SBI PO 2019 GUARANTEE

DEGREES OF COMPARISON
& RULES FOR ADVERBS

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 SBI PO 2019 GUARANTEE

Degrees of Comparison

I N TH IS C A P S U L E
DEGREES OF COMPARISON ........................................................................................................................ 2

RULE 1 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

RULE 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

RULE 3 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

RULE 4 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

⨁ NOTE TO REMEMBER ................................................................................................................................................ 6

RULE 5 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 6

EXCEPTIONS TO RULE 5 (MORE & MOST) ............................................................................................................... 6

CORRECT USAGE OF ADJECTIVES ............................................................................................................. 8

1. ‘AS ………….AS’ AND ‘SO…………AS’ ............................................................................................................. 8

2. ‘OF’ AND ‘OF………….THE’ ............................................................................................................................... 8

3. ‘SUB + VERB + MORE + POSITIVE DEGREE + THAN + POSITIVE DEGREE” ............................................... 8

4. ‘TO’ AND ‘THAN’ ................................................................................................................................................. 8

5. SAME DEGREE + AND + SAME DEGREE ......................................................................................................... 9

6. HYPHENATED ADJECTIVES ARE NEVER USED IN PLURAL FORM. ................................................................ 9

7. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES MUST BE PLACED AFTER ‘ALL’ AND ‘BOTH’ AND NOT BEFORE THEM...........9

8. ‘ANY OTHER’ AND ‘ALL OTHERS’ ...................................................................................................................... 9

9. ‘AS ......... AS’ AND ‘THEN’ ................................................................................................................................. 9

10. SOME ADJECTIVES ARE NOT USED IN COMPARATIVE OR SUPERLATIVE DEGREE. ................................. 10

11. SOME ADJECTIVE ARE NEVER USED IN COMPARATIVE DEGREE. .............................................................. 10

SOME CONFUSING ADJECTIVES:............................................................................................................. 10

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RULES FOR ADVERBS .................................................................................................................................. 13

RULE # # 1 ................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 2: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 3: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 4: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 5: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 6: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

RULE # 7: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14

RULE # 8: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14

RULE # 9: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 14

RULE # 10: ................................................................................................................................................................... 14

RULE # 11: ................................................................................................................................................................... 14

RULE # 12: ................................................................................................................................................................... 15

RULE # 13: ................................................................................................................................................................... 15

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 SBI PO 2019 GUARANTEE

Rule 1
To change an adjective:-

• Into comparative degree ‘er’ is added to the positive degree

• ‘est’ is added to the positive degree to change it into superlative degree.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Bold Bolder Boldest

Deep Deeper Deepest

High Higher Highest

Strong Stronger Strongest

Thick Thicker Thickest

Weak Weaker Weakest

Rule 2
If ‘e’ is present at the end of a positive degree,

• ‘r’ is added to change it into a comparative degree

• ‘st’ to change it into superlative degree.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Able Abler Ablest

Brave Braver Bravest

Fine Finer Finest

Noble Nobler Noblest

True Truer Truest

Wise Wiser Wisest

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Rule 3
If the positive degree ends in a consonant and a short vowel comes before it,

• The last consonant is doubled & then ‘er’ is added to change it into comparative degree

• ‘est’ is added to change it into superlative degree respectively

Positive Comparative Superlative

Big Bigger Biggest

Fit Fitter Fittest

Hot Hotter Hottest

Sad Sadder Saddest

Thin Thinner Thinnest

Wet Wetter Wettest

Rule 4
When a positive degree ends in ‘y’ and a consonant is present before ‘y’,

• The ‘y’ is converted into ‘I’, and then ‘er’ is added to change it to comparative degree
• ‘est’ er’ is added to change it to superlative degree

Positive Comparative Superlative

Dry Drier Driest

Happy Happier Happiest

Heavy Heavier Heaviest

Pretty Prettier Prettiest

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⨁ Note to remember

If a vowel is present before ‘y’, only ‘er’ and ‘est’ should be added.

Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree

Grey Greyer Greyest

Rule 5
Adjectives that are of more than two syllables,

• More is added to change it to Comparative Degree.

