What is a DEGREE OF COMPARISON ?
Adjectives change in form to show comparison,they are called Degree Of Comparison.
Type of Degree Of Comparison
POSITIVE DEGREE
COMPARATIVE DEGREE
SUPERLATIVE DEGREE
Example :
John is a tall boy.
John is taller than Ancy.
John is tallest of them all.
In the first sentence it explains only that, John is a tall boy. Here
John is not compared with any others. In such cases, when adjective is used with out any comparison to other nouns we call it as POSITIVE DEGREE.
In the second sentence the adjective is used for comparison between two people, such cases when adjective is used for comaprison of two person,thing
we call it as COMPARATIVE DEGREE.
In Comparative Degree use 'than' after the adjectives.
taller than
greater than
In third sentence the comparison is between more than two people,such case we say it as SUPERLATIVE DEGREE.
NOTE :
-
If ' er ' is added to Adjectives(positive) then Comaparative degree is formed and when ' est ' is added to Adjectives(positive) then Superlative degree is formed.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
cleverlonghighgreatsweetyoungtall |
clevererlongerhighergreatersweeteryoungertaller |
cleverestlongesthighestgreatestsweetestyoungesttallest |
-
If positive ends in 'e' add 'r' and 'st' to form comparative and superlative.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
largewisewhitebravepurefineable |
largerwiserwhiterbraverpurerfinerabler |
largestwisestwhitestbravestpurestfinestablest |
-
We can add more and most before adjective to form comparative and superlative.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
beautifulusefulfamousdifficultimportanthonestpowerful |
more beautifulmore usefulmore famousmore difficultmore importantmore honestmore powerful |
most beautifulmost usefulmost famousmost difficultmost importantmost honestmost powerful |
-
If positive ends in 'y' add 'er' and 'est' to form comparative and superlative after changing 'y' to 'i'.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
lovelywealthyholyeasyhappyheavyhealthy |
lovelierwealthierholiereasierhappierheavierhealthier |
loveliestwealthiestholiesteasiesthappiestheaviesthealthiest |
-
For some adjectives that ends mainly with 'd, g, t, m, n' to form comparative and superlative, add the last letter twice and then add 'er' and 'est'.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
redsadbighotfatdimthin |
reddersadderbiggerhotterfatterdimmerthinner |
reddestsaddestbiggesthottestfattestdimmestthinnest |
-
For some adjectives(positive) form comparative and superlative that are entirely different from the positive form '.
POSITIVE |
COMPARATIVE |
SUPERLATIVE |
lategoodbadmuchnearlittlemany |
later, latterbetterworsemorenearerless, lessermore |
latest, lastbestworstmostnearest, nextleastmost |