What is Degrees of Comparison? Types, Rules with examples

What is Degrees of Comparison?

An adjective of quality changes its form when it is used to compare one noun with another it is called the degree of comparison of an adjective.

Types of Degrees of Comparison-

There are three degrees of comparison.

1. The positive degree.
2. The comparative degree.
3. The superlative degree.

Let us understand each of these degrees in detail.

1. The Positive Degree-

The positive degree is used to refer to one object, person or place without making any comparison.

For example– The car is moving fast.
This sentence simply describes how the car is moving. The car is not compared to any other thing. The adverb fast is set to be in the positive degree.

2. The Comparative Degree-

The comparative degree refers to a greater degree of adjectives as compared to the positive degree. It is used to compare two objects, people or places.

For example- He is smarter than me.
This sentence compares two people He and me. The adverb smarter is set to be in the comparative degree.

3. The Superlative Degree-

The superlative degree refers to the greatest degree of adjectives. It is used to compare more than two objects people or places.

For example- His house is the biggest of all.
The adverb biggest is set to be in the superlative degree.

Rules for Degree of Comparison-

In order to form comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives remember the following rules.

• We add er and est to most one or two syllable words that end in consonants.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Cold	Colder	Coldest
Slow	Slower	Slowest
High	Higher	Highest
Small	Smaller	Smallest

• When the positive ends in e, we add only r and st to the adjectives.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Large	Larger	Largest
Brave	Braver	Bravest
Wise	Wiser	Wisest

• When the positive ends in a consonant + y, we drop the Y and add ier, and iest.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Happy	Happier	Happiest
Easy	Easier	Easiest
Lucky	Luckier	Luckiest

• When the positive is a word of one syllable that ends in vowel + consonant we double the ending consonant and then add er and est.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Red	Redder	Reddest
Big	Bigger	Biggest

• When the positive is long, that is, is a word of two or more syllables, we add more and most before the adjective to form comparative and superlative degrees.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Renowned	More Renowned	Most Renowned
Famous	More Famous	Most Famous
Useful	More Useful	Most useful

• There are some objectives that do not form the comparatives and superlatives from their positives. They have irregular degrees of comparison.

For example-

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good	Better	Best
Bad	Worse	Worst
Many	More	Most

• We use than with a comparative degree, use the with a superlative degree.

For example-

1. Raj is shorter than Sanju.
2. Raj is the shortest boy in school.

Things to remember-

1. The comparative degree is used to compare only two persons, places or things, where as a superlative degree is used to compare three or more persons places or things.
2. The second point to keep in mind is that the things being compared in a given sentence need to be similar in kind.

What we have learn today?

1. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb and adjective or another adverb.
2. There are three degrees of comparison of adverbs the positive, the comparative and the superlative.
3. The comparative degree Compares two persons places or things there as the superlative degree Compares, three or more persons places or things.
4. Some comparative and superlative degrees are formed in an irregular Way by using entirely different words to show degree.
5. The things being compared in a given sentence need to be similar in kind.