How to Change Adjectives: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Forms
| Adjective | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big | big | bigger | biggest |
| Bright | bright | brighter | brightest |
| Intelligent | intelligent | more intelligent | most intelligent |
| Good | good | better | best |
| Little | little | less | least |
| Happy | happy | happier | happiest |
| Important | important | more important | most important |
| Far | far | farther/further | farthest/furthest |
| Bad | bad | worse | worst |
| Easy | easy | easier | easiest |
Types of Degrees of Comparison
There are three types of degrees of comparison in English grammar: positive, comparative, and superlative. These help us describe qualities and compare two or more people or things clearly in daily speech and exam writing.
- Positive Degree: Shows the basic form of an adjective, e.g., tall, easy, bright.
- Comparative Degree: Used to compare two things or people. Formed by adding ‘-er’ or using ‘more,’ e.g., taller, more useful.
- Superlative Degree: Shows the highest degree among three or more. Formed by adding ‘-est’ or using ‘most,’ e.g., tallest, most useful.
Rules for Forming Degrees of Comparison
- Most one-syllable adjectives: add ‘-er’/‘-est’ (big, bigger, biggest).
- Adjectives ending with ‘y’: change ‘y’ to ‘i’ before adding ‘-er’/‘-est’ (happy, happier, happiest).
- Adjectives with two or more syllables: use ‘more’ and ‘most’ (more careful, most careful).
- Irregular adjectives: memorize their forms (good, better, best).
- Never use ‘more’ or ‘most’ with ‘-er’ or ‘-est’ (not ‘more happier’ or ‘most happiest’).
Practical Examples in Sentences
- Positive: This road is wide.
- Comparative: This road is wider than that one.
- Superlative: This is the widest road in town.
- Positive: She is careful.
- Comparative: She is more careful than her brother.
- Superlative: She is the most careful student in class.
- Irregular: This answer is better than mine. (Not ‘gooder’)
Common Student Mistakes and Tips
- Don’t use double comparatives or superlatives (not ‘more better’, ‘most easiest’).
- Use ‘than’ with comparatives (e.g., bigger than).
- Use ‘the’ before superlatives (the best, the tallest).
- Learn irregular forms by heart (good, better, best; bad, worse, worst).
- With adjectives of three or more syllables, never add ‘-est’ (say ‘most interesting,’ not ‘interestingest’).
Practice Exercises: Degrees of Comparison
Try these for exam and classroom practice. Answers follow each set.
- This flower is __________ (beautiful) than the red one.
- He is the __________ (young) player on the team.
- My homework is __________ (easy) today than yesterday.
- This is the __________ (difficult) question in the paper.
- She is __________ (good) at drawing than I am.
- more beautiful
- youngest
- easier
- most difficult
- better
- Rewrite using the correct form:
- This building is (tall) __________ than that one.
- He is the (intelligent) __________ boy in class.
- taller
- most intelligent
Summary
Degrees of comparison in English grammar show how adjectives change to express similarities or differences in qualities. Using the right degree (positive, comparative, or superlative) helps students write and speak more clearly. Practise forming these correctly to boost your exam scores and confidence.
FAQs on Degrees of Comparison Exercises: Rules, Worksheets & Answers
1. What are degrees of comparison in English grammar?
Degrees of comparison show how adjectives and adverbs change to indicate different levels of a quality. They help compare things and show which one has more or less of a certain quality. The three main types are positive, comparative, and superlative degrees.
2. What are the three degrees of comparison?
The three degrees are: positive (e.g., big, tall, good), which describes a quality without comparison; comparative (e.g., bigger, taller, better), which compares two things; and superlative (e.g., biggest, tallest, best), which compares three or more things to show the highest or lowest degree.
3. How do you form the comparative degree of an adjective?
For short adjectives (one or two syllables), add -er (e.g., tall - taller, fast - faster). For longer adjectives (three or more syllables), use more before the adjective (e.g., beautiful - more beautiful, interesting - more interesting).
4. How do you form the superlative degree of an adjective?
For short adjectives, add -est (e.g., tall - tallest, fast - fastest). For longer adjectives, use most before the adjective (e.g., beautiful - most beautiful, interesting - most interesting).
5. Are there any irregular adjectives in degrees of comparison?
Yes, some adjectives don't follow the regular rules. Common examples include: good - better - best; bad - worse - worst; far - farther/further - farthest/furthest; many/much - more - most; little - less - least.
6. How do I use the comparative degree correctly?
Use the comparative degree when comparing two things. It often includes the word than (e.g., My house is bigger than yours).
7. How do I use the superlative degree correctly?
Use the superlative degree when comparing three or more things. It often includes the word the (e.g., This is the tallest building in the city).
8. What are some common mistakes to avoid when using degrees of comparison?
Avoid double comparatives (e.g., *more better*) and double superlatives (e.g., *most biggest*). Also, ensure you use the correct form of the adjective or adverb for the number of items you are comparing.
9. Do degrees of comparison apply to adverbs as well?
Yes, many adverbs also have degrees of comparison. The rules for forming comparative and superlative degrees are similar to those for adjectives (e.g., quickly - more quickly - most quickly; fast - faster - fastest).
10. What resources can help me practice degrees of comparison?
Use online exercises, worksheets, and grammar textbooks. Practice by writing sentences using different degrees of comparison and review examples of correct usage.
11. What happens when an adjective has more than two syllables?
Adjectives with three or more syllables usually use more for the comparative and most for the superlative (e.g., intelligent - more intelligent - most intelligent).
12. Can you give an example of a sentence using all three degrees of comparison for the same adjective?
The small car is fast (positive). The blue car is faster (comparative) than the red car. The yellow car is the fastest (superlative) of all three.
