DEGREES OF COMPARISON IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE

Syahlia Silvanaya 230406004

Disusun
Nurul Adawiah oleh 230406020
Hafsari :

Danella Cintia Lois Siregar 230406046

Reva Astine Fortuna L.Gaol 230406039
Refanny Ananda Rizky Nasution 230406009
Raphael Paris Vitovio Siregar 230406049
Nadine Emanuella Elizabeth S 230406038

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTEMENT
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA
2023

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 PREFACE

Praise be to God Almighty for the blessings of his grace, and that we were given the
opportunity to be able to compile a working paper entitled " degrees of comparison in english
language” is properly and correctly, and on time. This paper is structured so that readers can
know how important application of degrees of comparison in English language in daily life . and
because the aid and help of God Almighty, these papers can be finally resolved.

We also thanked to our lecture in English subject who have many professors help
compilers in order to complete this paper. Hopefully this paper can give a broader insight to the
reader, although this paper has advantages and disadvantages. Thank youu.

Group 1 class A

25 September 2023

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE........................................................................................................................................2

TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................................3

CHAPTER I....................................................................................................................................4

1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER II...................................................................................................................................5

1. THEORY AND DISCUSION................................................................................................5

1.1. Definition Degrees of Comparison...................................................................................5

1.2. Kinds of Degrees of Comparison......................................................................................5
a. Positive.............................................................................................................................5
b. Comparative.....................................................................................................................6
c. Superlative........................................................................................................................6
1.3. The Form of Degrees of Comparison..................................................................................6
A. Regular forms of comparison........................................................................................6
B. Irregular forms of comparison......................................................................................7
CHAPTER III................................................................................................................................13

1. CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................13

2. EXAMPLED RELATED TO MAJOR...............................................................................13

CHAPTER IV................................................................................................................................15

REVERENCES.............................................................................................................................15

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 CHAPTER 1

1. INTRODUCTION

English is a global languge; therefore many people consider learning English is

important. To be good in English, there are some skills that need to be mastered, and grammar is
no exception. Grammar is a basic skill to understand the rules of a language, especially the
structure of sentence. Every language has a grammar which different.
Azar as cited by Madkur state that Grammar is the sound, structure, and meaning system
of language. Baverly (2007, p.1) state that all languages have grammar, and each language has its
own grammar. According to Azar (2007, p. 3), grammar plays a role to “help students discover
the nature of language, i.e., that language consists of predictable patterns that make what we say,
read, hear, and write understandable”. According to Douglas grammar is the system of rules
governing the conventional arrangement and relationship of words in a sentence. Based on the
statement above, it can conclude that Grammar is one of sub-skills which has to be mastered by
the students. It keeps an important role in acquiring the four language skill.
One of the important topics in grammar is degrees of comparison. Comparison is the
most important English construction which is used to express similarities or differences of
degree or extent. Comparison is the process of comparing people, things, or places through the
level of quality, quantity, or relation. It is formed from adjective and adverb. Although it’s easy ,
In fact many people still lack of knowledge and difficulties in understanding in mastering
grammar, especially degrees of comparison.

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 CHAPTER II

1. THEORY AND DISCUSION

1. 1. Definition Degrees of Comparison
To get the general understanding about degrees of comparison, it is better to describe
what comparison is. One of the most basic and powerful of human cognitive process is the
ability to comprehend and express the fact that two things are similar or different. Often such
similarity or difference is expressed in terms of degree, extent, or quantity. Therefore,
comparison is the most important English construction which is used to express similarities or
differences of degree or extent.
According to Martin Parrot in Grammar for English Language Teachers, “comparatives
are adjectives and adverbs that end in –er. (e.g. bigger, richer, faster) and superlatives are
adjectives adverbs that end in –est. (e.g. biggest, richest, fastest).
Degrees of Comparison of an adjective or adverb describes the relational value of one
thing with something in another clause of a sentence. An adjective may simply describe a
same quality (the positive); it may compare the quality with that of another of its kind
(comparative degree); and it may compare the quality with many or all others (superlative
degree).
The degrees of comparison are known as the positive, the comparative, and the
superlative. (Actually, only the comparative and superlative show degrees.) We use the
comparative for comparing two things and the superlative for comparing three or more thing.
Based on the definitions stated above, comparison is the method by which an adjective or
adverb expresses a greeter or less degree of the same quality. Beside that, it can be define as a
process of comparing people, things, or places through the level of quality, quantity, or relation.

