speech without any difficulty. In order to consolidate the material, return to the article, review the tables with examples and make up your own sentences. And most importantly, have fun studying English, because if you are interested in the process, English grammar will be much faster and easier for you.

Adverbs, as well as their corresponding adjectives in English, form degrees of comparison (the Degrees of Comparison). Let's look at a few examples in the following table:

Jack can run fast.

Sam can run faster than Jack.

And Peter can run the fastest in their class.

Jack can run fast.

Sam can run faster Jack.

And Peter can run fastest.

My brother drives his car quite carefully.

My father drives his car more carefully than my brother does.

My mother drives her car the most carefully in our family.

My brother drives his car pretty carefully.

My father drives his car more careful than my brother.

My mom drives her car more careful than everyone else in our family.

Ann plays tennis quite well.

Ann's sister tennis plays better than she does.

And Ann's brother plays tennis the best in their town.

Ann plays tennis pretty Fine.

Sister Ann plays tennis better than her.

And Ann's brother plays tennis the best in their family.

If you are not yet familiar with, we strongly recommend that you first familiarize yourself with that topic and only then move on to this rule, since the algorithm for forming degrees of comparison for adverbs largely coincides with the rules for forming degrees of comparison for adjectives, but takes into account the specifics of adverbs, namely:

A. All adverbs formed from an adjective by adding a suffix -ly(except adverb and adjective earl y (early/early ) ), as well as adverbs often (often) And rarely (rarely) form comparative and superlative degrees analytically, that is, by adding words mo re For the Comparative Degree And the most For the Superlative Degree:

slowly / slowly

The tortoise moves slowly. / The turtle moves slowly.

more slowly / slower

The sloth moves even more slowly than the tortoise. / The sloth moves even slower than the turtle.

the most slowly / slowest

But the snail moves the most slowly of all animals. / But the snail moves slower than all animals.

quietly / quietly

I speak quietly. / I speak quietly.

more quietly / quieter

My mother speaks more quietly than me. / My mother speaks more quietly than me.

the most quietly / quietest of all

And my little sister speaks the most quietly in our family. / And my younger sister speaks the quietest in our family.

heavily / strongly, heavily

It is raining heavily today. / It's raining heavily today.

more heavily / stronger, heavier

It rained more heavily yesterday. / Yesterday it rained more heavily.

the most heavily / strongest, heaviest

It rained the most heavily last week. / It rained the heaviest last week.

nervously / nervously

Jack behaved nervously during the flight. / Jack acted nervously during the flight.

more nervously / more nervously

Jack's wife behaved even more nervously than he did. / Jack's wife was even more nervous than he was.

the most nervously / most nervously

But Jack’s behavior sond the most nervously during the flight. / But Jack’s son was the most nervous of all during the flight.

often / often

I often visit my granny. / I often visit my grandmother.

more often / more often

My sister visits our granny more often than I do. / My sister visits her grandmother more often than I do.

the most often / most often

Our mother visits the granny the most often of our family. / Our mother visits our grandmother more often than anyone else in our family.

rarely / rarely

We rarely mow the lawn in front of our house. / We rarely mow the lawn in front of our house.

more rarely / less often

Our neighbors mow the lawn even more slowly than we do. / Our neighbors mow their lawns even less often than we do.

the most rarely / least often

My grandparents mow the lawn in front of their house the most rarely. / My grandparents mow the lawn the least often.

B. There are adverbs that coincide in form with the corresponding adjectives. Among them, worthy of special mention are: fast (fast ), hard (persistent, hard) , late (late) . Due to the fact that they consist of one pronounceable syllable, their degrees of comparison are formed synthetically, that is, by adding suffixes, in particular –er For the Comparative Degree And –est For the Superlative Degree:

fast / quickly

The green car went fast.

faster / faster

The orange car went faster than the green car did.

the fastest / fastest

But the red car went the fastest and won the race.

hard / stubbornly, hard

I have to work hard. / I have to work hard.

harder / harder, harder

Sam hast o work harder than me to earn enough money for his big family. / Sam has to work harder than I do to earn enough money for his large family.

the hardest / the hardest of all, the hardest of all

Marc has to work the hardest in our factory. / Mark has to work harder than anyone in our factory.

late / late

Tom arrived late at the party. / Tom arrived at the party late.

later / later

Sue and Mary arrived even later than Tom did. / Sue and Mary arrived even later than Tom.

the latest / later than everyone else

But Andrew arrived at the party the latest of all the guests. / But Andrew arrived at the party later than all the guests.

The adverb should be mentioned separately here hardly, which only at first glance seems to be a direct derivative of an adverb from an adjective hard. In fact, it is used in the sense "barely, hardly, hardly" and due to this meaning it has no degrees of comparison.

