Елена Васильева: English grammar: 100 main rules

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Positive Degree of Adjectives

1. Description

abusystreet, acleverdog, adullday, anexpensivering, agoodattitude, a jealous man, animportantsignal, aweakaccent,youngpeople

Note

Qualitative adjectives can be modified by adverbs of degree.

adreadfullydull day,extremelyhot weather, afairlylarge message, ahugelyimportant signal, animmenselyfamous picture,incrediblyuseful advice, anintenselybusy street, alittle/a bitexpensive ring, arathergood attitude, areasonablyweak accent,quitean interesting list, aslightlysomber event, atoojealous husband, anunusuallyclever dog,veryyoung people

2. Comparison

1) Equality

as+ adjective+ as

The white kitten isas cute asthe grey one.

Playing games isas important asstudying.

2) Inferiority

not so+adjective( + as)

His idea isnot so stupid.

The view didnotturn to beso splendid aswe had expected.

half as+ adjective(+ as)

Jimmy ishalf as tall asJonny.

Our house ishalf as big asthe neighbours'.

3) Superiority

twice (three times) as+ adjective(+ as)

The way wastwice as long asyesterday.

Olivia's typing speed isthree times as fastas Andrew's.

Comparative Degree of Adjectives

The comparative degree demonstrates the difference between two objects.

1) Superiority

– Most one- and two-syllable adjectives form the comparative degree by adding – erending.

adjective + – er

clever – cleverer,dull – duller,large – larger,weak – weaker,young – younger

Apple juice issweeterthan orange juice.

These tickets arecheaperthan those ones.

Note

– Adjectives ending in – ychange the – yinto – iand add – er.

busy– busier,pretty– prettier,lazy– lazier, funny– funnier, juicy– juicier

Cf.: shy – shyer,sly – slyer,grey – greyer

– One-syllable adjectives with a short vowel followed by a consonant double this consonant and add – er.

big – bigger,hot – hotter,fat – fatter,thin – thinner

– Several two-syllable adjectives and all three- (and more) syllable adjectives form the comparative degree with more.

more+ adjective

moreexpensive,morefamous,moreimportant,moreinteresting,moreprofitable,moresomber,moreuseful