DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Adjectives have three degrees of comparison. They are:

1. Positive degree
2. Comparative degree, and
3. Superlative degree

When an adjective is used in a simple form, it is said to be positive degree

* Rama is a clever boy.

* Sita is pretty.

In these sentences clever and pretty are in the positive degree. Look at the
following sentences:

* Rama is cleverer than his brother

* Sita is prettier than her sister.
In these sentences Rama is compared with his brother and Sita is compared
with her sister. So the adjectives are in the comparative degree. The
comparative degree of adjectives is followed by the conjunction than.

Please note that than is used as a conjunction in grammatically correct English.

However, in conversational English ‘than’ is often treated as a preposition.
When pronouns are used, the learner should treat ‘than’ as a conjunction and
use the subject-form of the pronoun. , like I, he, she they etc.

When more than two persons or things are compared, we use the superlative
degree of adjectives.

* Rama is the cleverest boy in the class.

* Sita is the prettiest girl in the school.

Note: the definite article ‘the’ precedes an adjective in the superlative degree.

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 Changing the Degrees of Comparison:
Can you change the degree of comparison of an adjective without changing the
meaning the sentence? .Yes, you can . Look at the following examples:

When there are only two subjects in the sentence, the formation of superlative
degree is not possible. In such case the transformation of positive to comparative and
vice versa can take place. (Comparison of One as to One)
Instructions:
1. If a sentence in the positive degree has some negative sense, it will become
affirmative in sense when we change it into a sentence in the comparative degree.
2. If a sentence in the positive degree has some affirmative sense, it will become
negative in sense when we change it into a sentence in the comparative degree.
3. Above mentioned rules are applicable to comparative degree also.
Positive/Comparative
In simple Negative Affirmative

Positive Degree

Formula S AV/not AV Form (as/so-A1- O

as)

Example 1 Mayank is As clever as Prassana

Example 2 Mayank is Not so clever as Prassana

Comparative Degree
Formula S AV/ AV Form O
not (A2+than)

Example 1 Mayank is more clever Prassana

than

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 Example 2 Mayank is Not more Prassana
clever than

Note: With positive sentence use as------ as and

With negative statement use so-------as
When there are more than two subjects in the sentence, the following formulas
can be used (Comparison of One as to many):

Positive Degree Formula:

Formula No other/Very RP AV Form (as- S
few/Few/Some A1-as)

Example 1 No other City in is as hot as Nanded

Maharashtra

Example 2 Very few Bowlers are as fast as Kapil

Example 3 Few Boys in the are As Ravi

class intelligent
as
Example 4 Some Students in are at As Sagar
the class least intelligent
as

Comparative Degree Formula:

Formula S AV A2 Form(than+a RP
ny
other/many
other/some
other)
Example 1 This is greater Than any In my
other life
Example 2 Roshan Is better Than many Boys in
other the class

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 Example 3 Neha Is More Than some Students
intellig other in the
ent class

Superlative Degree Formula:

Formula S AV The/one of A3 RP
the

Example 1 She Was the softest Member of

the team

Example 2 Ganga Is one of the largest Rivers in

India

Study the following examples:

 Positive: No other girl in the class is as intelligent as Susie.

Comparative: Susie is more intelligent than any other girl in the class.
Superlative: Susie is the most intelligent girl in the class.
 Positive: No other metal is as precious as gold.
Comparative: Gold is more precious than any other metal.
Superlative: Gold is the most precious metal.
 Superlative: Solomon was the wisest person on earth
Positive: No other person on earth was as wise as Solomon.
Comparative: Solomon was wiser than any other person on earth.
 Positive: No other boy is as tall as John.
Comparative: John is taller than any other boy.
Superlative: John is the tallest boy.
 Positive: No other food is as nourishing as milk.
Comparative: Milk is more nourishing than any other food.
Superlative: Milk is the most nourishing food.
 Positive: Very few English poets were as great as Wordsworth.
Comparative: Wordsworth was greater than most other English poets.
Superlative: Wordsworth was one of the greatest English poets.

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