• Most is added to change it to Superlative degree

Positive Comparative Superlative

Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful

Courageous More Courageous Most Courageous

Intelligent More Intelligent Most Intelligent

Pleasant More Pleasant Most Pleasant

Exceptions to Rule 5 (More & Most)

Certain adjectives do not follow any rule. They get changed completely.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Good/ well Better Best

Bad/ ill Worse Worst

Little Less/ lesser Least

Fore Former Foremost/first

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SBI PO 2019 GUARANTEE

Late Later/ latter Last/ latest

Far Farther Farthest

Near Nearer Nearest / next

Old Older/ elder Oldest/ eldest

Much/ many More Most

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 SBI PO 2019 GUARANTEE

Correct Usage of Adjectives

1. ‘as ………….as’ and ‘so…………as’

Positive degree of adjective is used in between ‘as ………….as’ and ‘so…………as’

• She is as fair as her sister.
• He played as good as he could.

2. ‘of’ and ‘of………….the’

• When one is to be chosen out of two, we use a comparative degree

followed by ‘of and preceded by ‘the’.
• But, when one is to be chosen out of more than two, superlative degree
is used with ‘of placed immediately after and ‘the’ placed immediately
before the superlative degree.

Incorrect  She is the prettiest of two sisters

Correct  She is the — prettier of the two sisters

• He is the strongest of all the wrestlers (Comparative degree for two)

3. ‘Sub + verb + more + positive degree + than + positive degree”

• Following structure must be followed when two qualities

of a noun are ledge compared.

Incorrect  He is taller than fatter

Correct  He is more tall than fat

4. ‘to’ and ‘than’

• Some comparative adjectives are followed by ‘to’ and not ‘than’.

• Like, Superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior, preferable etc.”

• Example

• He is junior to me.

• Tea is more preferable to coffee.

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5. Same degree + and + Same degree

• If two adjectives are joined by a conjunction, they should be in same degree.

Example
• My house is bigger and better than yours

• Ashish is the richest and kindest person of this town.

6. Hyphenated adjectives are never used in plural form.

Incorrect  I gave him three ten-rupees notes.

Correct  I gave him three ten-rupee notes.

7. Possessive adjectives must be placed after ‘All’ and ‘Both’

and not before them.

• Both his brothers have failed
• All my friends have reached there.

8. ‘any other’ and ‘all others’

• To compare one with all the others of same quality, ‘any other’ (for singular) and
‘all others’ (for plurals) are used.
Example

• She is more intelligent than any other student in the class

• She is more intelligent than all other students in the class.

9. ‘as ......... as’ and ‘then’

• Both ‘as ......... as’ and ‘then’ are used when we use positive and
comparative degree of an adjective together.
Example

• She is as good as if not better than you.

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10. Some adjectives are not used in comparative or superlative degree.

• Some of these kinds of adjectives are:

• ‘interior’ • ‘exterior’ • ‘complete’

• perfect’ • ‘final’ • ‘last’

• ‘unique’ • ‘absolute’ • ‘impossible’

• ‘supreme’

Incorrect  This is more superior than that

Correct  This is superior than that

11. Some adjective are never used in comparative degree.

• They are always used in only positive and superlative degree.

POSITIVE SUPERLATIVE

Northern Northernmost

Top Topmost

Eastern Easternmost.

Some Confusing Adjectives:

1. Farther and Further
• Farther means ‘at, to, or by a greater distance’.
• It is used as a comparative of far.

Example: My house is at the farther end of the street.

• Further means ‘additional’.

Example: For further information contact, contact me.

2. Last and Latest

• Last means “after all others in time or order”.
• It refers to position.

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Example: Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India

• Latest means ‘of recent date’. It refers to time.

Example: I bought the latest mobile phone.

3. Elder & Eldest vs Older & Oldest

• Elder and eldest means ‘of earlier birth’,

• It is used only for persons and is confined to members of the same family.

Example: Ramesh is my elder brother

• Older (oldest) means ‘advanced in years’.

• It can be used for both persons and things.

Example: Shivam is older than tina

Example: Hinduism is the oldest, religion of the world.

4. Nearest and Next

• ‘Nearest’ means ‘not far distant in time or space, or degree or circumstances,”
• It denotes distance.

Example: Which is the nearest shopping mall?

• ‘Next’ means’ immediately following in time or ‘order’. It denotes position.

Example: ViratKohli will be the next captain of Indian Cricket Team.

5. Later and Latter

• Later means ‘at a subsequent time or stage’.

Example: She will ask him ‘later’.

• Latter means ‘second of the two things or persons’

Example: The latter innings of the ODI was quite interesting.

Note: ‘Former’ is the opposite of latter.

6. Fewer and Less:

• Both fewer and less means ‘of small quantity or numbers’.

