DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Degree of Comparison is used to compare persons or things in respect of the same quality. It's the act or process of comparison between two or more people or things in the area of same quality whether they are equal, more/less or the most or best of all. It is related to Adjectives and Adverbs. 

                  KINDS OF DEGREE 

There are three kinds of Degree:-

1. Positive Degree 

2. Comparative Degree 

3. Superlative Degree 

1. Positive Degree:- When the Adjective or Adverb is in its original form without showing Comparison or relation to increment or diminution,  or it exhibits similarity in comparison, it is said to be in Positive Degree. 

Examples:- 

Shyam is as intelligent as Ram.

You are as tall as your brother. 

He runs as fast as I.

2. Comparative Degree:- It refers to the higher degree of comparison that someone/something is more than/less than someone/something else in respect of quality, condition, shape, size, manner, etc. 

Examples:- 

Ram is not more intelligent than Shyam. 

Your brother is not taller than you. 

I don't run faster than he. 

3. Superlative Degree:- It refers to the highest degree of comparison, one being the best or of the highest order in respect of quality, condition, shape, size, manner, etc. among three or more than three people/things. 

Examples:-

Ram is not the most intelligent boy. 

Your brother is not the tallest boy. 

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE DEGREES:-

1. Adjectives having one syllable and not ending with 'e' :-

Positive + er = Comparative 

Positive + est = Superlative 

Examples:-

Positive        Comparative        Superlative

Old                     older                      oldest 

Tall                      taller                     tallest 

Cheap                cheaper               cheapest 

High                    higher                  highest 

Great                  greater                 greatest 

Sweet                sweeter                 sweetest 

2. Adjectives having one syllable and ending with 'e' :-

Positive + r = Comparative 

Positive + st = Superlative 

Examples:-

Positive       Comparative        Superlative

Fine                  finer                     finest     

Nice                  nicer                    nicest 

Wise                 wiser                    wisest 

Sure                  surer                    surest      

Able                  abler                     ablest 

Wide                 wider                     widest 

Brave                 braver                  bravest 

3. Adjectives having one syllable and ending with a consonant preceded by a vowel:-

The last consonant letter is doubled and -er is added to make Comparative and -est for Superlative. 

Positive      Comparative      Superlative 

Big                 bigger                    biggest 

Fat                  fatter                     fattest 

Thin               thinner                   thinnest 

Sad                sadder                   saddest 

Red                redder                    reddest 

Hot                 hotter                    hottest 

4. If an Adjective ends with 'y' and a consonant comes before it, 'y' is replaced by ' i ' and -er is added to that to make Comparative and -est to make Superlative. 

Positive     Comparative      Superlative 

Easy              easier                 easiest 

Wealthy        wealthier            wealthier 

Happy           happier               happiest 

Dry                drier                     driest 

Heavy           heavier               heaviest 

5. If an Adjective ends with 'y' and a vowel comes before that, only -er is added to that to make Comparative and  -est to make Superlative. 

Positive    Comparative     Superlative 

Gay                 gayer                 gayest 

Gray               grayer               grayest 

6. If an Adjective has two syllables, 'more ' is written before it to make Comparative and 'most ' to make Superlative. 

Positive       Comparative           Superlative 

Beautiful      more beautiful      most beautiful 

Useful          more useful           most useful 

Important   more important    most important

Intelligent   more intelligent   most intelligent 

Interesting  more interesting most interesting

7. Some Adjectives don't follow any rules. Their Comparative and Superlative are already set. 

Positive      Comparative       Superlative 

Good            better                   best

Bad               worse                  worst 

Little             less                      least 

Much            more                     most 

Many            more                     most 

Far                farther                  farthest 

Old                older                     oldest 

Old                elder                     eldest 

CONSTRUCTIONS WITH COMPARISON 

1. Use of as + Adjective + as :- It is the positive form of Adjective to show similarity. It's used in positive sentences. 

Examples:-

Mohan is as tall as Sohan. 

Prabha is as nice as Prema.

2. Use of not + as/so + Adjective + as :- It's also the positive form of Adjective, but to show inferiority. It is used in negative sentences. 

Examples:-

She is not as tall as her mother. 

You are not so fat as your brother. 

3. Use of Comparative Adjective + than :- It is used to show superiority / inferiority. 

Examples:-

Kamala is taller than Kanak

Mukesh is not younger than Mukul.

4. Use of the + Superlative Degree :-

Examples:-

He is the richest man in the village. 

This is the tallest building in Patna. 

5. Use of the+Superlative + of+Plural Noun :- Examples :-

He is the tallest of all the brothers. 

She is the youngest of all the girls. 

6. Use of the + Superlative + in + place:-

Examples:-

She is the tallest girl in the class. 

He is the wisest person in the village. 

7. Use of the + Comparative.......... , the + Comparative:-

Examples:-

The older you get, the happier you are. 

The higher we go, the colder it gets. 

8. Use of Comparative + and + Comparative:-

Examples:-

The weather is getting colder and colder. 

You are getting fatter and fatter. 

9. Use of the + Comparative + of the two:- 

Examples:-

He is the wiser of the two. 

Monu is the taller of the two boys. 

10. Use of the + Superlative + of the three:-

Examples:-

Raju is the tallest of the three. 

He is the shortest of the three. 

11. Use of one of + Superlative + Plural noun:-

Examples:-

He is one of the wisest men. 

She is one of the tallest girls. 

12. After following Adjectives, 'to' comes in place of 'than' :-

Senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior. 

Examples:-

He is senior to me. 

You are superior to me.