NOTRE DAME OF DADIANGAS UNIVERSITY

INTEGRATED BASIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Junior High School
Lagao, General Santos City

Student # Name: _____________________________________ Section: _____________

DEGREES OF COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Adjective change in form when they show comparison.

Positive Degree: An adjective is said to be in the positive degree when there is no comparison.

Comparative Degree: An adjective is said to be in the comparative degree when it is used to compare two

nouns/pronouns.

Superlative Degree: An adjective is in superlative degree when it is used to compare more than two

nouns/pronouns. We use the article 'the' before the superlative degrees.

Instruction: Complete the table below with the correct formation of Comparative
and Superlative degrees of Adjectives.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative Degrees of Adjectives

Adjectives usually form their comparative and superlative degrees:
1) by addition of '-er' and '-est' to the positive degree

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

1. bright 10. long
2. black 11. rich
3. bold 12. small
4. clever 13. strong
5. cold 14. sweet
6. fast 15. tall
7. great 16. thick
8. high 17. young
9. kind

2) by addition of '-r' and '-st' to the positive degree ending in 'e'

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

18. brave
19. fine
20. large
21. nice
22. noble
23. pale
24. simple
25. wise
26. white
3) When the positive ends in 'y' and has a consonant before it, we change 'y' into 'i' and then add 'er'
and 'est'.

By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

27. costly 31. lazy
28. dry 32. mercy
29. easy 33. wealthy
30. happy 34. heavy

4) when the positive degree ends in a consonant with a vowel before it, we double the consonant &
then add '-er' and '-est'

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

35. big
36. dim
37. fat
38. hot
39. thin

5) by addition of '-er' and '-est' to the positive degree when it ends in '-y'

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

40. gay
41. grey

6) by placing 'more' and 'most' before the positive form

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

42. active 49. difficult
43. attractive 50. famous
44. beautiful 51. faithful
45. brilliant 52. important
46. careful 53. proper
47. courageous 54. popular
48. cunning 55. splendid

7) Some adjectives do not follow any of the rules explained earlier. They are compared irregularly.
Here are the different forms of such adjectives.

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

56. bad 64. little
57. evil 65. much
58. good 66. many
59. ill 67. near
60. far 68. old
61. well 69. old
62. late (time) 70. little
63. late (position)