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 (increasing or decreasing) in different periods 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 during education comparative degree the adjective uses a different root.
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 one is mine 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 during education superlatives the adjective uses a different root.
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 sign that in the same object in different time manifests itself unequally, is contained sometimes to a greater or 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.
The comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives are used very often, both verbally and in writing. And this applies not only to the Russian language. Today we are interested in foreign vocabulary, namely comparative and superlative degrees in English language. Nowadays, there is an increasing need to communicate in it. In order to speak correctly and to be correctly understood by the foreigners around you, you need to study the rules for the formation of these degrees.
What is an adjective
Before we talk about how comparatives and superlatives are formed in English, let's take a quick look at the adjective itself. What part of speech is this? In a nutshell, an adjective is used when we need to describe an object, person or process. Answering questions which one?, which one?, which one?, which ones?, this part of speech helps us not only describe them, but also compare them with each other, as well as declare the superiority of a particular object or character.
- We live in it big home for a very long time.
- Old the park looks much better better early in the morning.
- We are the youngest experts in this field.
The highlighted words clearly show what function the adjective performs in a sentence. This function is definition. And in this sense there is no difference between Russian and English.
Degrees of comparison: rule
Comparative and superlative adjectives are two of the three forms in which this part of speech can be used. There are three degrees of comparison:
- Positive - here the adjective has its initial form, for example: white, fat, tall, good, etc.
- Comparative - this form is used when we want to compare something with something, to show the advantage of something over something, for example: better, taller, fatter, smarter, smaller, etc.
- Excellent - we use this option when we want to show that someone or something has the highest degree of quality, for example: the highest, the most expensive, the best, the smallest, etc.
The choice of word option also depends on what idea you want to convey to your interlocutor. We'll look at everything possible rules education of both degrees separately.
comparative
In English grammar, there are rules by which both comparative and superlative degrees are formed. Exercises to check your understanding of this topic are aimed at ensuring that you correctly form one degree or another with any adjective. First, let's look at the comparative form. In order to form a comparative form from any adjective, you need to follow these rules:
- If the word is one-syllable or two-syllable, but the stress falls on the first syllable, then we add the suffix “er” to it: smart (smart) - smarter (smarter); hard (heavy) - harder (heavier).
- If a word ends in “e”, one letter “r” is added to it: large (large) - larger (more); polite (polite) - politer (more polite).
- If a one-syllable word ends with a consonant letter preceded by a short vowel sound, then the last letter is doubled when a suffix is added: big (large) - bigger (more); hot (hot) - hotter (hotter).
- If the adjective ends with the letter “y”, when adding a suffix it changes to “i”: noisy (noisy) - noisier (noisier); easy (simple) - easier (simpler).
- If an adjective has more than two syllables, no suffix is added to it. We precede this adjective comparative adverb“more”, which translated into Russian means “more”: beautiful (beautiful) - more beautiful (more beautiful); interesting (interesting) - more interesting (more interesting).
- If you need to indicate that the quality is lower than that of another object, then instead of the above-mentioned word we take “less”, translated as “less”: beautiful (beautiful) - less beautiful (less beautiful); interesting (interesting) - less interesting (less interesting).
Thus, we can easily form sentences where we want to compare the qualities of different objects.
Superlative
Comparatives and superlatives are formed very easily by Russian-speaking users, since the concept of comparison and superiority is very similar to what we know in Russian. So, to form the last degree, we need to apply concepts such as “most, most/least”. But here too there is certain rules to follow:
- If the word has one syllable, we add the suffix “est” to such an adjective, and the article “the” will appear before the newly formed word: smart (smart) - the smartest (smartest); hard (heavy) - the hardest (the heaviest).
- If there is an ending “e” at the end of a word, we will only use the suffix “st”: large (large) - the largest (largest); polite (polite) - the politest (the most polite).
- If a word ends with a consonant preceded by a short vowel sound, we double the last letter in the letter. This does not manifest itself in speech: big (large) - the biggest (largest); hot (hot) - the hottest (hottest).