1.2. Kinds of Degrees of Comparison

There are three kinds of comparison; they are positive, comparative and superlative.

A) Positive
Positive degree is the most basic form of the adjective, positive because it does not
relate to any superior or inferior qualities of other things. Positive refers to the quality of one
person or thing. It is simply the adjective form. Positive also used to compare two nouns or
verbs that are equal or almost equal (equality). On the other hand, we can use as + adjective
+ as for comparing two persons or things that have the similarity of quality or quantity.

For example:
 My parents is as old as my lucture

For negative comparison, to talk about two things that is different in some way, we
use ‘not +as + adjective + as’.
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 For example:
 Burj Khalifa is not as tall as Eiffel Tower.

B). Comparative.
The comparative degree denotes a greater amount of a quality relative to something
else. The phrase ‘Anna is taller than her father’ means that Anna’s degree of tallness is
greater than her father’s degree of tallness. R.W. Zandvoort and J. A. Van Ek said in their
book ‘The comparative is used when one object or group is compared with another and
separate object or group. Comparative degree is used to compare two person, places or
things.

Example:
 Eiffel Tower is taller than Tower of Pisa.

C). Superlative
Superlative degree is used to stress the highest degree of quality for more than two
objects compared. It is the highest or lowest degree of quality when more than two persons
or things are compared. The superlative is used to compare one member of a group with the
whole group (including that member).
For example:
 Bob is the tallest boy in the club.
 These bags are the most expensive of all.

1.3. The Form of Degrees of Comparison

1.3.1. Form of adjective comparisons
The adjective change their form to express different of quality one of them is comparative
degree. There are some groups or exceptions of comparative form. In comparison of
adjective there are two forms, they are irregular and regular forms.

A. Regular forms of comparison

(a.1) Adjectives of one syllable (regular comparison)
Form the comparative and superlative of one syllable adjective by adding –er, see in the
table bellow:
Adjectives of One Syllable Add –er and –est

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Small Smaller Smallest

Old Older Oldest

When the positive ends in mute final e, is dropped before adding just add –r and –st, see
in the table bellow:
Adjectives of One Syllable End s with an e Just Add -r

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 Adjective Comparative Superlative

Large Larger Largest

Strange Stranger Strangest

When the positive is a monosyllable ending in a single consonant (except w, x, and z)

preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant is double before -er or –est see in the table
bellow:
Adjective with Double the Last Consonant and Add -er

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Big Bigger Biggest

Red Redder Reddest

When the positive ends in le, the mute e before the suffix is dropped. See in the table
bellow:
Adjective Ends with le Just Add –r

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Able Abler Ablest

Noble Nobler Noblest

When the positive ends in y preceded by a consonant, the y is changed to i before the
suffix. Shy and sly may retain the y, see in the table bellow:
Adjective One Syllable End in y is Changes to

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Dry Drier Driest

Silly Sillier Silliest

(a) More, most with short adjectives

(1) With one syllable past participle adjectives use more such as:

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 More, most with short adjectives

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Bored More bored Most bored

Creased More creased Most creased

Pleased More pleased Most pleased

Worn More worn Most worn

(2) With fun, real, right and wrong

More, most with fun, real, right and wrong

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Fun More fun Most fun

Real More real Most real

Right More right Most right

Wrong More wrong Most wrong

(a. 2) Adjectives of two Syllables

Two syllables adjectives from their comparative and superlative in two different ways:
(1) Adjectives ending in ed, ing, re, ful, ous and those with the stress on the first syllable
usually take more and the most, see in the table bellow:

Adjectives Ending in -ed, -ing, -re, -ful, -ous use more and most
Adjective Comparative Superlative

Charming More charming Most charming

Famous More famous Most famous

Hopeful More hopeful Most hopeful

Learned More learned Most learned

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(2) And those with the strees on the second syllable add er and est to the positive degree, see in
the table bellow:

Some Adjectives of Two Syllable Add -er and –est

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Clever Cleverer Cleverest

Narrow Narrower Narrowest

Pretty Prettier Prettiest

Polite Politer Politest

Simple Simpler Simplest

(3) If the two syllable adjective ends with -y, change the y to i add -er for the comparative form,
see in the table bellow:

Adjectives ending in ‘y’ Use -ier and –est

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Happy Happier Happiest

Angry Angrier Angriest

Easy Easier Easiest

Lucky Luckier Luckiest

But in British English shy, sly, spry, wry normally keep the –y: shy, shyer, shyest, etc. (in
American English it is generally changed to –i). Furthermore, another two syllables adjectives
can use both –er, -est or more, most to form comparative or superlative sentences.

