14. 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. 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. 2. Form the degrees of comparison.

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

Ex. 3. 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.

Ex. 4. Ask and answer the questions, using the proper degree of comparison.

1. What is (large) city in our country? 2. Who is (popular) singer in our country? 3. What is (expensive) thing you have ever bought? 4. What is (stupid) thing you have ever done? 5. Who is (intelligent) person you have ever known? 6. What is (happy) day in your life? 7. What was (difficult) subject for you at school? 8. What is (easy) way for learning English? 9. What was (interesting) book you read in childhood? 10. What do you think is (happy) time in a person's life: when you are a child or an adult? 11. What is (beautiful) place for you in our city? 12. Who is (kind) person in your group?

Ex. 5. Fill in the missing adjectives in the proper degree. Analyze the adjectives used in the song.

long, green, big, handsome, large, beautiful, strong

A Bigger Heart

His arms are stronger than mine

His legs are ... than mine

His car's always cleaner

And his grass is always ... .

But my heart is ... than his

And my love for you is stronger than his.

He's more ... , much more elegant

More charming and more polite than me

He's more responsible, much more dependable

He is everything I long to be.

His office is ... than mine

His martinis are drier than mine

His roses are much ...

And his faults are far fewer.

But my heart is ... than his

And my love for you is ... than his.

Ex. 6. Translate into English.

1. Этот дом такой же высокий, как тот. 2. Индия не такая большая, как Китай. 3. Днепр не такой длинный, как Волга. 4. В прошлом году август был такой же жаркий, как июль. 5. Этот дом выше того. 6. Сегодня вода в реке холоднее, чем вчера. 7. Мой брат моложе меня. 8. Эта комната светлее той. 9. Это самая большая комната в нашей квартире. 10. Это мой лучший друг. 11. Этот вопрос важнее того вопроса, который мы обсуждали вчера. 12. Мое сочинение хуже твоего. 13. Где ближайшая станция метро? 14. Чем больше мы читаем, тем больше мы знаем о нашем мире. 15. Первая книга намного интереснее второй.

Ex. 7. Revision. Choose the right variant.

1. Travelling by bus is (cheap) than by car.

a) cheaper b) cheapest c) more cheaper d) the cheapest

2. Her eyes are (blue) as the sky.

a) so blue b) as blue c) bluer d) the bluest

3. I am two years (old) than my brother.

a) the eldest b) the oldest c) older d) elder

4. But Polly is not so (tall) as her brother.

a) tall b) taller c) the tallest d) more tall

5. This monument is about twice (big) as that one.

a) so big b) as big c) bigger d) the biggest

6. This task is (difficult) than that one.

a) as difficult b) more difficult c) the most diffi­cult d) so difficult

7. Den's dictation is (bad) than mine.

a) the baddest b) worse c) the worst d) badder

8. Mike is (young) in his family.

a) the most young b) the youngest c) younger d) more young

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

a) nearer b) more near c) the nearest d) the most near

10. Gloria's wages are (little) than her husband's wages.

a) littler b) more little c) less d) the least

10. Our son is not (diligent) as our daughter.

a) more diligent b) so diligent c) as diligent d) diligenter

12. Pushkin is (famous) Russian poet.

a) more famous b) the most famous c) less fa­mous d) the famousest

13. (hard) you study, (much) you know.

a) harder ... much c) the hardest ... the most

b) the harder ... the more d) as hard ... so much

14. My father's cigarettes are (good) than yours.

a) more good b) much better c) as good d) the best

15. Your computer is (powerful) as mine.

a) more powerful b) so powerful c) as powerful d) powerfuller

16. The … I type, the more mistakes I made.

a) fast b) faster c) fastest d) more fast

17. Computers are becoming … complicated.

a) more and more c) much and much

b) most and most d) most

18. Children have … freedom than the adults.

a) little b) the least c) littler d) less

19. This student is … talented than his classmate.

a) the most b) more c) most d) much

20. Your clock is 10 minutes ... than mine.

a) faster b) more fast c) the fastest d) the most fastest