Degrees of Comparison

 Degrees of comparison

Adjectives form degrees namely, positive degree, comparative degree, and superlative degree.

All root adjectives are called positive forms while the addition of suffix “er”/ “more” to the root make comparative forms and the suffix “est”/ “most” make superlative forms.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
(root)	(root+ er)	(root+ est)
Tall	Taller	Tallest
Great	Greater	Greatest
(root)	(more+ root)	(most+ root)
Important	More important	Most important
Essential	More essential	Most essential

Note: Some adjectives form their comparative and superlative forms illogically.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good/well	Better	Best
Bad	Worse	Worst
Little	Less	Least
Much	More	Most
Far	Farther	Farthest

Transformation of degrees of comparison

Points to Remember

• Comparative degree is usually followed by “than”.

• Superlative degrees take “the” infront of them.

• “So….as” can be written “as….as” also.

• Comparative degrees and superlative degrees begin alike.

• Comparative degree and positive degree begin with the end of each other.

Model- I

Only two objects are involved in comparison here. Hence there is no possibility for forming a superlative degree. Negative (not) exist only in one of the two.

Example:

Mumbai is bigger than Hyderabad. (C.D)

Hyderabad is not so/as big as Mumbai. (P.D)

Model- II

The phrases “few other/very few” in positive degree is always followed by a plural noun. They are equated by “most other+ plural noun” in comparative degree and “one of the+ superlative form” in superlative degree.

Example:

Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in the world. (S.D)

Mumbai is bigger than most other cities in the world. (C.D)

Few other cities in the world are as big as Mumbai. (P.D)

Model III

The phrase “no other” in positive degree is always followed by a singular noun. It is equated by the phrases “any other” in comparative degree and “the + superlative form” in the superlative degree.

Example:

Mumbai is the biggest city in India. (S.D)

Mumbai is bigger than any other city in India. (C.D)

No other city in India is so/as big as Mumbai. (P.D)

(Observe the table with an adjective ‘good’ for your reference)

Model	SD	CD	PD
1.	Noun 1(singular)… the best Noun2(singular) …	Noun1(singular) … better than any other Noun2(singular)....	No other Noun2(singular) …. so good as Noun1(singular).
2.	N1(s.) … one of the best N2(pl.) ….	N1(s.) ... .better than many other N2(pl.)..	Very few N2(pl.) …as good as N1(s.).
3.	N1(s.)... not the best N1(s.)....	N1(s.) … not better than some other N2(pl.) …	Some otherN2 (pl.) …. at least as good as N1(s.)
4.	—-	N1 …. better than N2	N2 …. not  so good as N1.
5.	—-	N1 … not better than N2	N2 … at least as good as N1.