Degree of

Comparison

There are three Degrees of

Comparison in English.
1. Positive degree
2. Comparative degree
3. Superlative degree

Positive Degree
We use the Positive degree when we
speak about only one person or
thing.
Example:
Lebron James is tall.
The house is big.
This flower is beautiful.

Comparative Degree
We use the Comparative degree
when we compare two persons or
two things with each other.
Example:
Yao Ming is taller than Lebron
James.
This house is bigger than that one.
She is nicer than him.

Superlative Degree
We use the Superlative degree when
we compare more than two persons
or things with one another.
It is the highest degree of the quality.
Example:
Peter is the smartest boy in class.
Alice is the sweetest girl in the
neighborhood.
The blue whale is the largest of all
animals.

Degree of Comparison
1. Adjectives of one syllable
Adjectives of one syllable add -er
and -est.
Adjectives ending on 'e' just add -r
and -st.
Some
adjectives
double the
final
Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
consonant.
small
warm
old
nice
big

smaller
warmer
older
nicer
bigger

smallest
warmest
oldest
nicest
biggest

Degree of Comparison

2. Adjectives of two syllables

Some adjectives of two syllables add -er
and -est.
For adjectives ending in 'y cut y then add
-ier and -iest.
Adjectives ending in -ful, -less, -ing, -ed
use more and most.
Some other adjectives of two syllables use
more
and most
(modern, famous,
normal,
Adjective
Comparative
Superlative
correct,
...).
narrow
narrower
narrowest
happy
useful
boring
modern

happier
happiest
more useful most useful
more boring most boring
more modern
most
modern

Degree of Comparison
3. Adjectives of three or more
syllables
Adjectives of three or more
syllablesComparative
use more and
most.
Adjective
Superlative
more
most beautiful
beautiful
beautiful
most
dangerous
more
dangerous
exciting
dangerous
most exciting
more exciting

Degree of Comparison
4. Irregular adjectives
You will have to memorize
these.
Adjective Comparative Superlative
good (well)
better
bad
worse
little
less
much, many
more
far
farther, further
late
later
old
older, elder

best
worst
least
most
farthest
last, latest
older, oldest