Adjectives: Degrees of Comparison and Possessive Adjectives: English ЕГЭ 2025 Preparation

Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns and pronouns. Understanding how to form and use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives, as well as possessive adjectives, is essential for the ЕГЭ English exam. These grammatical structures allow you to make comparisons and express ownership, which are fundamental aspects of English communication.

Theory for Exam Preparation

In English, adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive (the base form), comparative (for comparing two things), and superlative (for comparing three or more things). Possessive adjectives, on the other hand, show ownership or relationship. Mastering these concepts will help you achieve a higher score in both the grammar and writing sections of the ЕГЭ English exam.

Degrees of Comparison

Positive Degree

The positive degree is the base form of the adjective, used to describe a noun without making any comparison:

She is a tall girl.
This is an interesting book.
They live in a beautiful house.

Comparative Degree

The comparative degree is used to compare two things, showing that one has more or less of a quality than the other:

Rule	Examples
For one-syllable adjectives, add -er	tall → taller old → older fast → faster
For one-syllable adjectives ending in -e, add -r	nice → nicer large → larger wise → wiser
For one-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add -er	big → bigger hot → hotter thin → thinner
For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change -y to -i and add -er	happy → happier easy → easier busy → busier
For most two-syllable adjectives and all adjectives with three or more syllables, use "more" before the adjective	careful → more careful interesting → more interesting beautiful → more beautiful

Examples in sentences:

She is taller than her brother.
This book is more interesting than that one.
Today is hotter than yesterday.

Note!

Some two-syllable adjectives can form their comparative either by adding -er or by using "more." Both forms are correct:

clever → cleverer / more clever
simple → simpler / more simple
quiet → quieter / more quiet

Superlative Degree

The superlative degree is used to compare three or more things, showing that one has the most or least of a quality:

Rule	Examples
For one-syllable adjectives, add -est	tall → tallest old → oldest fast → fastest
For one-syllable adjectives ending in -e, add -st	nice → nicest large → largest wise → wisest
For one-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add -est	big → biggest hot → hottest thin → thinnest
For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change -y to -i and add -est	happy → happiest easy → easiest busy → busiest
For most two-syllable adjectives and all adjectives with three or more syllables, use "most" before the adjective	careful → most careful interesting → most interesting beautiful → most beautiful

Examples in sentences:

She is the tallest girl in her class.
This is the most interesting book I've ever read.
August is usually the hottest month of the year.

Remember to use "the" before superlative adjectives when they are followed by a noun or when they identify a specific person or thing.

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms that must be memorized:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
good	better	best
bad	worse	worst
far	farther/further	farthest/furthest
little	less	least
many/much	more	most
old	older/elder	oldest/eldest

Note on "far," "old," and other special cases:

"Farther" and "further" are both comparative forms of "far," but they have slightly different uses:

"Farther" typically refers to physical distance: The park is farther from my house than the library.

"Further" can refer to physical distance but is also used for figurative or abstract meanings: We need to discuss this further.

"Elder" and "eldest" are used only for people, especially in family relationships, and are not used with "than": My elder sister lives in London. (not "elder than")

Equal Comparison

To express that two things are equal in some quality, use "as + adjective + as":

She is as tall as her brother.
This book is as interesting as that one.
Today is as hot as yesterday.

To express that two things are not equal, use "not as/so + adjective + as":

She is not as tall as her brother.
This book is not so interesting as that one.

Comparative Structures

There are several structures used with comparative adjectives:

Structure	Example
comparative + than	She is taller than her brother.
comparative + and + comparative	The weather is getting colder and colder.
the + comparative..., the + comparative...	The harder you work, the better results you'll get.
less + adjective + than	This book is less interesting than that one.

Superlative Structures

There are several structures used with superlative adjectives:

Structure	Example
the + superlative + noun + in/of...	She is the tallest girl in her class. This is the most interesting part of the book.
the + superlative + noun + present perfect	This is the best film I have ever seen.
the + least + adjective + noun	This is the least expensive option available.

Possessive Adjectives

Forms of Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or relationship. They come before nouns and function as determiners:

Subject Pronoun	Possessive Adjective	Example
I	my	This is my book.
you	your	Is this your car?
he	his	That's his house.
she	her	I like her dress.
it	its	The dog wagged its tail.
we	our	This is our classroom.
they	their	Those are their children.

Important!

Do not confuse possessive adjectives with possessive pronouns:

Possessive adjectives are followed by nouns: This is my book.

Possessive pronouns stand alone: This book is mine.

