Degrees of Comparison
Adjectives
Look at these sentences
1. Sitha is beautiful
2. Sitha is more beautiful than Githa
3. Sitha is the most beautiful girl in our class
In sentence one the adjective beautiful simply tells
us that Sitha is beautiful. In sentence two there is a comparison in terms of
beauty between Sitha and Githa. In sentence three Sitha is said to be the most
beautiful girl in their class. We learn now that the adjective beautiful has
three forms: beautiful, more beautiful and most beautiful which are
called different Degrees of comparison.
The form beautiful is in the
Positive Degree. It is the simplest form of the adjective. More beautiful
is in the comparative Degree a higher degree of quality than the Positive
Degree, and is used when two units are compared. Most beautiful is the
highest degree of quality, and is used when three or more units are compared.
It is called the Superlative Degree and is often preceded by the.
The elephant is the strongest
animal on land.
John is the tallest boy in
the class
In exams there will be questions
like converting comparative into positive or superlative into positive. It is
like pouring an old wine into a new bottle. The wine is same but the bottle is
changed. If we take the example of the first three sentences they can be
followed by another two. Like
1. Sitha is beautiful (Positive)
2. Sitha is more beautiful than Githa (Comparative)
3. Sitha is the most beautiful girl in our class (Superlative)
4. Githa is not so beautiful as Sitha (Comparative turned
into Positive)
5. No other girl in our class is as beautiful as Sitha
(Superlative turned into Positive)
Ways of forming Comparatives and Superlatives
1.Most Adjectives form the Comparative by adding –er,and the
Superlative by adding –est to the positive Degree.
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
Tall
|
Taller
|
Tallest
|
Big
|
Bigger
|
Biggest
|
Happy
|
Happier
|
Happiest
|
Easy
|
Easier
|
Easiest
|
Wise
|
Wiser
|
Wisest
|
Large
|
Larger
|
Largest
|
Red
|
Redder
|
Reddest
|
Thin
|
Thinner
|
Thinnest
|
2 Most Adjectives of two syllables, and all adjectives of
more than three syllables, form the Comparative by using the Adverb more and the
Superlative by using the Adverb most with the Positive.
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
Splendid
|
More splendid
|
Most splendid
|
Wonderful
|
More wonderful
|
Most wonderful
|
Beautiful
|
More beautiful
|
Most beautiful
|
Note: The comparative –er is not used when we compare two
qualities in the same person or thing
Balu is more sad than happy.
She is more jealous than sad
Irregular Comparatives
Some comparatives and Superlatives are not formed from the
Positive. They are compared irregularly.
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
Good,well
|
Better
|
best
|
Bad,ill,evil
|
Worse
|
Worst
|
Little
|
Less,lesser
|
Least
|
Much, many
|
More
|
Most
|
Near
|
Nearer
|
Nearest, next
|
Late
|
Later, latter
|
Latest, last
|
Old
|
Older, elder
|
Oldest, eldest
|
Far
|
Farther, further
|
Farthest, furthest
|
In
|
Inner
|
Inmost, innermost
|
Up
|
Upper
|
Uppermost
|
Out
|
Outer, utter
|
Outermost,uttermost,utmost
|
Note: The comparative Adjectives ending in –or are followed
by the preposition to
Vinu is inferior to Hari in intelligence.
He is junior to all his colleagues.
Fill in the blanks with Comparatives or Superlatives of
suitable Adjectives:
1.
Prevention is ……………… than cure.
2.
Who was the ……………. Of the Mughal Kings ?
3.
He is the …………. Child in our family.
4.
Everest is the …………. Peak in the world.
5.
My uncle is ……….. than my father.
6.
Which of the two girls has the ……… dress ?
7.
Clouds float because they are………. than air.
8.
He is the ………….. man in our village.
9.
Your knife is sharp, but mine is………….
10. Her doll is…………. than yours.
Answers
1. Better
2. Best
3. Last
4. Highest
5. Younger
6. Best
7. Lighter
8. Wisest
9. Sharper
10. Cuter
Rewrite sentences in different
Degrees of Comparison without changing the meaning.
1.
The elephant is the strongest animal on land.
(Superlative Degree)
2.
The elephant is stronger than all other animals on
land.
The elephant is
stronger than any other animal on land
(Comparative)
3.
No other animal on land is so strong as the
elephant (positive)
……………………………
1. Kovalam is the most beautiful
beach I have ever seen. (Superlative)
2. Kovalam is more beautiful than
any other beach I have ever seen.
Kovalam is more beautiful than
all other beaches I have ever seen.
(Comparative)
4.
No other beach I have ever seen is so beautiful
as Kovalam (Positive)
…………………………………
Change the Degree of Comparison,
without changing the meaning:
1.
Gopal is the cleverest boy in the class.
2.
No other animal is so useful as the elephant.
3.
The tiger is the most ferocious animal.
4.
Bangalore is the
cleanest city in India.
5.
Mangoes are sweeter than bananas.
6.
This is the best play I have ever seen.
7. Iron is more useful than
copper.
Adverbs
Adverbs also have their different
Degrees of comparison; they are formed in the same ways as those of Adjectives.
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
Hard
|
Harder
|
Hardest
|
Early
|
Earlier
|
Earliest
|
Fast
|
Faster
|
Fastest
|
Well
|
Better
|
Best
|
Little
|
Less
|
least
|
Softly
|
More softly
|
Most softly
|
Beautifully
|
More beautifully
|
Most beautifully
|
Examples
1. Of all the girls in class, Sita
speaks most fluently. (Superlative)
2. Sita speaks more fluently than
all other girls in the class. (Comparative)
3. No other girl in the class
speaks as fluently as Sita. (Positive)
