Indefinite Tenses

The Usage

Degrees of comparison.

There are three degrees of comparison: -positive, -comparative, -superlative.

The positive form is the plain stem of an adjective, e.g. heavy, slow, straight, etc.

The formation of comparative and superlative degrees.

1. For monosyllabic adjectives and disyllabic adjectives ending in-y, - ow, -
er, -le we add suffixes - er[o] and -est [1st].

To form the Comparative degree we add the suffix —er to the Positive form
and to form the Superlative degree we add the suffix —est

Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree

e.g. old older oldest

brave braver bravest

happy happier happiest

narrow narrower narrowest

clever cleverer cleverest

simple simpler simplest

Disyllabic adjectives with the stress on the second syllable are formed in
the same way.

e.g. polite — politer — politest

complete — completer — completest

A few frequently used disyllabic adjectives:
e.g. common — commoner — commonest
pleasant - pleasanter — pleasantest
handsome — handsomer — handsomest
quiet — quieter — quietest

We use more and most before the adjectives with

a) most disyllabic adjectives:

e.g. careful - more careful - most careful
private - more private - most private

b) adjectives of more than two syllables:

eg. romantic - more romantic - most romantic
beautiful - more beautiful - most beautiful

c) adjectives formed from participles and -/'ng-forms:
e.g. tired - more tired - most tired

pleased - more pleased - most pleased
interesting - more interesting - most interesting
annoying - more annoying - most annoying

NOTE. Care should be taken to remember that most when used before an
adjective does not always form the superlative degree. It may have the meaning
of very, extremely. Then it is preceded by an indefinite article
e.g. He was a most interesting man.

A few adjectives have irregular forms for the degrees of comparison. They
are: good - better - best

bad - worse - worst

far - farther - farthest (for distance), further - furthest (for time and distance)
old - older - oldest (for age), - elder - eldest (for seniority rather than age)
many (much) - more - most
little - less - least

NOTE. Less and least are used in the phrases.

e.g. less important (менее важный) „

the least important (наименее важный)

When we speak about the size little is changed into small:

e.g. Jim is little, but his sister is even smaller. She is the smallest.

There are some adjectives that on account of their meaning, do not
admit of comparison at all:

e.g. perfect, unique, full, empty, square, round, woolen, daily, upper,
outer, major, whole, only and some others.

The comparative degree is used when there are two objects, actions or phenomena compared or contrasted:

e.g. She had the kind heart trouble that comes to much older people.
He found the work easier than he had expected.

His reading was more extensive than ever before.

The superlative degree is used when an object, an action or a phenomenon is compared or contrasted with more than two objects, actions or phenomena.

e.g. Apart from the bed was only a straw-bottomed chair to sit on, for it was the smallest of the rooms.

The most significant of Strickland's works suggests a personality which is strange, tormented and complex.

Mind the following sentence patterns in which comparison is expressed:

a) comparison of equality (as... as)

e.g. After his bathe, the inspector was as fresh as a fish.
When he had left Pans, it was as cold as in winter.

b) comparison of inequality (not so... as, not as... as)

e.g. The sun is not so hot today as 1 thought it would be.
You are not as nice as people think.

c) comparison of superiority (... -er than, -est of in, over)

e.g. He looked younger than his years, much younger than Sheila or
me.

To my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of
the artist.

d) comparison of intenority (less... than)
e.g. John is less musical than his sister.

e) comparison of parallel increase or decrease (the... the,... -er as)
e.g. The longer I think of his proposal the less 1 like it.

The sooner this is done, the better.
He became more cautious as he grew older.

Notice the following set phrases which contain the comparative or the superlative degree of an adjective:

a change for the better (for the worse) - перемена к лучшему (худшему);

not the less - тем не менее;

so much the better (the worse) - тим краще (гірше)

to be the worse for - робити що-небудь ще гірше, ще більше:

no (none the) worse for - гірше не стане (не стало) від

if the worst comes to the worst - в найгіршому випадку;

to do from bad to worse - стає все гірше та гірше:

as best - як тільки можливо;

at (the) best - в найкращому випадку.

VERBS

Verb is a part of speech, which denotes an action, a state or a quality of the subject.

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