Имя прилагательное (the adjective) Степени сравнения прилагательных и наречий (Degrees of Comparison)

В английском языке, как и в русском, имена прилагательные образуют две степени сравнения: сравнительную (the Comparative Degree) и превосходную (the Superlative Degree). Имена прилагательные в положительной степени (the Positive Degree) обозначают качество предмета без сравнения с эти качеством в других предметах.

	Положительная степень	Сравнительная степень	Превосходная степень
1. A. Односложные прилагательные и наречия		-er	the … -est
	high big	higher bigger	the highest the biggest
Б. Некоторые двусложные прилагательные оканчивающиеся на -y, -er, -ow	easy clever narrow	easier cleverer narrower	the easiest the cleverest the narrowest
2. Многосложные прилагательные Наречия, оканчивающиеся на ‑ly		more + прилагательное или наречие	the most + прилагательное или наречие
	interesting easily	more interesting more easily	the most interesting the most easily

Исключения

Положительная степень	Сравнительная степень	Превосходная степень
good, well bad, badly much, many little far	better worse more less farther further	the best the worst the most the least the farthest the furthest

Конструкции со степенями сравнения

Конструкции	Степень прилагательного в конструкции	Перевод	Пример
as … as not so … as twice as (large) as three times as (long) as	Положительная	такой же как не такой как в два раза (больше) в три раза (длиннее)	He speaks as fast as I do. This house is not so high as that one. Your room is twice as large as mine. Your story is three times as long as mine
much … far … the … the …	сравнительная	намного … чем …, тем …	This book is much more interesting than that one. The more you read, the more you know

Exercises

Ex. 1. Form the degrees of comparison.

Тall, near, old, far, thick, comfortable, large, light, nice, beautiful, well, much, good, difficult, big, long, dirty, white, new, necessary, little, bad, interesting.

Ex. 2. Translate the sentences into Russian.

A

1. This book is not so interesting as that one. 2. The Baltic Sea is not so warm as the Black Sea. 3. My brother is not as tall as you are. 4. Today the wind is as strong as it was yesterday. 5. Your room is as light as mine 6. John knows Russian as well as English. 7. Mary is not so lazy as her brother. 8. Her illness was much more serious than we at first thought. 9. This flat is too small for me. I need something much bigger. 10. Petrol is twice as expensive as it was a few years ago. 11. Their house is about three times as big as ours.

B

1. The more I learn English, the better I can speak it.

2. The more people know about the nature, the bet­ter they control it.

3. The longer you stay in the sun, the more sun tanned you are.

4. The louder you speak, the better they can hear you.

5. The more you read, the more you like this book.

6. The farther from work you live, the more time you spend to get there.

7. The sooner you come, the better.

8. The more you read, the more you know.

9. The longer the night is, the shorter the day.

10. The less people think, the more they talk.

11. The earlier you get up, the more you can do.

Ex. 3. Open the brackets and use the comparative form of the adjectives and adverbs.

This exercise is (simple) than that one. 2. Why are you talking? Please be (quiet). 3. New districts of Moscow are (beautiful) than the old ones. 4. He is (clever) than his brother. 5. My (old) sister is 4 years (old) than me. 6. There are (many) customers on Saturday than on weekdays. 7. Are expensive things (good) than cheap ones? 8. He has made (few) mistakes than yesterday. 10. She had to give us (far) information through she didn’t want to. 11. Students from Group 3 are (industrious) than those from Group 1. 12. Have you met our new colleagues, Mr. Brown. And Mr. Green? The former is an excellent economist, (late) is a good lawyer. 13. They have got down to business without any (far) delay. 14. This matter is(urgent) than that one. 15 He plays tennis (bad) than she. 16. He’s got a still (old) edition of this book. 17. Is there a (late) train passing here? 18. (far) details will be given tomorrow. 19. Sparrows are (common) than any other birds. 20. Motor-cycles are (noisy) than cars, aren’t they?

Ex. 4. Choose the right variant.

Martin was the (more talented/most talented) of the two brothers. 2. Of the three shirts I like the blue one (better/best) 3. My dog is the (prettier/prettiest) of the two. 4 This summary is the (better/best) of the two presented. 5. There are nine planets in our solar system and Pluto is the (farther/ farthest). 6.Mary is the (tallest/taller) of the two girls. 7. The boss likes my plan the (better/best) of the two. 8. This is the (less difficult/least difficult) of the four cases. 9. This knife is the (sharpest/sharper) of the two. 10. Mother was the (more/most) beautiful of seven daughters.

