There are different ways and methods of comparing things and actions (with adjectives, adverbs, and collocations).
Rule 1: Remember the list of adjectives and adverbs that do not change when comparing things or actions.
Look at the table below and observe the difference between adjectives and adverbs.
| adjectives | adverbs | |
| all day | an all day match | play all day |
| all right | I’m all right | you’ve done all right |
| best | best clothes | do your best |
| better | a better book | speak better |
| big | a big house | talk big |
| cheap | a cheap suit | buy it cheap |
| clean | clean air | cut it clean |
| clear | a clear sky | stand clear |
| close | the shops are close | stay close |
| cold | a cold person | run cold |
| daily | a daily paper | they deliver daily |
| dead | a dead stop | stop dead |
| dear | a dear bouquet | sell it dear |
| big | a big house | talk big |
| deep | a deep hole | drink deep |
| direct | a direct train | go direct |
| dirty | dirty weather | play dirty |
| duty-free | a duty-free shop | buy it duty-free |
| early | an early train | arrive early |
| big | a big house | talk big |
| easy | an easy book | go easy |
| everyday | my everyday suit | work every day |
| extra | an extra blanket | charge extra |
| fair | a fair decision | play fair |
| far | a far country | go far |
| farther | on the farther side | walk farther |
| fast | a fast driver | drive fast |
| fine | a fine pencil | cut it fine |
| firm | a firm belief | hold firm |
| first | the first guest | first I’ll wash |
| free | a free ticket | travel free |
| further | further questions | walk further |
| hard | a hard worker | work hard |
| big | a big house | talk big |
| high | a high note | aim high |
| home | home cooking | go home |
Here are more adjectives and adverbs that have the same form. Pick up 5 words from the list and make 10 sentences with them.
close, daily, early, fair, far, fast, free, hard, high, late, like, likely, live, long, low, right, wide, wrong, monthly, friendly, crassly, cowardly, silly, outside.
Rule 2: Translate and remember the list of adjectives that can’t be compared
Some adjectives are gradable and some are ungradable.
- We can modify gradable adjectives to express different levels.
- Example:
- The clown yesterday was funny, but the clown on TV is funnier and the one from last week was the funniest.
- Non-gradable or extreme adjectives do not have a comparative or superlative form because they mean very funny, very big, etc. Or because they express something which cannot be graded dead or pregnant.
- Example:
- The clown is hilarious (very funny). not:
The clown is more hilarious than you. - The clown has a huge (very big) red nose. not:
The clown has the hugest red nose.
absolute, adequate, alive, ancient, awful, bitter, brilliant, chemical, chief, complete, dead, devoid (лишенный), digital, domestic, empty, entire, excellent, false, fatal, favo(u)rite, final, full, fundamental, gigantic, horrible, ideal, immortal, impossible, inevitable, infinite (бесконечный, безграничный), inner, irrevocable (безотзывной, окончательный), main, manifest (очевидный, явный, выраженный), meaningless, only, outer (внешний), paramount (первостепенный, важнейший), perfect, perpetual (вечный, бесконечный), possible, preferable, pregnant (богатый), primary, principal, proper (надлежащий), round, singular, sheer (огромный), square, starving, stationary (неподвижный, постоянный), sufficient, terrible, unanimous (единодушный, единогласный), unavoidable, unbroken (непрерывнй, целый), uniform (единообразный, однородный) unique, universal, void (аннулированный, недействительный), whole, worthless (бесполезный).