Morphological characteristics

§ 240. The only pattern of morphological change for adverbs is the same as for adjectives, the degrees of comparison. The three grades are calledpositive, comparative, andsuperlative degrees.

Adverbs that are identical in form with adjectives take inflections following the same spelling and phonetic rules as for adjectives:

early late hard slow

- earlier - later - harder - slower

- earliest - latest - hardest - slowest

Several adverbs ending in-ly (quickly, loudly) form comparatives according to the same pattern, dropping their adverb-forming suffix. These adverbs acquired the form in-ly only recently and retained the older forms of the comparative and superlative:

quickly loudly

- quicker - louder

- quickest - loudest

However most disyllabic adverbs in-ly and all polysyllabic ones form the comparative and superlative analytically, by means ofmore andmost:

wisely softly deeply

- more wisely - more softly - more deeply

- most wisely - most softly - most deeply

The adverb often occurs with both types of comparison:

often

oftener more often

As with adjectives, there is a small group of adverbs with comparatives and superlatives formed from different stems(suppletive forms). These comparatives and superlatives are identical with those for the corresponding adjectives and can be differentiated from the latter only syntactically.

well badly little much far

- better - worse - less - more further farther

- best - worst - least - most - furthest - farthest

Which do you likebest?

This isleast painful for you.

Either farther (farthest) or further (furthest) are used when speaking of places, directions, or distance:

He is too tired to walk any farther (further).

But only further (furthest) is used with the meaning more, later:

Don’t try my patience any further.

Most of the adverbs, however, stand outside the degrees of comparison:

pronominal adverbs denoting place and time

(here, somewhere, there, sometimes, when),

denoting manner

(somehow, thus), and

adverbs of manner denoting gradation

(minimally, optimally, proximally - ближе к центру).

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