(4). Two syllables adjective that follow two rule. These adjectives can be used with er and est or
more and most, see in the table bellow:

Adjectives ending in ‘y’ Use -ier and -est

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Clever Cleverer Cleverest

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 More clever Most clever

Gentle Gentler Gentlest

More gentle Most gentle

Friendly Friendier Friendest

More friendly Most friendly

Simple Simpler Simplest

More simple Most simple

But exceptions to these rules occur, such as eager, proper, etc. which take more or most
before them. All of these rules can cause confusion in using comparison. A good rule to keep in
mind, however, is that more, most may actually be used with all two syllables adjectives except
for those ending in –y and –i just mentioned above. In addition, it is significant to memorize that
two forms of comparison never occur together; a form like more dirtier would be ungrammatical.

(a.3 ) Adjectives of three or more syllables

Adjectives with more than two syllables from their comparative and superlative by
putting more and most in front of the adjective see in the table bellow:

Adjectives of Three or More Syllable Use More and Most

Adjective Comparative Superlative

Beautiful More beautiful Most beautiful

Dangerous More dangerous Most dangerous

Exciting More exiting Most exiting

B) Irregular forms of degrees of comparison

Some adjective have irregular comparative and superlative form, see in the table bellow:

Irregular Comparison
Adjective Comparative Superlative

Good (well) Better Best

Bad Worse Worst

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 Little Less Least

Much,many More Most

Far Farther,further Farthest

Late later Last,latest

Old Older Oldest

In informal usage, further is often used instead of farther to compare distance, and in all
contexts older is frequently used to refer to a sibling of greater age.

In addition, the comparatives former, inner, nether, outer, upper, (utter) cannot be said to
correspond to any positive forms, and three are no corresponding regular superlatives. These
comparatives are used only to express contrast, not degree: a formerengagement (as against
later), an inner/outer wall, the netherlip (nether was formerly the opposite of upper), upper lip
(as against under, lower lip).

1.3.2) Forms of adverb comparison

With adverb of two or more syllables we form the comparative and superlative by putting
more and most before the positive form, just as adjectives have comparison, adverbs follow the
same general rules for comparisons as adjective.

Adverb that have the same form as adjectives and others have comparatives and superlatives
with -er and -est. The most common are: fast, early, late, hard, long, near, high, low, soon, well,
(better, best), badly (worse, worst), and informal English easy, slow, loud and quick. and in
linguistic.

By adding -er or -est to an adverb containing one syllable, by using more or most (or less or
least) with an adverb ending in -ly or containing more than one syllable, and by completely
changing the form of the adverb see in the table bellow:

Adverb Add -er or -est

Positive Comparative Superlative

Fast Faster Fastest

Late Later Latest

Soon Sooner Soonest

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Slowly More slowly Most slowly

Less slowly Least slowly

Quietly More quietly Most quietly

Less quietly Least quieyly

Well Better Best

Badly Worse Worst

Much More Most

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 CHAPTER III

1. CONCLUSION
Comparison is used to express similarities or differences of degree or extent. Comparison is
the process of comparing people, things, or places through the level of quality, quantity, or
relation. Comparison is the method by which an adjective or adverb expresses a greeter or less
degree of the same quality. There are three kinds of adjective comparison; they are positive,
comparative and superlative. For the form of degrees of comparison there are two forms. They
are form of adverb comparison and form adverb comparison

2. EXAMPLE RELATED TO MAJOR

 CONVERSATION ABOUT DEGREE OF COMPARISON :

Anna: Hey Jake! I just got back from the mall and saw they've opened a new coffee shop.
Jake: Oh, really? Is it bigger than the one we usually go to
Anna: Yes, it's definitely larger and seems to have a wide range of coffee options. But the old
one is still closer to my house.
Jake: I've heard their cold brew is stronger than most places. Did you try it?
Anna:I did! And you're right. It's certainly stronger and gave me a quicker caffeine kick.
Though, I still think our regular spot has a cozier ambiance.
Jake : I guess we can give it a try next time. Sometimes, a newer place can offer a better
experience.
Anna : Agreed. Change can be good. We might find it more enjoyable than we expect!

