Degrees of Comparison are used when we compare one person or one thing with another.

There are
three Degrees of Comparison in English.
They are:
1. Positive degree.
2. Comparative degree.
3. Superlative degree.

1.Positive degree.
When we speak about only one person or thing, We use the Positive degree.
Examples:
• This house is big.
In this sentence only one noun “The house" is talked about.
• He is a tall student.
• This flower is beautiful.
• He is an intelligent boy.
Each sentence mentioned above talks about only one noun.

2.Comparative degree.
When we compare two persons or two things with each other,
We use both the Positive degree and Comparative degree.
Examples:
a. This house is bigger than that one. (Comparative degree)
This house is not as big as that one. (Positive degree)
The term “bigger" is comparative version of the term “big".
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
b. This flower is more beautiful than that. (Comparative)
This flower is not as beautiful as that. (Positive)
The term “more beautiful" is comparative version of the term “beautiful".
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
c. He is more intelligent than this boy. (Comparative)
He is not as intelligent as this boy. (Positive)
The term “more intelligent" is comparative version of the term “intelligent".
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
d. He is taller than Mr. Hulas. (Comparative)
He is not as tall as Mr. Hulas. (Positive)
The term “taller" is comparative version of the term “tall".
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
When we compare more than two persons or things with one another,
We use all the three Positive, Comparative and Superlative degrees.
3.Superlative degree

Superlative adjectives are used to describe an object which is at the upper or lower limit of a quality (the
tallest, the smallest, the fastest, the highest). They are used in sentences where a subject is compared to a
group of objects.

 Examples:
a. This is the biggest house in this street. (Superlative)
This house is bigger than any other house in this street. (Comparative)
No other house in this street is as big as this one. (Positive)
The term “biggest" is the superlative version of the term “big".
All the three sentences mean the same meaning.
c. He is the most intelligent in this class. (Superlative)
He is more intelligent than other boys in the class. (Comparative)
No other boy is as intelligent as this boy. (Positive)
The term “most intelligent" is superlative version of the term “intelligent".
 Both these sentences convey the same meaning.

*Degrees of Comparison are applicable only to Adjectives and Adverbs*

*Nouns and verbs do not have degrees of comparisons*
He is the tallest student in the class.
The term “tallest" is an adjective.
Among the members of the group, Mr. Clinton speaks most effectively.
The term “effectively" is an adverb.
All the terms used in the above-examples are either adjectives or adverbs.
We have seen all the three Degrees of Comparison.
Let us see their models.

Model -1: “The best":

Examples:
i. This is the best hotel in this area.
No other hotel is as better as this on in this area.
No other hotel is as good as this one in this area.
ii. Unemployment is the most serious problem facing our country.
Unemployment is more serious than any other problem facing our country.
No other problem facing our country is as serious as unemployment.

Model-2: “One of the best":

Examples:
i. Calcutta is one of the largest cities in India.
Calcutta is large than most other cities in India.
Very few cities in India are as large as Calcutta.
ii. Satin Tendulkar is one of the best batsmen in the world.
Satin Tendulkar is better than most other batsmen in the world.
No other batman in the world is as good as Satin Tendulkar.

Model-3: “Not the best":

Examples:
i. This is not the best solution to the problem.
ii. This is not better than few other solutions to this problem.
iii. Other solutions to this problem are not as good as this one.
ii. New York is not the largest city in America.
New York is not bigger than many other cities in America.
Few other cities in America are at least as large as New York.
Few adjectives and adverbs get their Comparative forms by simply getting “more" before them.
And their superlative terms, by getting “most" before them.

