Степени сравнения (Degrees of Comparison)
Большинство качественных прилагательных изменяются по степеням сравнения.
Сравнительная степень показывает большее количество признака в одном предмете по сравнению с другим.
This boy is taller than all the other boys in the class.
Превосходная степень показывает, что то или иное качество свойственно данному предмету в большей мере, чем всем другим предметам того же класса. Существительное, определяемое прилагательным в превосходной степени, употребляется с определенным артиклем, так как предмет, обозначенный таким существительным, выделяется из всего ряда подобных ему предметов.
Nina is the youngest pupil in our class.
Форма прилагательного, которая не выражает никакого сравнения, а просто обозначает то или иное качество, называется положительной степенью (bright, tall, young, beautiful).
1. Сравнительная и превосходная степени образуются двумя способами:
1) Сравнительная степень односложных и некоторых двусложных прилагательных образуется путем прибавления к основе суффикса –er, а превосходная – суффикса -est.
short –shorter – shortest
sweet - sweeter - sweetest
happy - happier - happiest
clever - cleverer - cleverest
2) Сравнительная степень многосложных и некоторых двусложных прилагательных образуется при помощи слова more, а превосходная - most.
difficult - more difficult - mostdifficult
dangerous - more dangerous - most dangerous
careless - more careless -most careless
При образовании степеней сравнения с помощью суффиксов -er, -est, у прилагательных, оканчивающихся на -у, перед которым стоит согласная, -у переходит в –i:
easy - easier - easiest
early - earlier - earliest
У прилагательных, оканчивающихся на -е, это -е отпадает перед -еr и -est:
brave - braver - bravest
wise - wiser - wisest
У односложных прилагательных, оканчивающихся на одну согласную, перед которой стоит краткий гласный, конечная согласная удваивается перед -еr и -est для сохранения закрытого слога:
big - bigger - biggest
hot - hotter - hottest
2. Сравнительная степень некоторых прилагательных образуется не от основы положительной степени, а от другой основы. Превосходная степень в таких случаях имеет ту же основу, что и сравнительная.
good - better - best
bad - worse - worst
far - further - furthest
- farther - fartheast
|
little – less – least
|
many
much
Переведите предложения на русский язык, обращая внимание на степени сравнения прилагательных:
1. Good – better – best. Never rest. Till “good” is “better” and “better” is “best”. 2. A bad excuse is better than none. 3. A silent tongue and a true heart are the most admirable things on earth. 4. It is better to be the best of a low family than the worst of a noble one. 5. The film will be released in the first half of the following year at the earliest. 6. Much to Mary’s further surprise, her mother was nowhere to be seen. 7. He is going to buy the latest golfing accessories. 8. Whom we love best, to them we can say least. 9. Learning makes a good man better and a bad man worse. 10. Now let’s have lunch and you can tell me about all your latest lady friends and the exciting parties you’ve been to. 11. Many famous artists died in bitterest poverty. 12. The complex task of manufacturing these chips uses the most advanced technology. 13. Much of the research in electronics is directed towards creating even smaller chips, faster switching of components, and three-dimensional integrated circuits. 14. Computer engineering is now the most rapidly growing field. 15. The task of making computers more “intelligent”, through creation of sophisticated programs or development of higher level machine languages or other means, is generally regarded as the aim of computer science. 16. Engineers try to place greater and greater numbers of circuit elements onto smaller and smaller chips.
11. Употребите прилагательные в скобках в сравнительной или превосход-ной степени:
1. Boris is certainly (clever) than his brother. – Yes, and he is (attractive) than his brother Peter. In fact, he is (smart) boy I’ve ever taught. 2. Nothing could be (extravagant) than buying such an expensive car. You will have to be (careful) with your money in future. 3. Life is getting (hard) and (complicated) with every passing day. 4. It is (effective) method of all, but it is naturally costly. 5. Stephen is (intelligent)than any other boy in his group. 6. It has been (cold) day in Moscow for thirty years. 7. It’s (little) I can do for you, I’m afraid. 8. That was (bad) than he had expected. 9. That was indeed (bad) experience in his career. 10. They naively think that things can only get (good). 11. This is (unbelievable) news I have ever heard.
12. He ate (few) French fries than you did at the picnic. 13. Angela is (little) organized than Mike. 14. If you ask me, Moscow is (beautiful) than any other city in the world. 15. They had (little) and (little) to talk about. 16. It is axiomatic that (great) the student’s individual effort, (much) thorough will be his learning. 17. The (much) original a discovery is, the (much) obvious it seems afterwards.
12. Употребите прилагательные в скобках в нужной степени:
1. Spring is a very busy time. It is (busy) time in the year. 2. That was (boring) film I’ve ever seen. 3. There wasn’t as (much) snow in the fields as in the forests.