• But, fewer is used for countable nouns

• While less is used for uncountable nouns.

Example: No fewer than 20 people died in the plain crash.

Example: No less than half of the work has been completed.

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7. Little / a little / the little:

• ‘Little’ means ‘limited or below average (hardly any)’

• It has a negative meaning.

Example: There is little hope of his clearing the final exams.

• ‘A little’ means ‘somewhat (though not much)’

• It has a positive meaning. It is used in context of ‘some’.

Example: A little awareness would have saved his life.

• ‘The little’ means ‘not much’ but indicates a significant amount

Example: He drank the little water left in the bottle.

⨁ Important Note - Few vs Little

‘Few/a few/the few’ and ‘little/a little/the little’ have same meaning. The only

difference being that ‘little/a little/the little’ are used for uncountable nouns, while

‘few/a few/ the few’ are used for countable noun.

Example Few (hardly any) students have attended the class today.

Example A few (some) members are absent.

Example The few (Not many, but all there are) friends he had were all very helpful.

Note that Few is used with plural nouns.

8. Multiple adjectives in a sentence

• If adjective of shape, size, colour, origin etc. come together in a
single sentence, then the order of adjective should be as follows.

Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Colour → Origin → Material → Purpose

Example:| bought a big black leather bag for the summer camp.
In the above sentence Size (big) → colour (black) → material (leather)

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Rules for Adverbs

Rule # 1
Positive degree

'as + positive degree + as' is used in the affirmative

'not + as + positive degree + as' is used in the negative.

Example: Suresh works as hard as Ramesh.

Example: His singing is not as melodious as hers.

Rule # 2:
With the comparative degree we use ‘comparative form + than'.

Example: Dolly works harder than Daisy.

Rule # 3:
With the comparative degree we can use
'of the two + noun + ..... + the + comparative' form.

Example: Of the two girls Lina behaves the more politely

Rule # 4:
The construction 'the + comparative ..... the + comparative' is used
to express parallel increase or decrease.

Example: The higher you go the wider it is.

Rule # 5:
Else' is followed by 'but' and
'rather' is followed by 'than’.

Example: I would rather die than beg for mercy.

Example: It is nothing else than foolishness. (Use 'than' in place of 'but’)

Rule # 6:
Adverbs like seldom, never, nowhere, nothing, hardly, scarcely, neither,
barely, rarely are negative in meaning.

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Example: I rarely went to meet nobody. (Use 'anybody' in place of 'nobody')

Rule # 7:
Negative words like not/never is not used with deny, forbid, both, unless,
until, lest, hardly, scarcely, rarely, seldom and too.

Example: She denied that she had not done anything wrong. (Delete 'Not’)

Incorrect  Both of us are not going there.

Correct  Neither of us is going there.

Rule # 8:
• Adverb 'as' can be used with — regard, describe, define, treat, view, know.
• Adverb 'as' cannot - be used with - Name, elect, think, consider, call, appoint, make,
choose.
Example: I regard him my brother. (Add ‘as' after him).

Example: She is considered as the best - student of my class (Drop '‘as' after considered’)

Rule # 9:
Seldom or never', ‘seldom, if ever', ‘little or nothing’, ‘little, if anything’ are correct
but it is wrong to say ‘seldom or ever' or ‘little or anything’.

Example: He seldom or never goes to see movies.

Rule # 10:
Verbs of sensation (Taste, Smell, feel, Appear, sound and look) should take
adjective and not adverb after them.

Example: I. look (Verb of sensation) honest (adjective)

Example: work (ordinary verb) honestly (adverb)

Example: felt (verb of sensation) bad (adjective)

Rule # 11:
Mainly, masterly, slovenly, friendly, orderly, gentlemanly, sickly,
weekly, monthly are adjectives which must not be mistaken as adverbs
just because they end in ‘ly’.

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Incorrect  He behaved friendly

Correct  He behaved in a friendly manner.

Rule # 12:
To emphasize the adverb, it is used at the beginning of the sentence.

Example: Off she goes.

Example: Here comes the chief guest.

Rule # 13:
• Adverb of time (always, never ever, often, seldom, sometimes) are used
before the verbs that they modify.
• But if these adverbs come at the beginning of the sentence, the sentence
takes inversion form which means the verb/ helping verb at the beginning
of the sentence.

Incorrect  Seldom he comes to Delhi.

Correct  Seldom does he come to Delhi.

Incorrect  Never I'll go there

Correct  Never shall I go there.

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