The Comparative and Superlative forms of Adjectives

THE DEGREES OF COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Positive – положительная (обладание каким-либо признаком)

Comparative – сравнительная (проявление признака в большей или меньшей степени)

Superlative – превосходная (превосходит все предметы по какому-либо качеству)

многосложные

прилагательные

односложные

двусложные

прилагательные

сравнительные

конструкции

исключения

Comparatives

Tall

John is tall

Ted is tall

John is 163cm.

Ted is 122cm.

If you want to compare objects, you should add “-er” or “-r” to the adjective.

John is tall

er

than Ted.

Ted is short

er

than John.

Spelling rules:

Add “-er” if the word ends in a consonant.

er

Old

If the word has 1 stressed vowel between consonants - double the consonant.

d

er

t

er

wet

red

Add “-r” if the word ends in “-e” .

r

Brav e

Add “-ier” and drop “y” if the word ends in “-y” .

y

Happ

ier

Examples:

Say

heav

y

ier

er

cold

er

long

hot

er

t

r

brave

small

er

ier

y

earl

er

fast

sill

y

ier

big

er

g

white

r

r

large

dr

ier

y

Superlatives

Tall

Pete is tall

Ted is tall

Pete is 180cm.

Ted is 122cm.

John is tall

John is 163cm.

Superlatives

To make superlative form of the adjective you need to use “the” and add “–est” .

Pete is

tall

Ted is the short est.

est

the

Spelling rules:

Add:

• - est

• - st
• - iest

est

The

old

st

The

brav e

y

iest

happ

The

Double the consonant:

sad

est

d

hot

est

t

8,848 m

high - высокий

5,642 m

Everest is the

highest.

Elbrus is higher than

Mont Blanc.

4,807 m

Mont Blanc is high.

high - высокий

high er - выше

the high est – самый высокий

brav e – brav er - the brav est

bi g – bi gg er - the bi gg est

dirt y – dirt i er - the dirt i est

easy

eas ier

the eas iest

Make comparative and superlative forms.

late r

late

the lat est

fast er

fast

the fast est

thick

the thick est

thick er

pretty

prett ier

the pretti est

loud

loud er

the loud est

Comparatives

to compare objects using multi-syllable adjectives, add “more” or “less” before the adjective.

“ Aggressive”

A lion is

aggressive

than a cat

more

less

A kitten is

aggressive

than a cat

less

more

This pupil is

serious

than that.

Superlatives

To make superlative form of the multi-syllable adjective you need to put “the most” before the adjective.

It’ s the most delicious pie in the world.

more

or

Say

the most

This film is _____ popular than that.

And this film is _____ popular.

expensive - дорогой

This car is more expensive .

The car is expensive .

This is the most expensive car.

the most expensive – самый дорогой

more expensive - дороже

expensive - дорогой

more beautiful

beautiful

the most beautiful

Make comparative and superlative forms.

more difficult

difficult

the most difficult

more popular

popular

the most popular

Good – better – the best

Bad – worse – the worst

Much/ many – more – the most

Little – less – the least

Far – farther – the farthest (for distance)

further – the furthest (for time)

Old – older – the oldest (for age)

elder – the eldest (talking about members of a family)

Keep in Mind

as… as – такой как…

He is as brave as a lion.

than – чем

The Amazon is longer than the Volga.

a bit – немного

Saturn is a bit smaller than Jupiter.

much – намного

Asia is much bigger than Europe.