BASIC RULES

Degrees of Comparison

Positive
Comparative
Superlative
What is the degree of
comparison?
It refers to the different forms of an
adjective or adverb that indicate
the intensity or relative quality of a
person, thing, or action.

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What are the three (3) degrees of
comparison?
1
The adjective’s original form is essentially the
positive degree of comparison. You cannot
POSITIVE draw any comparisons with this degree. It
simply informs the audience of a certain
characteristic a noun possesses.

2
To compare two nouns that share the same characteristic
or the same quality at two separate times, use the
COMPARATIVE comparative degree of comparison. It demonstrates
which of the two possesses the referred-to quality to a
greater or lesser degree.

3
The highest level of comparison is a superlative comparison. It is used
to compare the similar characteristics that more than two nouns have
SUPERLATIVE in common. It reveals which of the nouns under comparison possesses
the mentioned attribute or qualities to the greatest or least degree.

3
The positive degree is the simple form
of an adjective or adverb that does not
compare one thing to another.

WHAT IS POSITIVE
DEGREE?
Examples:
1. The giraffe is tall.
2. The dress is pretty.
3. My friend is happy.
4. The Sun is bright.
5. The bag is new.
The comparative degree is used to
compare two things and is formed by
adding -er to the end of the adjective or

WHAT IS
by using “more” before the adverb. It
follows the patter “adjective than”.
COMPARATIVE
DEGREE?
Examples:
1. Tisha looks happier than Kylie.
2. This couch is more comfortable than the
other couch.
3. Your hair is shorter than hers.
4. My younger brother is taller than me.
5. Aws’ bag is heavier than Redah.
The superlative degree is used to
compare more than two things and is
formed by adding -est to the end of the

WHAT IS
adjective or by using “most” before the
adverb.
SUPERLATIVE
DEGREE?
Examples:
1. The sun is the hottest star in the sky.
2. She is the most beautiful woman in the world.
3. He sings the best out of all his classmates.
4. Tisha is the most intelligent student among all
the students.
5. This couch is the most comfortable.
RULES
OF
COMPARIS
ON
 1
POSITIVE COMPARA SUPERLAT
TIVE IVE
1. bright brighter brightest
2. clever cleverer cleverest
3. hard harder hardest
4. soft softer softest
Add –er and –est 5. dark darker darkest
to one or two 6. evil eviler evilest
syllable 7. deep deeper deepest
adjectives. 8. quick quicker quickest
9. slow slower slowest
10. tight tighter tighest
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POSITIVE COMPARA SUPERLAT
TIVE IVE
1. large larger largest
2. close closer closest
3. dense denser densest
4. humble humbler humblest
Add -r and –st to 5. simple simpler simplest
adjectives ending 6. fine finer finest
in ‘e’. 7. noble nobler noblest
8. grave graver gravest
9. pale paler palest
10. nice nicer nicest
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POSITIVE COMPARA SUPERLAT
TIVE IVE
1. funny funnier funniest
2. happy happier happiest
3. dry drier driest
4. lazy lazier laziest
Add -er and –est 5. easy easier easiest
to adjectives 6. heavy heavier heaviest
ending in ‘y’ and 7. wealthy wealthier wealthiest
has consonant 8. healthy healthier healthiest
before it (change 9. costly costlier costliest
‘y’ into ‘i’). 10. busy busier busiest
 4
POSITIVE COMPARA SUPERLAT
TIVE IVE
1. big bigger biggest
2. thin thinner thinnest
3. fat fatter fattest
4. dim dimmer dimmest
Add -er and –est 5. hot hotter hottest
to adjectives 6. sad sadder saddest
ending in a 7. slim slimmer slimmest
consonant with a 8. red redder reddest
vowel before it 9. fit fitter fittest
(double the 10. wet wetter wettest
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POSITIVE COMPARA SUPERLAT
TIVE IVE
1. gray grayer grayest
2. grey greyer greyest
3. happy happier happiest
4. busy busier busier
Add –er and –est 5. lucky luckier luckiest
to adjectives 6. easy easier easiest
ending in ‘y’. 7. creepy creepier creepiest
8. shiny shinier shiniest
9. messy messier messiest
10. dusty dustier dustiest
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POSITIVE COMPARATI SUPERLATIV
VE E
1. beautiful more most beautiful
beautiful
2. interesting more most
interesting interesting
3. more most
comfortable comfortable comfortable
4. expensive more most
Add ‘more’ and expensive expensive
5. important more most
‘most’ before the important important
adjectives. 6. dangerous more
dangerous
most
dangerous
7. creative more creative most creative

8. intelligent more most

intelligent intelligent
9. generous more most
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POSITIVE COMPARATI SUPERLATIV
VE E
1. good better best
2. bad worse worst
3. far father/ farthest/
further furthest

4. little less least

5. much more most
Irregular (singular uncountable
nouns)

adjectives don’t 6. many more most

follow the rules. (plural countable
noun)

7. late latter latest

(position)

8. old elder eldest

9. Well better best
(healthy)
PRACTICE 1
1. No other girl is as ……………………. as Jane. (tall / taller /
tallest)
2. Milk is ………………….. than any other food. (nourishing /
more nourishing / most nourishing)
3. Radium is one of the ……………………… metals.
(valuable / more valuable / most valuable)
4. Few English poets were as ……………………. as
Wordsworth. (great / greater / greatest)
5. Shimla is ………………….. than most other hill stations in
India. (famous / more famous / most famous)
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CHECK - PRACTICE 1
1. No other girl is as tall as Jane.
2. Milk is more nourishing than any other food.
3. Radium is one of the most valuable metals.
4. Few English poets were as great as Wordsworth.
5. Shimla is more famous than most other hill stations in
India.

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PRACTICE 2
6. Gold is one of the ……………………. metals. (precious /
more precious / most precious)
7. Solomon was …………………… than any other king. (wise /
wiser / wisest)
8. Few historians write as ………………….. as Macaulay.
(well / better /best)
9. Very few books are as ……………………. as David
Copperfield. (popular / more popular / most popular)
10. A train is …………………. than a car. (fast / faster /
fastest)
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CHECK - PRACTICE 2
6. Gold is one of the most precious metals.
7. Solomon was wiser than any other king.
8. Few historians write as well as Macaulay.
9. Very few books are as popular as David Copperfield.
10. A train is faster than a car.

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