Usage of Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used in various contexts:

Usage	Examples
To show ownership of objects	This is my car. Where are your keys?
To indicate relationships	His sister lives in London. We met their parents yesterday.
To refer to body parts	She hurt her leg. He washed his hands.
To talk about clothes and personal items	I can't find my glasses. She forgot her umbrella.
To describe characteristics or qualities	His kindness is appreciated by everyone. Their dedication to the project is impressive.

Special Cases and Common Errors

Be aware of these special cases and common errors with possessive adjectives:

Its vs. It's: "Its" is a possessive adjective, while "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has." The dog wagged its tail. (possessive) It's going to rain today. (contraction of "it is")
Your vs. You're: "Your" is a possessive adjective, while "you're" is a contraction of "you are." Is this your book? (possessive) You're late for the meeting. (contraction of "you are")
Their vs. There vs. They're: "Their" is a possessive adjective, "there" is an adverb of place, and "they're" is a contraction of "they are." This is their house. (possessive) The book is over there. (adverb of place) They're coming to the party. (contraction of "they are")

Adjective Order

When multiple adjectives describe a noun, they generally follow a specific order:

Order	Type	Examples
1	Opinion/General impression	beautiful, nice, awful
2	Size	big, small, tall
3	Age/Condition	new, old, young
4	Shape	round, square, triangular
5	Color	red, blue, green
6	Origin/Nationality	French, Japanese, American
7	Material	wooden, plastic, cotton
8	Purpose/Type	sleeping (bag), racing (car)

Example: She bought a beautiful large old rectangular brown Italian wooden dining table.

Common Errors with Adjectives

Errors with Comparative and Superlative Forms

Double Comparatives/Superlatives: Incorrect: This is more easier than that. Correct: This is easier than that. Incorrect: She is the most prettiest girl in the class. Correct: She is the prettiest girl in the class.
Wrong Form for the Number of Syllables: Incorrect: This book is interestinger than that one. Correct: This book is more interesting than that one. Incorrect: He is the intelligentest student in the class. Correct: He is the most intelligent student in the class.
Forgetting "the" with Superlatives: Incorrect: This is best restaurant in town. Correct: This is the best restaurant in town.

Errors with Possessive Adjectives

Confusing Possessive Adjectives with Possessive Pronouns: Incorrect: This is mine book. Correct: This is my book.
Confusing "its" and "it's": Incorrect: The dog wagged it's tail. Correct: The dog wagged its tail.
Using Apostrophe with Possessive Adjectives: Incorrect: This is her's car. Correct: This is her car.

Practice Examples

Form the comparative and superlative degrees of the following adjectives.

happy
good
interesting
big
beautiful

Answers:

1. happy → happier → happiest

2. good → better → best

3. interesting → more interesting → most interesting

4. big → bigger → biggest

5. beautiful → more beautiful → most beautiful

Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.

This book is ________ (interesting / more interesting / most interesting) than that one.
She is ________ (tall / taller / tallest) girl in her class.
Today is ________ (hot / hotter / hottest) than yesterday, but not as hot as last week.
This is ________ (good / better / best) restaurant in town.
The weather is getting ________ (cold / colder / coldest) and ________ (cold / colder / coldest).

Answers:

1. This book is more interesting than that one. (comparative for comparing two things)

2. She is the tallest girl in her class. (superlative for comparing more than two things)

3. Today is hotter than yesterday, but not as hot as last week. (comparative for comparing two things)

4. This is the best restaurant in town. (superlative for comparing more than two things)

5. The weather is getting colder and colder. (comparative + and + comparative structure)

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate possessive adjectives.

She forgot to bring ________ umbrella.
The dog wagged ________ tail when it saw its owner.
We invited ________ friends to the party.
He lost ________ keys and couldn't enter the house.
They left ________ luggage at the hotel.

Answers:

1. She forgot to bring her umbrella.

2. The dog wagged its tail when it saw its owner.

3. We invited our friends to the party.

4. He lost his keys and couldn't enter the house.

5. They left their luggage at the hotel.

Key Points to Remember

For one-syllable adjectives, add -er/-est to form comparative and superlative
For most adjectives with three or more syllables, use "more"/"most" before the adjective
Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms (good, bad, far, etc.)
Use "as + adjective + as" to express equal comparison
Use "the" before superlative adjectives when they are followed by a noun or identify a specific person or thing
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) are used before nouns to show ownership or relationship
Don't confuse possessive adjectives with possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs)
Be careful with commonly confused words: its/it's, your/you're, their/there/they're

Exam Tip!

In the ЕГЭ English exam, pay special attention to irregular comparative and superlative forms, as well as the correct use of possessive adjectives. Remember that "its" (possessive adjective) does not have an apostrophe, while "it's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has." Also, be careful with the order of multiple adjectives before a noun, as this is often tested in the exam.