Each of the existing parts of speech has its own characteristics. All of them are divided into groups by value, so their features are completely different. Some parts of speech help compare one subject or quality with another. Thanks to this, categories such as comparative and superlatives appeared. What they are, we will examine in more detail in our article.
Degrees of comparison
Every student knows that the adjective and adverb are different from other groups of speech in that they can form different degrees of comparison. They name such a form of the word that changes due to the comparison of one quality with another.
There are, as a rule, three subgroups:
- Positive degree. In this form, the word is when it is not compared with any other. For example: beautiful (by itself), cold (without comparison with what was earlier, or will be later). It is also called the initial degree, and in linguistics it is scientifically defined as positive.
- Comparative. The word in this form is used in the case when they correlate one quality of an object or any phenomenon with another. For example: large - more (than the first), sad - sadder (than it was before).
- Superlative degree. It is used if they want to express the highest indicator of quality among others like him. For example: light - the brightest (most), fun - the most fun.
Adjective
Out of the whole variety of parts of speech, the role of forming degrees is assigned only to adjectives and adverbs. It’s easy to explain: each of them denotes the quality of the object and its condition. And they are quite easy to compare with each other.
The comparative degree (adjective name) is formed in two different ways:
- Plain. The suffix –ey or –ey is added to the word basis: white - whiter (whiter), colorful - more colorful (more colorful).
- Complicated. To a positive degree, we substitute the words “more” and “less”: warm - more (less) warm, terrible - more (less) terrible.
In difficult cases, it is not possible to form a simple comparative degree. Then use only complex. These examples include the word "heavy."
Superlative has two methods of education:
- Plain. Suffixes –eysh or –ish are added to the stem (adjective): sweetheart - sweetheart.
- Complicated. It is formed with the help of the auxiliary words “the most”, “all”: the kindest, the kindest of all.
Sometimes the prefix -ai is added to strengthen: the best is the best.
Adverb
This special part of speech is practically unchanged, has no endings and a declination system. But at the same time, she has a different ability. Like an adjective, an adverb has a superlative and comparative form.
The latter is formed using:
- adding a suffix -e (simple way): slowly - slower, purer - cleaner.
- Helper words “more” and “less”: bright - more (less) bright, fashionable - more (less) fashionable.
An adverb in an excellent degree is rarely formed with the help of suffixes — aishe, ayhe: humble, strict. We can often find such forms in the literature of past centuries.
As a rule, the words “total” (fastest), “maximum” (maximum short) are used more often.
To amplify, use the prefix - naai: the most.
Total
Every day we compare one item, quality or phenomenon with another. In oral speech, we don’t even think about ways that help us in this. Now we know how comparative and superlatives are formed in writing. Do not forget that only adjectives and adverbs have this feature. It doesn’t matter how you accomplish this - with the help of suffixes or use special words, do not forget that not all forms have an existence. In this case, it is worth checking them in the dictionary.