Adjectives and adverbs in English have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative and superlative. In comparative terms, they indicate the gradation of a feature by appending ‘-er’. If the ending is ‘-e’, then they only have to append ‘-r’. In the superlative, they indicate the “apogee” of the trait, its maximum manifestation, compared with a group of similar items, adding ‘-est’. Or, as in the previous case, if there is already '-e' at the end, only '-st' is appended. If a word ends with '-y', it changes to '-i'.
When the last letter of a single syllable with a single vowel of an adjective or adverb is a consonant, it is doubled when forming a degree with the affixes ‘-er’ and ‘-est’. Prefixes are added instead of endings to polysyllabic adjectives and adverbs: more for comparison and most for superiority.
Some words form degrees of comparison with different roots,for example, good-> better-> the best, while others can take both the ending and the prefix (not both): simple-> simpler-> simplest; simple-> more simple-> the most simple.
Rules by which adverbs and adjectives form degrees of comparison in English (table).
| View | Comparative Art. | Excellent Art. |
|
One syllable light |
… + ‘-er’ | … + ‘-est’ |
|
One syllable, with ‘-e’ at the end close |
… + ‘-r’ | … + ‘-st’ |
|
One syllable, with a single vowel and consonant at the end hot |
… + acc.-double + ‘-er’ | … + acc.-double+‘-est’ |
|
Two syllables, with ‘-y’ at the end heavy |
… (‘-y’ -> ‘-i’) + ‘-er’ | … (‘-y’ -> ‘-i’) + ‘-est’ |
|
Two or more syllables, adverbs with ‘-ly’ seriously |
more + … | most + … |
|
Two syllables, polymorphic pleasant |
… + ‘-er’ or more + … |
… + ‘-est’ or most + … |
A positive degree is just a sign. Although there are words that themselves mean something small, for example, short / short, or large -long / long. In the comparative degree, they will describe something smaller or larger, respectively, and in the superlative degree, the smallest or the largest possible.
Other comparisons
The comparative adjective in English is not the only way to compare things. There are various phrases with which you can not only compare objects (abstract concepts), but also correlate them with each other. In addition, the comparison of adjectives in English, for the most part, indicates differences. How can similarities be emphasized?
As… as
To correlate objects or characters that have some common features, you can use the phrase as… as. After the first as, it is told on what basis they are similar. The sign is expressed either by an adjective (the degrees of adjectives in English are not used with this turnover), or by an adverb in a positive degree. After the second as, the object or group of objects with which the similarity is noted is revealed. It can be either a physical object or an abstract concept. An object (several objects) is expressed using a noun, circumstance, or subordinate clause.
You're as bad as your sister. / You are as bad as your sister.
The airport was as crowded as ever. / The airport was as packed with people as ever.
I am as good as she is. / I'm as good as her.
Let's check it as carefully as we can. / Let'swe will check it as carefully as we can.
Accordingly, if you want to draw the opposite parallel, that is, to say that some objects (groups of objects) have nothing in common, you can also take the turn as… as, or so… as, to which the particle not is added.
The food wasn't as good as yesterday. /The food was not as good as yesterday.
They are not as clever as they appear to be. / They are not as smart as they might seem.
He is not so old as I thought. / He is not as old as I thought.
To clarify the degree of coincidence or mismatch, an adverb can be placed before the turnover (this does not mean that the adjective is used in a comparative degree). There are many adverbs in English that can come before as… as, such as almost, just, nearly, and quite.
She is almost as fast as her sister. / She is almost as fast as her sister.
Jack was just as pale as one minute ago. / Jack was exactly as pale as a minute ago.
She was nearly as tall as he was. / She was almost as tall as him.
Similarly to the previous scheme, to make a negative comparison, the negative particle not is substituted for the added adverb.
The thing is not nearly as complicated as it sounds. / It's not as difficult as it sounds.
The room was not quite as neat as they expected. / The room was not generally as tidy as they expected.
The same
If you are talking about an object that is very similar tosome other subject or identical to it, you can use the same as turnover, followed by either a noun group, or a circumstance, or a subordinate clause.
Her dress is the same as mine. / Her dress is the same as mine.
Oh, of course, they had said the same as a week ago. / Oh sure, they said the same thing they said a week ago.
She looked the same as she did yesterday. / She looked the same as yesterday.
If you are talking about similar or identical things at the same time, you can use them as the subject and omit the as to get the same.
Kid fashions are the same all over the country. / Children's styles are the same throughout the country.
The initial stage of learning language is usually the same for many students. / The initial stage of learning a language is usually the same for many students.
And before the same as, and before the same adverbs, such as almost, exactly, just.
She did exactly the same as Miriam did. / She did exactly the same thing as Miriam.
You both look almost the same. / You both look almost the same.
In the case when a group of nouns comes immediately after the phrase the same, the as substitution is not important, it can be omitted.
We reached just the same height. / We reached the same height.
The was painted the same color as the stairs. / The walls were painted the same color as the stairs.
Like
A comparative adjective is not suitable for comparing similar concepts. In English, there is another way of comparison for this case - to combine linking verbs such as be, feel, look or seem with the word like at the beginning of the phrase.
It was like a dream. / It was like a dream.
But we still feel like a children. / But we still feel like kids.
She looked like an actress. / She looked like an actress.
All houses in the village seemed like mansions. / All the houses in the settlement looked like mansions.
It is allowed to put some adverbs before like. For example, a bit, a little, exactly, very.
It looks just like another turn. / It looked like another turn.
Of all students, he was the one most like me. / Of all the students, he is the most like me.
When the object of phrases with as or like is a pronoun, it must be used in the object or possessive case.
He was a clever as Jane. / He was as smart as Jane.
That car is the same as in the park. / This is the same car as in the park.
Less and least
There is also a comparative structure, which is opposite in meaning to the power particles more and most, which express the degrees of adjectives in English. These separate prefixes are used in the original only with compound adjectives and adverbs and show gradation or absolute advantage. Accordingly, less inverts the comparative adjective in English, and least inverts the superlative.
Maby, he was less fortunate than me. / He may have been less fortunate than me.
So what if she was the least skilled of the employed?
Michael saw her less frequently than he used to. / Michael saw her less often than usual.
Thus, in English you can:
1) characterize an object or action using a feature;
2) compare;
3) isolate from a number of similar ones.
You can also tell about their relative identity/non-identity using phrases like as… as, the same and like.
