DEGREES OF COMPARISON

DEGREES OF COMPARISON

 Degrees of Comparison are used when we compare one person or one

doing will another. There are three degrees of comparison in English.

They are: 1. Positive degree

2. Comparative degree

3. Superlative degree

Let us see all of them one by one.

Positive degree.

 When we speak as to only one person, or thing we use the positive

degree. It she was the normal and gene racy clarity of a person or
things.

Examples: India is as powerful as china.

Her pronunciation is as good as yours.

His pronunciation is not so good as yours.

Comparative degree.

 It shows the comparison between the qualities of two persons or

things.

www.indiajobslive.com
Examples: kanaka is taller than kamala.

This house is bigger than that one.

Superlative degree.

 We use superlatives to compare one thing with the rest of the group it
belongs to.
 It shows the comparison of the quality of a person or thing with the
qualities of more than two persons or things of the same class.

Examples: usha is the tallest girl in the class.

Lead is the heaviest metal.

Formation of comparative and superlative.

Some rules about forming comparatives and superlatives.

 One syllables (sometimes two syllables) adjectives or adverbs

generally form the comparative by adding means superlative by
adding test.

Positive comparative superlative

Short shorter shortest

Great greater greatest

Small smaller smallest

Old older oldest

www.indiajobslive.com
  If an adjective/adverb ends in+e, this is removed when adding
+er/+est.

Positive comparative superlative

Wide wider widest

Brave braver bravest

Fine finer finest

 If the adjective ends in “single vowel consonant”, the consonant is

doubled when adding –er/-est.

Positive comparative superlative

Big bigger biggest

Fat fatter fattest

Hot hotter hottest

Thin thinner thinnest

 Adjectives and adverbs ending in a consonant followed by –y, drop the

–y and add an –ier in the comparative degree and an-iest in the
superlative degree.

Positive comparative superlative

Dry drier driest

Early earlier earliest

Lucky luckier luckiest

www.indiajobslive.com
Pretty prettier prettiest

 Two syllable adjectives ending in-ed, -ing, -ful, or-less always from the
comparative with ‘more’ and the superlative with ‘most’

Positive comparative superlative

Worried most worried most worried

Boring more boring most boring

Careful more careful most careful

Unless more unless most unless

 As a general rule, most other two syllable adjectives also from

comparatives and superlatives with more and most, apart from those
ending in (above) however few two syllable.

Positive comparative superlative

Common commoner/more common comments most common

Narrow narrow/more narrow narrowest most narrow

Pleasant pleasanter/more pleasant pleasantest most pleasant

Simple simpler/more simple simplest/most simple

Quiet quilter/more quiet quitest/quite

 Adjectives which have three or more syllables always from the

comparative and superlative with more and reset.

www.indiajobslive.com
Positive comparative superlative

Dangerous more dangerous most dangerous

Difficult more difficult most difficult

Exciting more exciting most exciting

 Certain adjectives/ adverbs have irregular forms in the comparative

and superlative degrees.

Positive comparative superlative

Good better best

Bad worse worst

Much most (quantity)

Many more most (number)

Late later latest(time)

Late later last (position/order)

Old older oldest (person/thing)

Little less least

Near nearer nearest (proximity)

Near nearer next (immediately after)

www.indiajobslive.com
Read the following sentences about mala’s family and write an
observation in a single sentence using any one of the degrees of
comparison.

 Mala is 5 feet tall.

 Kumar is 4.5 feet ball.
 Prem is 5.5 feet ball.
 Nina is 3.5 feet ball.
 Mohan is 6 feet ball.

Answers:

 Mala is taller than Kumar.

 Kumar is shorter than prem.
 Prem is taller than Nina.
 Nina is shorter than Mohan.
 Mohan is the tallest person in mala’s family.

IDENTIFY THE CORRECT DEGREE.

DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Adjectives are of three degrees 1) Positive 2) Comparative 3) Superlative.