Examples:
Beautiful..........more beautiful..........most beautiful
Effective……….more effective………most effective
Effectively………more effectively……….most effectively
Enjoyable………….more enjoyable……….most enjoyable
Useful……………….more useful………..most useful
Different………..more different…………most different
Honest………..more honest…………..most honest
Qualified…………more qualified…………most qualified
Few adjectives and adverbs get their Comparative forms by simply getting “er" after
them and their superlative terms, by getting “est" after them.
Examples:
Hard……………..harder……………..hardest
Big……………….bigger…………….biggest
Tall……………..taller……………tallest
Long………………longer………………longest
Short……………..shorter……………….shortest
Costly…………………costlier……………costliest
Simple………………….simpler………….simplest
Degrees of Comparison add beauty and varieties to the sentences.
 Adjective is a word and it qualifies a noun. It gives more information about the noun.
eg. The lion is a strong animal. Rita is a beautiful girl.
Adjectives are of three degrees. (1) Positive (2) Comparative (3) Superlative
eg. David is a rich man.
eg. Cancel is more dreadful than cholera.
eg. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world

Study the following models.

Positive Comparative Superlative

John is taller than any other John is the tallest boy in the
boys in the class. class.
Very few boys in the class
are as tall as John.
John is taller than most other John is one of the
boys in the class. tallest boy in the class.

Adjective and Adverbs have three degrees, Positive, Comparative and Superlative.
The Pasitive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.

The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote
the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.
 It is a tall building.
 Apple is sweet to taste.
The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.

The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the positive. It is
used when two things (or two sets of things) are compared.
 This building is taller than any other building.
 Apple is sweeter than pear.
 The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more
than two things are compared.
 This is the tallest building.
 Apple is the sweetest fruit.
1. When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. tha tare some respects equal, we
may use the comparion of equality. This is formed by the use of
as... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is as large as mine.
2. When we compare unquals, we may use the comparative degree of the adjective or adverb
with than
eg. His new book is more interesting than his earlier books
3. When the comparison is negative, we use
so... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine.
4. In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped.
eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial.
Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties.
5. In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used.
eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it.
`6.Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of
the...the...with comparatives.
eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
The more he read, the less he understood.
Question

1. Rita can walk ......................than you think

2. I hope tomorrow will be ................than today
3. He runs as ...................as molasses in January
4. The modern wind turbine works the ......................
5. He has the .........house among all his friends
6. I have no idea why he sopkr ..................than before
7. Krystal is as ................as her sister
8. If only I could find the ...................path from node x to node y
9. The man treated his stepchildren ...............than animals
10. Your spicy ramen noodle is ..............than mine

Choose the right answer by crossing please !

Very few books are read Harry Potter by children.

(a) as much as (b) more than (c) the most

2. Life in the desert is than life in the mountains.

(a) as dreary as (b) the dreariest (c) drearier

3. Honey is medicine.

(a) as good as (b) better than (c) the best

4. School days are than college days.

(a) as enjoyable as (b) more enjoyable (c) the most enjoyable

5. The coconut tree has any other tree.

(a) as much uses as (b) more uses than (c) the most uses of
 6. Dogs are as dolphins.

(a) as friendly (b) more friendly (c) the most friendly

7. No other country sells number of cellphones as India after America.

(a) as many (b) more (c) the most

8. Nursing is many other professions.

(a) as noble as (b) nobler than (c) the most noble

9. Very few channels are watched by children the Cartoon Channel.

(a) as much as (b) more than (c) the most

10. Black is the colour.

(a) as dark as (b) darker than (c) darkest

11. Milk is diet.

(a) so good as (b) better than (c) the best

12. Noodles is dish for children and youngsters.

(a) so enjoyable as (b) more enjoyable than (c) the most enjoyable

13. We have not played any match as this.

(a) so bad (b) worse (c) the worst

14. This road is the one in town.

(a) as long as (b) longer than (c) longest

Match the adjective in the left column to its comparative form in the middle column. Then match the
comparative adjective in the middle column to its superlative form in the right column

1. Big anger saddest

2. Small smarter smartest
3. Tall funnier tallest
4. Short skinner hungriest
5. Fast bigger happiest
6. Quick smaller toughest
7. Angry lighter fastest
8. Happy tougher quickest
9. Hungry sadder biggest
10. Smart taller funniest
11. Funny quicker skinniest
12. Sad shorter lightest
13. Skinny faster angriest
14. Light happier smallest
15. Tough hungrier shortest