DEGREES OF COMPARISON
The degree of comparison
tells us whether an adjective or an adverb is offering a comparison.
Whenever we describe or talk
about a thing or a person or a place we often tend to compare the one with the
other. While we are comparing things or person or place, there is a posibility
of three levels or degrees of comparison, such as
1 positive, 2 comparative
and 3 superlative.
- We use the positive degree of an adjective when we do not intend to make any comparison.
- We use the comparative degree, when we compare two objects or two people.
- We use the superlative degree when more than two objects or two people are compared to show which one is superior
- Degrees of comparison are applicable only to adjectives and adverbs.
DEFENITIONS AND USEAGES OF
COMPARISON DEGREES:
- POSITIVE DEGREE:When we speak about one person or thing we use positive degree. Here the adjective is in its neutral form.
EG: Raja is as tall as Gita.
( Both are of the same height )
Raji is not so tall as Vimala. ( Both
are of different heights)
2. COMPARATIVE DEGREE:
When we compare two persons
or things with each other we use comparative. We add – “ER” to the root word if
the word has one or two syllables. If the given word has more than two
syllables, - ‘MORE’ is used before the adjective to denote the comparative
degree.
EG: The Ganga is longer than
the Cauvery.
Ravi is more intelligent than Rahim.
NOTE: Some adjectives are
followed by “TO” instead of “THAN” in comparisons
Junior, Senior, Inferior,
Prefer, Preferable, Superior, Elder, etc…
3. SUPERLATIVE DEGREE: We
add – “EST” to the root word if the word has one or two syllables. If the given
word is long, we use ‘THE MOST’ before the word to indicate the superlative
degree.
EG: This box is the heaviest
of all other boxes.
According to me the Harry Potter is the
most interesting
novel.
Most adjectives have three
different forms to show Degrees of comparison:
FREQUENTLY USED ADJECTIVES AND THEIR THREE FORMS:
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
big bigger
biggest
busy busier busiest
cheap cheaper cheapest
cool cooler coolest
deep deeper
deepest
dirty dirtier dirtiest
dry drier driest
early earlier earliest
easy easier easiest
fast faster fastest
friendly friendlier friendliest
Funny funnier funniest
Great greater greatest
happy happier happiest
healthy healthier healthiest
Heavy
Heavier Heaviest
high higher
highest
hot hotter hottest
hungry hungrier hungriest
large larger largest
long longer longest
new newer newest
old older oldest
pretty prettier prettiest
sad sadder saddest
safe safer safest
short shorter shortest
slow slower slowest
small smaller smallest
Strong stronger strongest
sunny sunnier sunniest
sweet sweeter sweetest
tall taller tallest
thick thicker
thickest
thin thinner thinnest
tough tougher toughest
weak weaker weakest
wet wetter wettest
Beautiful more beautiful most
beautiful
boring more boring most
boring
comfortable more comfortable most comfortable
common more common
most common
Dangerous more dangerous most
dangerous
difficult more difficult most
difficult
expensive more expensive most
expensive
generous more generous
most generous
Gentle more gentle most
gentle
interesting more interesting most
interesting
popular more popular most
popular
powerful more powerful most
powerful
bad worse
worst
good better best
little less least
far farther(further) farthest(the furthest)
HERE ARE A FEW
EXAMPLES THAT SHOW HOW VARIOUS TYPES OF SENTENCES IN DIFFERENT DEGREES OF
COMPARISON CAN BE INTERCHANGED:
Type 1: Raju is a tall boy
Raju is taller than Somu
Raju is the tallest boy in the class
Type 2: Rose is a beautiful
flower
Rose is more beautiful than Jasmine
Lotus is the most beautiful flower
Type 3: No other profession is as noble as teaching.
Teaching is nobler than any other
profession.
Teaching is the noblest of all
professions. / Teaching is the noblest profession.
Type – 4:
Very few professions are as noble as teaching.
Teaching is nobler than many other / most other professions.
Teaching is one of the noblest professions.
Type – 5:
Apples are costlier than mangoes in the summer
season.
Mangoes are not so costly as apples in the
summer season.
Type – 6:
Apples are not more expensive than mangoes
during winter.
Mangoes are as expensive as apples during
winter.
Type – 7:
We have not watched such a thrilling movie as
this.
This movie is more thrilling than any other
movie, we have ever watched.
This is
the most thrilling movie, we have ever watched.
Type – 8:
My brother can climb a tree as fast as a
monkey.
A monkey cannot climb a tree faster than my
brother.