Comparsion patterns. Порівнювальні конструкції
Коли порівнюють однакові якості чогось або когось, вживають конструкцію as … as: Your ball is as big as mine. (Твій м’яч такий же завбільшки як і мій.) Якщо одна з ознак виражена меншою мірою, то використовують конструкцію not so … as: He is not so tall as Sergiy. (Він не такий високий як Сергій.) При звичайному порівнянні в реченні вживають сполучник than: January is colder than March. (Січень холодніший за березень.) Синонімичними та рівноправними у вживанні є конструкції типу than me/than I am: You are two years older than me/than I am. (Ти на два роки старший за мене.) Для висловлення меншої міри ознаки вживають слова less і least: You should eat less sweets. (Тобі слід їсти менше цукерок.) This toy is less expensive. (Ця іграшка дешевша.) Перед прикметником у вищому ступені для підсилення значення можна вживати much, far, a bit, a little, rather, slightly, a lot: I feel muchbetter now. (Мені зараз набагато краще.) Вищий ступінь порівняння використовують, щоб показати зміни чогось або когось: The more you learn, the better marks you receive. (Чим більше ти вчиш, тим кращі оцінки отримуєш.)
Закінчення -ing чи -ed?
Деякі прикметники мають дві форми залежно від того: — чи впливають на суб’єкт дії: He was very frightened. (Він був дуже переляканий.) — чи особа або річ сама впливає на когось/щось: He is very frightening when he’s angry. (Він страшний, коли розлючений.) Не слід забувати про те, що річ можна описати лише за допомогою прикметника з закінченням -ing (the book is interesting). Лише людину описують прикметники із закінченнями -ing та -ed.
Adjective + ed / Adjective + ing
We use adjectives that end up with -ed to express feelings.
I feel bored when I listen to classical music.
We use adjectives that end up with -ing to describe places, things, activities ...
They had a tiring trip.
Someone is bored
Something is boring
Позитивний ступінь
(або основна форма прикметника)
1 Однакова якість двох предметів (осіб, явищ) виражається прикметниками у позитивному ступені (основна форма) у конструкції с союзами as…as у значенні такий же …як, такий самий …як:
He is as tall as his brother. Він такий же високий, як і його брат.
This text is as difficult as that one. Цей текст такий же важкий, як і той.
Інколи вживається конструкція з прикметником same той самий, одинаковий: the same…as – такий же, такий самий:
Mary is the same age as Jane. Міри того ж віку, що і Джейн.
2 Різна якість предметів виражається конструкцією not so/as…as у значенні не так…як, не такий…як:
He is not so (as) tall as his brother. Он не такий високий, як його брат.
The problem is not so simple as it seems. Ця проблема не така проста , як здається.
Якщо після другого as йде особовий займенник у третій особі, то зазвичай дієслово повторюється:
I am not as strong as he is. Я не такий сильний, як він.
Her sister is not so pretty as she is. Його сестра не така гарненька, як вона.
А якщо йде особовий займенник у першій чи другій особі, то дієслово може опускатися:
She is not so beautiful as you (are). Вона не така красива, як ти.
3 Якщо один із порівнюваних об’єктів перевищує інший вдвічі (twice) чи в декілька разів (… times) за ступенем прояву якоїсь якості, то вживається наступна конструкція:
Your room is twice as large as mine. Ваша кімната в два рази більша за мою.
This box is three times as heavy as that. Цей ящик в три рази важчий за той.
Коли другий об’єкт порівняння не згадано, то as після прикметника не вживається:
This grade is twice as expensive. Цей сорт в два рази дорожчий.
He is twice as old. Він в два рази старший.
А якщо один з об’єктів поступається за якістю в два рази, то вживається half половина, наполовину, в два рази менше. Зверніть увагу на те, що прикметник, який стоїть за ним у конструкції as… as має протилежне значення тому, що прийнято в українській мові:
Your flat is half as large as mine. Ваша квартира вдвічі менша за мою.
Moscow is half as big as New York. Москва наполовину менша за Нью-Йорк.
У подібних порівняльних конструкціях сполучник as…as і наступний прикметник можуть взагалі опускатися, що повинно компенсуватися наявністю відповідного іменника:
Your flat is three times the size of mine. Ваша квартира в три рази більша за мою.
He is half my age. Він в два рази молодший за мене.
Test on Degrees of Comparison
1. Choose the right variant:
1. Eight o’clock is not a very convenient time for me. Ten o’clock is ... .
a) more convenient; b) less convenient; c) the most conveniest
2. I like skiing ... as skating.
a) more; b) as much; c) as more
3. I have never liked studying Chemistry; it is ... subject for me.
a) the least interesting; b) the most interesting; c) less interesting
4. "This is ..... place to cross the street in," the policeman warned us.
