DEGREES OF COMPARISON
Dr. PARAMADHYALAN P
Teaching Fellow
Department of English (S & H)
UCEA
Degrees of Comparison
Adjectives play a vital role, when we talk about the quality or the
state of a noun.
For example
Vijay is a good actor.
Simbu is a good actor.
Ajith is a good actor.
Although all three are good actors and none is bad actor, but they
are not equally good. Here, there is a necessity of comparison, when we use
the same adjective for more than one noun. Accordingly,
Vijay is a good actor.
Simbu is a better actor.
Ajith is a best actor.
Adjectives have three degrees of comparison
Positive – simple form – comparing two things that
are equal/not equal.
Comparative – higher degree - comparing two
things that are not equal.
Superlative - highest degree - comparing one thing
with two or more other things.
There are three ways of forming Comparative &
Superlative degree
1. By adding er, est to the positive degree
small smaller smallest
kind kinder kindest
bright brighter brightest
great greater greatest
strong stronger strongest
2. By adding more, most to the positive degree
famous more famous most famous
active more active most active
brilliant more brilliant most brilliant
intelligent more intelligent most intelligent
difficult more difficult most difficult
3. Irregular comparison
good/well better best
bad/ill worse worst
many/much more most
little less least
Transformation of Degrees of Comparison
Pattern: 1
Positive Degree – S + V + as + Adj. + as + O
Comparative Degree – O + V + not + CA + than + S
An apple is as delicious as an orange
An orange is not more delicious than an apple.
Raju is as tall as Ramu.
Ramu is not taller than Raju.
Money is as important as education.
Education is not more important than money.
Pattern: 1.a
Positive Degree – S + V + not + so/as + Adj. + as + O
Comparative Degree – O + V + CA + than + S
I am not as tall as he.
He is taller than I.
Keerthi Suresh is not as beautiful as Anuskha.
Anuskha is more beautiful than Keerthi Suresh.
Hindi is not as difficult as Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is more difficult than Hindi.
Pattern: 2
Positive Degree – No other/Nothing + S + V + as/so + Adj.+ as + O
Comparative Degree – O + V + CA + than + any other + S
Superlative Degree – O + V + SA + of all + S (pl.)
No other woman is as kind as Mother Terasa.
Mother Terasa is kinder than any other woman.
Mother Terasa is kindest of all women.
Nothing is as important as education.
Education is more important than any other thing.
Education is most important of all things.
No other state is as traditional as Tamilnadu.
Tamilnadu is more traditional than any other state.
Tamilnadu is most traditional of all states.
Pattern: 3
Positive Degree – Very few + S(pl.)+ V + as + Adj. + as + O
Comparative Degree – O + V + CA + than + most/many other + S
Superlative Degree – O + V + one of the + SA + S
Very few politicians were as popular as Karunanidhi.
Karunanidhi was more popular than most other politicians.
Karunanidhi was one of the most popular politicians.
Very few scientists were as powerful as Kalam.
Kalam was more powerful than most other scientists.
Kalam was one of the most powerful scientists.
Very few languages are as easy as English.
English is easier than most other languages.
English is one of the easiest languages.
Pattern: 4
Positive Degree – Some + S(pl.)+ V + at least + as + Adj. + as + O
Comparative Degree – O + V + not + CA + than + some other + S
Superlative Degree – O + V + not + the + SA + of all + S
Some women were at least as famous as Kalpana Chawla.
Kalpana Chawla was not more famous than some other women.
Kalpana Chawla was not the most famous of all women.
Some heroes are at least as handsome as Ajith.
Ajith is not more handsome than some other heroes.
Ajith is not the most handsome of all heroes.
Some students are at least as clever as CSE students.
CSE students are not more clever than some other students.
CSE students are not the most clever of all students.