Ex. 5. Give the superlative form of the adjectives in brackets.

1. The Pan-American Highway is (long) road in the world. 2. The Beatles were (successful) pop group. 3. Japan has (crowded) railways in the world. 4. This is our (old) national airline. 5. The Chrysler Building was once (tall) in the world. 6. Is English (useful) language to learn? 7. This is one of (expensive) stores in the city. 8. The Queen must be (rich) woman in the world. 9. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard (late) news. I think it was very interesting. 10. Is the Mona Lisa (valuable) painting in the world? 11/ His house is (far) in the street. 12. February is (snowy) and (cold) month of the year here. 13. (dangerous) spider is the black widow, whose bite can kill a man in a few minutes. 14. The world’s (expensive) perfume costs $550 per bottle. 15. (deep) part of the Pacific Ocean is 11 kilometres below the sea-level. 16. I wonder what his (near) step is going to be. 17. Who are (old) members of the club? 18. It was (late) thing I expected of him. 19. The diamond is (hard) mineral in the world.

Ex. 6. Put the adjectives and adverbs in brackets into the required degree of comparison.

1. Winter is (cold) than autumn. 2. Our garden is (large) than yours. 3. Football is a (interesting) game than tennis. 4. English is the (easy) language of all. 5. Moscow is one of (large) cities in the world. 6. The Volga is (long) than the Thames but (short) than the Mississippi. 7. This house is (big) than that. 8. You are the (tall) boy in the group. 9. He is much (well) today. 10. These are the (good) books. 11. The flowers in the vase are (beautiful) than yours. 12. He is (old) than you are. 13. There is (much) snow today. 14. She speaks French (bad) than English. 15. I live (near) than you. 16. Why do you take the (far) way home? 17. The dining-room is (light) and (comfortable) than the bedroom. 18. You must do (difficult) exercises now. 19. They have (few) books than we. 20. She has (little) experience than you. 21. The (little) men think the (much) they talk. 22. Australia is (large) island in the world. 23. That was (boring) film I’ve ever seen. 24. The (much) snow you have in winter, the (good) crop you have in summer. 25. It is good to be clever, but it is (good) to be industrious.

Test

1. I met my (good) friend yesterday.

   1. goodest b) better c) best

2. Dorothy is (young) in her family.

   1. the youngest b) the younger c) young

3. Henry is not (strong) his elder brother Bob.

   1. so strong as b) strong as c) stronger

4. – It isn’t very warm today, is it?

– No, it was (warm) yesterday.

1. more warm b) warmer c) the warmest

5. Your friend looked upset yesterday. I’m glad he looks (happy) today.

   1. more happy b) happier c) happy as

6. Where is (near) post-office, please?

   1. the nearest b) the next c) nearer

7. That’s (good) film I’ve ever seen.

   1. a good b) the goodest c) the best

8. Public transport in London is (expensive) in Europe.

   1. the expensivest b) the most expensive c) more expensive

9. Do you think Americans are (nice) English people?

   1. nicer than b) the nicest c) nice than

10. The 22^nd of December is (short) day in the year.

    1. the shortest b) the shorter c) the shorter

11. This is (old) theatre in London.

    1. an older b) the oldest c) the eldest

12. Pluto is (cold) of all the planets.

    1. the coldest b) a coldest c) a colder

13. My (old) sister doesn’t live with us.

    1. older b) elder

14. This house is (old) of all the houses in the street.

    1. as old as b) older c) the oldest

15. Go to the library if you need (far) information.

    1. farther b) further c) farer

16. Life is not (easy) it used to be.

    1. so easy as b) more easy than c)easier than

17. I’m getting (fat) and (fat).

    1. the fattest and the fattest b) fatter and fatter c) fat and fat

18. The problem was (serious) we expected.

    1. seriouser than b) more serious than

19. Moscow is (large) city in Russia.

    1. the largest b) largest c) larger

20. Let’s go by train. It’s much (cheap)

    1. cheap b) cheaper c) the cheapest

21. Is Alan (tall) than Jim.?

    1. taller b) tall c) as tall as

22. I earn (little) money than he does.

    1. littler b) more little c) less

23. He has … time than me.

    1. bigger b) much c) more

24. Your cottage isn’t (far) I thought.

    1. farther b) so far as c) as farther as

25. (Old) I get, (happy) I am.

    1. The oldest, the happiest b) Older, happier c) the older, the happier

26. The grass is always (green) on the other side.

    1. greener b) green

27. Dad often says that Mom is his (good) half.

a) good b) better c) the better