4. She is a really nice person-one of (nice) people I know. 5. The (much) snow you have in winter, the (good) crop you have in summer. 6. The weather in November is not so (cold) as in December but it’s (cold) than in October. 7. No park in London is as (popular) as Hyde Park. 8. One of (famous) places of interest in London is St. Paul’s Cathedral. 9. A tram is not so (quick) as a bus. It’s one of (slow) means of transport. 10. The film is (interesting) than the book. 11. Apples are not so (expensive) as oranges, and they are (cheap) than pears. 12. He is not so (bad) as you think, but perhaps, he is (bad) than she is. 13. My sister is (economical) than I am, but she isn’t as (economical) as our mother. 14. The river was not so (shallow) as we expected. It was one of (deep) rivers in the area. 15. “Your mother was (intelligent) and (little) naive than you are”, my grandmother used to say. 16. One of the (narrow) streets in the world is St. John’s Lane in Rome: it is 49 cm. wide but there is a street in Cromwell, England, that is even (narrow): it is 48 cm. (wide) in its (narrow) point. 17. Legends of (large) water-creatures in Loch Ness, an immensely (deep) lake in the north-eastern Highlands of Scotland, go back much (far) than 1993, when a motorist saw a (tremendous) upheaval in the loch. 18. Scientists have seriously suggested that (large) creatures may have been stranded in the (deep) waters of the loch when 60 million years ago it was cut off from the sea. 19. The (near) cinema is (far) from here than the (near) theatre. 20. The (young) you are, the (easy) it is to learn. The (early) you start, the (much) you reach.
13. Вставьте “so”, “as” или “than”:
1. Barbara is nearly … old … her stepmother. 2. There are more … two thousand books in my mother’s library. 3. I am not … naive … to believe all he promises me. 4. After your heart attack you should walk … slowly … possible.
5. The Volga is not now … wide … it was. 6. I have … many working hours a week … any other employee. 7. A shower uses less water … a bath. 8. On Sundays we don’t have to get up … early … usual. 9. This house is two times … big … the old one. 10. They use twice … much electricity … compressor machines. 11. In my opinion, it’s worth more … twice that figure. 12. He can lift a box thrice … heavy.
14. Употребите прилагательные в скобках в сравнительной степени:
1. Sorry I’m late. It took me (long) to get there than I expected. 2. She looks about 18, but in fact she is much (old) than she looks. 3. This problem is not so complicated. It’s (simple) than you think. 4. We always go camping when we go on holiday. It’s much (cheap) than staying in a hotel. 5. It’s (easy) to learn a foreign language in the country where it’s spoken. 6. Your English has improved. You speak (good) than you did when we last met. 7. Health and happiness are (important) than money. 8. I like countryside. It’s (healthy) and (peaceful) than living in a city. 9. My toothache is (painful) today than it was yesterday. 10. The second edition of the dictionary was (bad) than the first one. 11. A man’s real character will always be (visible) in his household than anywhere else. 12. This railway station is (crowded) today than usual.
15. Употребите прилагательные в превосходной степени по образцу:
Model: It’s a very nice house.
a) It’s the nicest house in our town.
b) It’s one of the nicest houses in our town.
1. He is a very dangerous criminal. He is … in the country. 2. The Mississippi is a long river. It’s … in the world. 3. I have never heard such a funny story. That’s … I have heard. 4. We’ve never made such a bad mistake. It’s … . 5. They haven’t had to make such a difficult decision for years. It’s … . 6. It was very bad experience. It was … in my life. 7. He is a very good player. He … in the team.
8. She is a very rich woman. She is … in the world.
16. Употребите “more and more” или “less and less” перед прилагатель-ными:
1. Computers are becoming (expensive). 2. Going to church is becoming (popular). 3. Divorce is becoming (common). 4. (Many) people are giving up smoking. 5. The roads are becoming (crowded) with cars. 6. The book is getting (interesting). 7. My tooth’s getting (painful). 8. Children spend (little) time on reading books but they spend (much) time on watching TV. 9. It’s becoming (difficult) to find a job.
17. Постройте предложения с прилагательными в сравнительной степени с союзами “the” … “the” (чем … тем) по образцу:
Example: (long). We waited. We became impatient. The longer we waited, the more impatient we became.
1. (hard). It rained. He drove fast. 2. (slow). He walked. I became exasperated. 3. (soon). He comes. We can go home soon. 4. (early). The meeting ends. They can go home early. 5. (high) they climb. They can fall far. 6. (late). He worked. He became depressed. 7. (long). I listened to her story. I became sympathetic. 8. (fast). I wrote. My writing became illegible. 9. (hard). It snowed. The cars moved slowly.
10. (loud) I called. My voice got hoarse.
18. Закончите предложения по образцу:
Model: If you get married early, it’s better; in fact the earlier you get married the better it is.
1. If you are generous, you will be popular; in fact … . 2. If you have many boy/girlfriends, you will be happy; in fact … . 3. If you are honest, you will have fewer problems; in fact … . 4. If you smoke, you will be kissed less often; in fact … . 5. When you are kind, people respect you less; in fact … . 6. When you win an argument, you may lose a friend; in fact … . 7. If we work hard, we always become rich; in fact … . 8. When you love someone, you have fewer arguments; in fact … . 9. When people earn much money, they become less careful; in fact … . 10. If you have much, you want more; in fact … . 11. If you work hard, you always have good results; in fact … . 12. If you are happy, you see few unhappy people around; in fact … . 13. If you know English well, it’s easy to find a good job; in fact … . 14. If a man knows many foreign languages, it’s easy for him to learn a new one; in fact … .
19. Вставьте “later” или “latter”, “farther” или “further”, “nearest” или “next”, “older” или “elder”, “oldest” или “eldest”.
1. This is the … bank to our house. Take a taxi to get there. 2. The … railway station is two miles from here. 3. He walked off without … ceremony. 4. He is the … member of the School Committee. 5. I prefer the … preposition to the former. 6. Is there no … news than the last week’s? 7. The nephew is … than his uncle. 8. No … reasons were given. 9. She is the … of the two sisters. 10. … discussion will be useless. 11. What is the … theatre in London? 12. How long does it take you to get to the … river?
20. Прочтите и переведите текст: