Comparison of Adjectives
Positive Degree
We use the Positive Degree to compare two equal persons or things. ‘As’ is used before and after the adjective (as … as).Examples: ‘as big as’, ‘as small as’, ‘as tall as’, ‘as short as’, ‘as clever as’, ‘as young as’, etc.
John runs as fast as I.
Your bicycle is as new as Mary’s.
Alan is as naughty as Nicholas.
This job is as easy as that.
Abby’s dictionary is as thick as Dora’s.
Mr. Charles is as wealthy as Mr. Peterson.
Comparative Degree
We use the Comparative Degree to compare two unequal persons or things. The comparative of an adjective is normally formed by adding ‘er’ to the adjective, followed by ‘than’ (…er than).Examples:
strong - stronger than
weak - weaker than
quiet - quieter than
rich - richer than
poor - poorer than
clean - cleaner than
Pamela is fairer than Patsy.
Steve is taller than James.
My chair is lighter than yours.
Pond A is deeper than Pond B.
Your handwriting is neater than mine.
Mrs. Donovan’s house is cleaner than Mrs. Newman’s.
Examples:
useful – more useful than
beautiful – more beautiful than
forgetful – more forgetful than
interesting – more interesting than
important – more important than
comfortable – more comfortable than
Jonathan’s painting is more beautiful than his brother’s.
I can see that your gadget is more useful than mine.
This story is more interesting than the one I read yesterday.
The new sofa is certainly more comfortable than the old one.
Superlative Degree
We use the Superlative Degree to compare three or more unequal persons or things. The superlative of an adjective is normally formed by adding ‘the’ before the adjective, followed by the adjective with ‘est’ added (the …est).Examples:
high - the highest
low - the lowest
dark - the darkest
thin - the thinnest
heavy - the heaviest
safe - the safest
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.
This is the widest road in this city.
Chloe is the prettiest girl in my class.
The cheetah is the fastest of all animals.
This is the longest zip that I have ever seen.
Pete is the eldest child in his family.
Examples:
skillful – the most skillful
wonderful – the most wonderful
careful – the most careful
dangerous – the most dangerous
talkative – the most talkative
difficult – the most difficult
Walter is the most skillful of all the workers here.
You’ve just given me the most wonderful present in the world.
Gold is the most valuable metal on earth.
This medicine is the most effective treatment for your illness.
Examples:
|
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
|
good
|
better than
|
the best
|
|
bad
|
worse than
|
the worst
|
|
little
|
less than
|
the least
|
|
much
|
more than
|
the most
|
|
many
|
more than
|
the most
|
Steven speaks better English than Harry.
Benny speaks the best English among the five friends.
Your handwriting is worse than mine.
Edwin’s handwriting is the worst among all of us.
Examples:
|
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
|
common
|
commoner than /
more common than
|
the commonest / the
most common
|
|
handsome
|
handsomer than /
more handsome than
|
the handsomest /
the most handsome
|
|
likely
|
likelier than /
more likely than
|
the likeliest / the
most likely
|
|
pleasant
|
pleasanter than /
more pleasant than
|
the pleasantest /
the most pleasant
|
|
polite
|
politer than / more
polite than
|
the politest / the
most polite
|
|
simple
|
simpler than / more
simple than
|
the simplest / the
most simple
|
|
stupid
|
stupider than /
more stupid than
|
the stupidest / the
most stupid
|
|
subtle
|
subtler than / more
subtle than
|
the subtlest / the
most subtle
|
|
sure
|
surer than / more
sure than
|
the surest / the
most sure
|
To me, this the pleasantest place on earth. / To me, this is the most pleasant place on earth.
Ricky’s plan is simpler than Alan’s. / Ricky’s plan is more simple than Alan’s.
Stephanie is the politest lady in the office. / Stephanie is the most polite lady in the office.
Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks in the table.|
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
|
brave
|
braver
|
bravest
|
|
wonderful
|
more wonderful
|
most wonderful
|
|
clean
|
____________
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
shallower
|
____________
|
|
good
|
____________
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
merriest
|
|
____________
|
tidier
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
most logical
|
|
young
|
____________
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
more careful
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
lightest
|
|
bad
|
____________
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
healthiest
|
|
____________
|
more important
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
the least
|
|
smooth
|
____________
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
most beautiful
|
|
____________
|
wilder
|
____________
|
|
____________
|
____________
|
most comfortable
|
|
____________
|
more
|
____________
|
|
slim
|
____________
|
____________
|
1. Your knife is as ( sharp, sharper ) as mine.
2. My grandfather is ( healthier, healthiest ) than my grandmother.
3. Daniel is the ( tall, tallest ) student in his class.
4. This lake is ( shallowest, shallower ) than the one behind my house.
5. Mrs. Richie’s culinary skills is ( bad, worse ) than Mrs. Carlisle’s.
6. Linda is a ( more popular, most popular ) singer than Janet.
7. Benedict is the ( fatter, fattest ) member in his family.
8. Tina’s necklace is as ( expensive, more expensive ) as mine.
9. A tortoise is ( slower, slowest ) than a snake but ( fast, faster ) than a snail.
10. The Nile River is the ( longer, longest ) river in the world.
1. Light travels (fast) than sound.
2. Leslie is as (intelligent) as Laura.
3. Of the three men, Mr. Parker is the (wealthy).
4. Jupiter is the (large) planet in the solar system.
5. Which suitcase is (suitable) for me – the blue one or the black one?
6. Look! My kite is flying (high) than yours.
7. Miss Angel is (strict) than Miss Belinda in class.
8. My kitten is as (cute) as yours.
9. Among the six of us, Timothy caught the (many) fish yesterday.
10. This movie is (exciting) than the one I saw last week.
1. I think keeping a dog as a pet is (good) than keeping a cat.
2. Which is the (ferocious) beast in the world?
3. The weather today is as (windy) as the weather yesterday.
4. This restaurant serves the (bad) food in town.
5. This is the (exciting) story that I have ever read.
6. Diamond is the (hard) substance on earth.
7. Gold is (valuable) than silver.
8. Marie is the (pretty) lady at the party.
9. The lamp in my room is as (bright) as the lamp in yours.
10. Traveling by air is (expensive) than traveling by land.
Answers
A.|
Positive
|
Comparative
|
Superlative
|
|
brave
|
braver
|
bravest
|
|
wonderful
|
more wonderful
|
most wonderful
|
|
clean
|
cleaner
|
cleanest
|
|
shallow
|
shallower
|
shallowest
|
|
good
|
better
|
best
|
|
merry
|
merrier
|
merriest
|
|
tidy
|
tidier
|
tidiest
|
|
logical
|
more logical
|
most logical
|
|
young
|
younger
|
youngest
|
|
careful
|
more careful
|
most careful
|
|
light
|
lighter
|
lightest
|
|
bad
|
worse
|
worst
|
|
healthy
|
healthier
|
healthiest
|
|
important
|
more important
|
most important
|
|
little
|
less than
|
the least
|
|
smooth
|
smoother
|
smoothest
|
|
beautiful
|
more beautiful
|
most beautiful
|
|
wild
|
wilder
|
wildest
|
|
comfortable
|
more comfortable
|
most comfortable
|
|
many/much
|
more
|
most
|
|
slim
|
slimmer
|
slimmest
|
B.
1. sharp
2. healthier
3. tallest
4. shallower
5. worse
6. more popular
7. fattest
8. expensive
9. slower, faster
10. longest
1. faster
2. intelligent
3. wealthiest
4. largest
5. more suitable
6. higher
7. stricter
8. cute
9. most
10. more exciting
1. better
2. most ferocious
3. windy
4. worst
5. most exciting
6. hardest
7. more valuable
8. prettiest
9. bright
10. more expensive
posted by :
Noor Iazian
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