a) more dangerous; b) the most dangerous; c) so dangerous
5. Richard got ... good marks than Fred in the examinations.
a) less; b) fewer; c) few
6. The more you know ... you forget. So why study?
a) more; b) the most; c) the more
7. This dress is ... expensive than that one.
a) a bit less; b) the least; c) not so
8. Some students are ... about their homework as others.
a) more serious; b) not serious; c) not as serious
9. Susan is better-looking than Ada; however, Liz is ... one.
a) the best-looking; b) better-looking; c) good-looking
10. My elder brother is three years ... than I.
a) older; b) elder; c) the oldest
11. The boys felt ... than the girls about losing the game.
a) bad; b) the worst; c) worse
12. Peter, you are ... than I thought you to be.
a) even lazier; b) as lazy as; c) more lazier
13. We are going to be late for the concert. Can you walk ... ?
a) a lot faster; b) a bit faster; c) the fastest
14. Jim is not very tall. His brother Alec is ... .
a) as tall; b) taller; c) the tallest
15. I want you to read ... passage of the text.
a) the next; b) the nearest; c) next
2. Fill in the right degree of comparison in the blanks:
1. The giraffe is ... than an elephant. (tall)
2. River Ganga is ... than River Yamuna. (long)
3. You should be ... when you walk on the road. (careful)
4. That temple is a ... building. (large)
5. Diamond is ... than any other substance in the world. (hard)
6. The cheetah is the ... animal on the earth. (fast)
7. Rose is a beautiful flower. I find the lotus ... than the rose. (beautiful)
8. Vatican City is the ... city in the world. (small)
9. I find Dickens' books ... than Ruskin Bond's books. (wonderful)
10. This poem is ... than that one. (hard)
3. Choose the correct ending in adjectives: -ing or -ed 1. I'm selling my bike, are you ... ?
a) interested; b) interesting 2. I saw the news this morning, I was very ... about this accident.
a) shocked; b) shocking 3. My son passed his exam,it's ... because he always had bad results.
a) surprised; b) surprising 4. My job is very ..., I want to change it.
a) bored; b) boring 5. This boy is very ..., he always makes me angry.
a) annoyed; b) annoying 6. I work a lot every day, at night I'm very ... .
a) tired; b) tiring 7. It's ...! How did you get this house?
a) amazed; b) amazing 8. I'm ... when I speak in front of many people.
a) embarrassed; b) embarrassing
9. My son was very ... when an injury prevented him from competing in the Olympic Games.
a) disappointed; b) disappointing 10. It rained most of the time when we were in England, which was very ... .
a) disappointed; b) disappointing 11. “I like being fifty”, I said with a ... grin.
a) satisfied; b) satisfying
12. I am not ... with the way he cut my hair.
a) satisfied; b) satisfying
13. Many people are ... by the continuing killing of dolphins.
a) disgusted; b) disgusting
14. It is sometimes ... when you have to ask for money.
a) embarrassed; b) embarrassing
15. How can you be so ... by a stupid computer game?
a) excited; b) exciting
16. She learns fast. She is making ... progress.
a) astonished; b) astonishing
17. After a ... car accident, everybody was in shock.
a) terrified; b) terrifying
18. I am starting a new job next week, I am quite ... about it.
a) excited; b) exciting
19. I like being a nurse. It's very ... to be able to help people who are ill.
a) satisfied; b) satisfying
20. We were glad to arrive after such a long and ... journey.
a) tired; b) tiring 21. Jane's boss was very ... with her work. He agreed to increase her salary. a) satisfied; b) satisfying
22. The children fell asleep quickly because they were ... after playing in the park. a) tired; b) tiring 23. The music was so ... that Susan fell asleep.
a) relaxed; b) relaxing 24. Please stop making that noise. It's very ... .
a) annoyed; b) annoying 25. Nobody expected the government to win the election so the result was very ... .
a) surprised; b) surprising 26. If you are wondering why I look so ... . It's because I've been on holiday for two weeks.
a) relaxed; b) relaxing 27. Please don't get ... with Jim. It wasn't his fault. a) annoyed; b) annoying 28. Thomas hadn't heard from Mary in years, so he was ... to get a letter from her. a) surprised; b) surprising
29. By 12.00 Susan felt so ... that she went to bed. a) tired; b) tiring 30. I heard the film was good, but it was very ... . a) disappointing; b) disappointed 31. Being alone in an old house at night can be ... . a) frightened; b) frightening 32. Anita was so ... that her whole face turned red. a) embarassing; b) embarrassed 33. Jerry gets ... if he has to study too much. a) boring; b) bored 34. It's very ... to be taught in so many classrooms. a) confused; b) confusing 35. Dolly said that the twenty-mile walk was ... . a) exhausting; b) exhausted 36. Are you ... in going to the beach tomorrow? a) interesting; b) interested 37. I was really ... when my employer gave me the day off. a) surprised; b) surprising 38. Why don't you go away and stop being so ...! a) annoying; b) annoyed 39. I saw a ... film on TV last night. a) frightened; b) frightening
40. His exam results were ... . a) disappointing; b) disappointed 41. Can anybody stop that ... child ?
a) screaming; b) screamed 42. We had a ... day. a) tired; b) tiring
43. I didn't know what to say. I was a bit ... . a) confused; b) confusing 44. It was such an ... situation. a) embarrassed; b) embarrassing
45. We didn't like the food. It was ... . a) disgusted; b) disgusting
46. I'm really ... . I'll have to go to bed.
a) exhausting; b) exhausted 47. The film was long and ... .
a) boring; b) bored 48. The little boy was ... when he saw a big dog.
a) terrifying; b) terrified
49. All of a sudden I heard footsteps behind me. The noise was really ... . It was a big sow. I was ..., but too ... to move back.
a) frightened/horrifying/ frightening; b) frightening/horrified/ frightened
50. Jerry, the farmer's son was terribly ... and the farmer so rude. That was ... and I was ... . a) boring/shoking/shocked; b) bored/shoked/shoking