C. A number of adverbs form degrees of comparison, which you must try to remember, because they are received suppletive way, that is, by involving additional words that are externally different from the original ones. These are particularly adverbs well (good) And badly (bad), corresponding to adjectives good (good) And bad (bad) and forming degrees of comparison similar to the degrees of comparison of the corresponding adjectives:

well / good

Peter plays tennis well. / Peter plays tennis well.

better / better

John plays tennis better that Peter does. / John plays tennis better than Peter.

the best / best of all

But Sarah plays tennis the best in our class. / But Sarah plays tennis better than anyone in our class.

badly/badly

My brother paints badly. / My brother draws poorly.

worse / worse

I paint worse than my brother does. / I draw worse than my brother.

the worst / worst of all

But I think my friend Daniel paints the worst of all the people I know. / But I think my friend Daniel draws worse than anyone I know.

Separately, it is worth noting the adjective and adverb far (far) , which has two forms of degrees of comparison, interchangeable when it comes to distance:

However, only the form further there is a meaning “one more, further, additional” .

They belong to the same group quantitative pronouns, which can also act as adverbs much (a lot, much) And little (little):

much / a lot, strongly

Jill likes oranges very much. / Jill loves oranges very much.

more / more, stronger

Jill likes oranges more than apples. / Jill likes oranges more than apples.

the most / most of all, strongest

In English, adverbs, like adjectives, form degrees of comparison.

Degrees of comparison of English adverbs only two: comparative and excellent.

Note: The positive degree is the initial form of an adverb. Example:

🔊I play volleyball well. - I play volleyball Fine.

When is the comparative degree of an adverb used, and when is the superlative degree used?

The comparative degree is used when comparing objects and subjects:

🔊Tom came home later than Jane. — Tom came home later than Jane.

The superlative degree marks the highest degree of quality of action of a particular object in a group of similar ones:

🔊 My brother came to school the latest today. — Today my brother came to school later than everyone else.

Degrees of comparison in English are predominantly adverbs of manner. Their formation follows the same principle as the degrees of comparison of English adjectives. You can find out more about the types of English adverbs.

In addition to the above, I note that they do not have degrees of comparison, for example, adverbs of place ( 🔊 inside, 🔊 everywhere), time ( 🔊 always, 🔊 usually), and some adverbs of manner ( 🔊 somehow, 🔊 optimally).

Methods for forming degrees of comparison in English adverbs

To monosyllabic adverbs that have the same form as adjectives, add –er comparatively and –est in excellent. Let's look at examples:

🔊 hard- hard , 🔊 late- late , 🔊 fast- fast , 🔊 low- low, 🔊 high- high, 🔊deep- deep, 🔊 long- for a long time , 🔊 near- close , 🔊soon- soon, 🔊straight- directly.

BUT! 🔊 early should also be included in this list.

Table No. 1. Monosyllabic adverbs

Positive	Comparative	Excellent
🔊 late	🔊 lat er	🔊 the lat est
🔊 hard	🔊 hard er	🔊 the hard est
🔊 near	🔊 near er	🔊 the near est
🔊deep	🔊deep er	🔊 the deep est
🔊early	🔊earl ier	🔊 the earl iest

a) 🔊I usually go to bed late.
Usually I late I go to bed.
b) 🔊 I will answer to this question later.
I'll answer this question Later.
c) 🔊 Julia was embarrassed that she had come to the party the latest.
Julia was embarrassed that she came to the party later than everyone else.

To polysyllabic adverbs and to adverbs formed using a suffix –ly, are added 🔊 more in comparative and 🔊 most superlative:

Table No. 2. Adverbs with the suffix -ly.

Positive	Comparative	Excellent
🔊loudly	🔊 more loudly	🔊 the most loudly
🔊 sincerely	🔊 more sincerely	🔊 the most sincerely
🔊 luckily	🔊 less luckily	🔊 the least luckily
🔊accurately	🔊 more accurately	🔊 the most accurately

Sentences using comparative degrees of adverbs with a suffix -ly.

There are adverbs that form a comparative degree with -er/more and superlatives with the -est / the most. These are adverbs 🔊quickly- fast , 🔊 often- often , 🔊slowly- slowly, etc.

Table No. 3. Adverbs forming comparative degrees in two ways.

Positive	Comparative	Excellent
🔊 often	🔊 often er 🔊 more often	🔊 the often est 🔊 the most often
🔊slowly	🔊 slow er 🔊 more slowly	🔊 the slow est 🔊 the most slowly
🔊quickly	🔊quick er 🔊 more quickly	🔊 the quick est 🔊 the most quickly

A couple of examples with adverbs of this type.

a) 🔊 She goes to the disco oftener/more often than me.
She goes to discos more often, than me.
b) 🔊 He runs the quickest/the most quickly in his class.
He is running fastest in your class.

Exceptional adverbs have special ways of forming degrees of comparison (see table below).