The Positive degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.

Ex: The dog is a faithful animal.

Joe is a clever boy.

www.indiajobslive.com
The Comparative degree is used to compare the quality of two
persons or things.

Ex: Khan is shorter then Gopi.

The lion is stronger than the tiger

The Superlative degree is used when more than two persons or

things are compared. It singles out one from all the rest.

Ex: The elephant is the biggest animal on land.

Adjectives in positive degree can be changed into comparative and

superlative degrees as follows:

By adding ‘er' & ‘est'

Bright brighter brightest Rich richer richest Great greater greatest Long
longer longest

By adding ‘r' & ‘st'

Nice nicer nicest Brave braver bravest Large larger largest Wise wiser wisest

By deleting the final ‘y' and adding ‘ier' & ‘iest'

Heavy heavier heaviest Ugly uglier ugliest Lovely lovelier loveliest Easy
easier easiest

By doubling the final consonants

Big bigger biggest

Hot hotter hottest

www.indiajobslive.com
Fat fatter fattest

Dim dimmer dimmest

By using more & most

Beautiful more beautiful Difficult more difficult Useful more useful Valuable
more valuable Popular more popular

most beautiful most difficult most useful most valuable most popular

Irregular Comparisons

Good better best

Well better best

Far farther farthers

Fore former foremost

Late later latest

Note:

 evil - worse - worst; ill - worse - worst;

 Old - older - oldest;
 Much (many) - more- most; fore - former - first late - latter - last
 Late - later - latest : This form is used with reference to 'time’.
 The train is late. I shall come a little later. This is the latest fashion.
 Late - latter - last: This form is used with reference to position.
 Ram and Gopal are brothers. The latter is more intelligent. He came
the last.
 Old - older - oldest : Here the reference is to age or antiquity.

www.indiajobslive.com
  Robert is older than Krishnan. Old - elder - eldest : Here the reference
is to members of the same family Mary is my elder sister. His eldest
son is in the U.K.

Changing the degree of the adjective:

a) Arun is the tallest boy in the class. (Superlative)

b)Arun is taller than any other boy in the class (Comparative)

c) No other boy in the class is so tall as Arun (Positive)

a)Rani is one of the tallest girls (Superlative)

b)Rani is taller than most other girls (Comparative)

c)Very few girls are as tall as Rani (positive)

In the above model only two persons are compared. So the

superlative

a) Mohan is taller than Charles (Comparative) b) Charles is not so tall as

Mohan (Positive)

a) Leela is not taller than Sita (Comparative) b) Sita is at least as

tall as Leela (positive)

www.indiajobslive.com
Formation of comparative and superlative:

(1) When the positive degree ends in e, only r is added to make it

comparative and only st is added to make it superlative.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Brave Braver Bravest

White Whiter Whitest

Large Larger Largest

(2) Ends in y changed in to i before adding er and est.

Happy Happier Happiest

Easy Easier Easiest

Heavy Heavier Heaviest

(3) Ends in a single constants, proceed by a short vowel, this

constants double before adding er and est.

Red Redder Reddest

Big Bigger Biggest

Hot Hotter Hottest

(4) Adjectives of more than two syllables, and many of those with
two, from the comparative by using the adverb

more with the positive, and the superlative by using the adverb most with
the positive.

www.indiajobslive.com
Splendid more Splendid most Splendid

Difficult more Difficult most Difficult

Beautiful more Beautiful most Beautiful

Irregular Comparison:

The following adjectives are compared irregularly, i.e. their comparative and
superlative are not formed from the positive. Good ,Well Better Best

Bad, evil, ill ,Worse , Worst

Little Less, Lesser Least

Much More Most(quantity)

Many More Most(number)

The double form of comparative and superlative of the adjectives and

superlative of the adjectives are used in different ways.

(1)Later, Latter, Latest

Later and latest refer to time; latter and last refer to position. e.g. He is later
than I expected.

www.indiajobslive.com