- If the last place in a word is the letter y, when adding a suffix we change it to i: noisy (noisy) - the noisiest (noisiest); easy (simple) - the easiest (simplest).
- For long polysyllabic words there is another way of formation. We put the adverb “the most” in front of the word, which translates as “the most, the most”: beautiful (beautiful) - the most beautiful (the most beautiful); interesting (interesting) - the most interesting (the most interesting).
- If you need to indicate that the quality is the lowest, then instead of the word “most,” we take “the least,” translated as “the least”: beautiful (beautiful) - the least beautiful (least beautiful); interesting (interesting) - the least interesting (least interesting).
- There are words consisting of two components. In this case, we also put the indicated adverbs in front of them: easy-going (sociable) - more easy-going (more sociable) - the most easy-going (the most sociable); easy-going (sociable) - less easy-going (less sociable) - the least easy-going (least sociable).
Comparative and superlative degrees: words of exception
There are words that, despite everything existing rules, form degrees in their own way. Such words must be learned by heart. The comparative and superlative degrees of such words are included in a separate table.
Positive | Comparative | Excellent |
|
small | |||
farther, further | the farthest, the furthest |
||
the oldest, the eldest |
|||
the latest, the last |
When using a word consisting of two components, one of which is an exception word, you need to use exactly its form: good-looking (beautiful) - better-looking (more beautiful) - the best-looking (the most beautiful).
Set phrases
Both the comparative degree and the superlative degree are used in sentences as part of special constructions. Most often these are the following options:
- The construction “the... the...”. The more I read, the more I know. The more I read, the more I know.
- The construction “as... as...”. He is as tall as his brother. He is as tall as his brother.
- The construction “not so... as...”. She is not so fit as me. She's not as slim as me.
These are the most common variants of sentences in which we use the mentioned degrees of comparison.
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 language 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 is used by modern scientists, linguists have described a number of linguistic phenomena, corresponding 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 such variable attribute, which may 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 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 reasons historical nature, 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 short form positive degree, and 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(=) with 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 sentence 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
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Adjectives and adverbs in many languages of the world have degrees of comparison. In English these are Positive Degree, Comparative Degree and Superlative degree, in Polish – rywny, wyższy, najwyższy, in French – le positif, le comparatif, le superlatif. The Russian language is no exception; it has positive, comparative and superlative adjectives. How are they different and what are their forms?
Degrees of comparison: types, table
Adjectives and adverbs derived from them have the ability to form degrees of comparison.There are three of them:
- Positive.Comparative.Excellent.
From which adjectives can we form degrees of comparison?
As you know, all adjectives Russian language are divided into several categories.
- Qualitative - means characteristics that an object or living creature can possess in different degrees: sweet, sweeter, sweetest. Relative - names the signs of an object or living creature in their relation to circumstances, actions or other persons, things: phone call, wooden building Possessive - indicate that something belongs to someone: Pushkin’s stanza, father’s parting words.
Adverbs that come from the qualitative category of adjectives can also form degrees of comparison: cheerful - cheerfully (more cheerfully).
Comparative degree of adjectives in Russian
Before moving on to consider the comparative degree, it is worth mentioning a little about the positive degree. This is the name given to the initial degree of comparison (boring). In fact, it is considered only formally as a degree of comparison. But the next one is the comparative degree of the adjective (more boring, more boring). It serves to show that a certain object or person has a given quality in greater/lesser quantity than someone/something else. For example: “This tea is stronger (stronger) than the one we drank yesterday.”Information about comparative forms
In the above example, you can see that the comparative degree in Russian can be formed in the following ways: using suffixes or by adding an additional word (in in this example this is “more”). It turns out that we can distinguish 2 forms of the comparative degree of adjectives in the Russian language: simple and compound, or as it is sometimes called, complex.Methods for forming a simple shape
There are several ways to form it.- Using the suffixes -ee, -ey, -e, -she, added to the base: cheerful - more cheerful. However, it is worth remembering that if suffixes of the comparative degree of adjectives -e, -she are used, then alternation of consonants in the root of the word may occur, and the suffixes -k, -ok, -ek may be eliminated altogether. For example: narrow - narrower, voiced - louder. Sometimes a simple form can be formed by adding the same -ee, -ey, -e, -she, as well as the prefix po-. For example: soon - quickly, quickly - quickly. Adjectives formed in this way, as a rule, are the province of colloquial speech. Sometimes the comparative degree of adjectives in the Russian language is formed using a different word stem: bad - worse.