 PARAGRAPH OF ARCHITECTURE
In the realm of architecture, skyscrapers stand as the tallest edifices, piercing the city
skylines and embodying the pinnacle of human engineering. While mid-rise buildings might be
more versatile in terms of blending with urban landscapes, bungalows offer a closer connection
to the ground and often a more intimate residential experience. Yet, when we compare historical
sites to modern structures, the former often possess a deeper cultural significance, revealing
layers of history and tales of yesteryears, while the latter showcase advanced technology and
contemporary design paradigms. Through these degrees of comparison, one can appreciate the
vast spectrum of architectural wonders and the diverse experiences they offer.

 JOURNAL ABOUT ARCHITECTURE

The fact now that the surface level of the area to the west of Khufu pyramid reaches +110m
does not mean that it was the original height before its construction. Moreover as up mentioned, the
other part of the formation- the Moqattam - on the east of the Nile is having an elevation +200m.
Having this fact, and investigating the formation of the stones of the building material of the pyramid
and the ground surface where pyramids were built, one could easily find that the former one was
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chosen from the upper stratum of iocenean site while the latter one is the original lower dense stratum
of the iocenean which was used as a base for the structure.

The Giza plateau was, in ancient times, geologically connected to the Moqattam hill on the other
side of the Nile (Gamal Hemdan, 1984) (fig.4), crossing the site of what is now the capital Cairo. The top
level of the Moqattam hill is now +200 m. The top level of the Giza plateau must have acquired a level
hypothetically close to the Moqattam surface level, i.e. +200 m, or so. The geological formation of both
sites, the Giza plateau and the Moqattam hill, is composed of a ”cretaceous nucleolus amid an iocenean
formation” (Gamal Hemdan, 1984), an action happened when ”Abu-Rawash concave cap mass was
transposed upside down in the late upper cretaceous, resulting in a solid cap well exposed on the
surface”. Amid that process, the site was formed as hill heights along with convexes of the vallies,
keeping an ”axis running from the eastern North to the western South”. That axis almost coincides with
the axis connecting the centers of gravity of the three pyramids. ”The iocenean formation of the site is
mainly composed of two strata, one higher and one lower. The lower stratum is identified as denser and
more homogeneous.” And so far, the Nile valley bisected, after the ancient changes, that formation,
one on its east and the other on its west, forming two heights overlooking it. The elevations of both sites
must have stayed the same, or at least relatively the same. Here starts the hypothesis of the site
management and the system of constructing the pyramids on the plateau.

One fact about Herodotus is that ”He is candid about acknowledging ignorance, and when
versions differ he gives both”(Herodotus, 2016). We know that ”facts” he mentioned in his books were
after different talks and hearsays he listened were not from authorities, by the meanings we know now.
So far we have to be critical to his suggestions. But one fact should be considered as a start in the
research, that is the stones that constitute the main body of the pyramid were of the local site (Ahmad
Fakhry, n.d.).

For a huge edifice as this, having around two and half million units of stones, structurally well
spread and efficiently piled in layers to support their existence and resilience to time, an effective
suitable and well thought of management must have been executed. Here another hypothesis might be
consi.

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 CHAPTER 4

1. REFERENCES
Brown, H. Douglas. Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 5th edition, New York:
Pearson Education, 2006.

Celce-Murcia, Marriane and Larsen-Freeman, Diane, The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL

Teacher’s Course,2nded., USA: Heinle & Heinle Publisher, 1999.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrees_of_comparison

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm.

Madkur, Ahmad. Grammatical Analysis on the Abstract of Scientific Writing, Pedagogy,

2013.

Mahmud, Nasrun, English for Muslim University Students 6th Edition, Jakarta: Siwi bakti
Darma Press, 2010.

Martin Hewings.Advanced Grammar in Use,Second Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 2005.

Parrot, Martin, Grammar for English Language Teachers, USA: Cambridge University
Press, 2000.

Pierson, Ruth and Vik, Susan, Making Sense in English Grammar in Context, Boston:
Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1987. Swan, Michael, Practical English Usage,
Oxford:Oxford University Press, 1980.

Zandvoort, R.W. and Ek, J. A. Van,A Handbook of English Grammar,7thed., London:

Longman Group Limited, 1980.

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