Complex shape
Unlike the simple one, it is formed not with the help of suffixes or prefixes, but by adding the words “more” or “less” to the adjective in the positive degree. For example: “Rembrandt was a more brilliant artist than most of his contemporaries, but he was truly appreciated years after his death.” Adjectives in complex form they decline according to cases, change according to numbers and, accordingly, according to gender, while “more” and “less” remain unchanged. For example: more powerful (powerful, powerful, powerful). Both in simple form and in compound form, comparative adjectives in a sentence serve as predicates or definitions: “Their relationship was closer and more elevated than that of anyone around them.” .Having considered the information about the comparative degree, it is now worth moving on to studying the superlative degree. And it will help you not to forget how the comparative degree of adjectives is formed - the table. It briefly outlines all the information about simple and complex forms and their formation.
Brief information about superlatives
It serves to demonstrate that a certain object or living being is absolutely superior to any other in a certain quality, which is represented in it to the highest degree.For example: “The third little pig’s house was the strongest and the wolf could not destroy it.”
A little about superlatives
Knowledge of how simple and complex comparative degrees of adjectives are formed will help you understand this topic. In the case of the superlative degree, both of its forms have similar names: simple and compound (complex) and are formed according to the corresponding principle.
They are formed according to the same principle:
- The simple one is formed by adding the suffixes -eysh, -aysh to the stem: caring – most caring. Similar to the comparative, the superlative may also have the stem suffix -k: low, lowest. A word formed using a simple superlative form is declined according to cases and changes according to numbers and genders. While the comparative degree of an adjective in a simple form is devoid of this property. For example: “light”. As mentioned above, in comparative form it is invariably “lighter”. But in the superlative degree - “brightest”, it can change: “brightest”, “brightest”. The compound (complex) form is formed by adding the words “most”, “least” or “most” (“most”, “most”, “ most") to an adjective in the positive degree. For example: the brightest, the least entertaining, the funniest. In some cases, the comparative degree of the adjective plus the word “all” may also participate in the formation. For example: “This girl completed the task faster than anyone in the class.” As with the comparative form, the superlative adjective changes according to the same categories. And the additional words: “most” or “least” remain unchanged: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.” However, “most” also changes: “The wolf ran the shortest route to Grandma’s house and got ahead of Little Red Riding Hood.”
Superlative and comparative degrees of adjectives: exercises to consolidate knowledge
To better remember all the material presented, you should practice by doing a few fairly simple exercises.- In this task you need to form all possible forms of degrees according to the model: attractive, more attractive, more attractive, most attractive, most attractive, most attractive. In this exercise, you need to select both superlative forms of the adjective, mark the suffixes and underline the alternating letters, according to the patterns. In this task you need to find errors and explain them. 1. Petrov is the best player in the entire team. 2. Things were getting worse in our company. 3. The air in the room became increasingly heavier. 4. Our enterprise turned out to be more successful. 5. Natasha’s shoes are cheaper than Sveta’s. In this exercise, you need to compare 2 objects of different properties, according to the example: French language and German (euphonious). – The French language is more euphonious than German. 1. Autumn and winter (warm). 2. Masha’s closet and Dima’s closet (convenient). 3. Laptop and smartphone (expensive). 4. Vladimir and Maxim (serious). 5. Katya and Valya (handsome). 6. Kyiv and Lvov (young).