Comparison of adjectives
An adjective is used in three degrees- positive, comparative and superlative.
1. Positive degree- It is used to denote the quality of a person or thing without being compared and indicating how much of the quality it has
Example
1. She is beautiful.
2. Comparative degree- It is used to compare two persons, things, or groups.
Example
1. She is more beautiful than her sister.
3. Superlative degree- It is used to denote the highest degree of quality and is used when more than two persons or things are compared.
Example
1. She is the most beautiful of all girls.
Formation of degrees
1. Some comparative and superlative degrees are formed by adding ‘er’ and ‘est’ to the positive degree respectively.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Quick quicker quickest
Soft softer softest
Sweet sweeter sweetest
Young younger youngest
Weak weaker weakest
High higher highest
Great greater greatest
2. When the positive ends in ‘e’ , only ‘r’ and ‘st’ are added to form comparative and superlative degree.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Brave braver bravest
Fine finer finest
White whiter whitest
Able abler ablest
Large larger largest
Noble nobler noblest
Wise wiser wisest
3. When the positive degree ends in ‘y’ and preceded by a consonant then ‘y’ is changed into ier and iest to form comparative and superlative degree.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Happy happier happiest
Easy easier easiest
Healthy healthier healthiest
Wealthy wealthier wealthiest
Merry merrier merriest
Heavy heavier heaviest
4. If the positive degree has a word of one syllable ending in a consonant and preceded by a short vowel , the last consonant is doubled before adding ‘er’ and ‘esr’ to the positive degree.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Red redder reddest
Big bigger biggest
Hot hotter hottest
Thin thinner thinnest
Sad sadder saddest
Fat fatter fattest
Fit fitter fittest
Wet wetter wettest
5. More and most are added to the positive degree that has more than two syllables to form comparative and superlative degree.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
Diligent more diligent most diligent
Hardworking more hardworking most hardworking
Innocent more innocent most innocent
6. There are some adjectives that do not follow any rule while changing from positive to comparative and superlative degree.
Positive degree Comparative degree Superlative degree
Good/well Better best
Bad/ill/evil worse worst
Little Less/ lesser least
Much more most
Many more most
Late latter/later last latest
Fore farther farthest
Fore further furthest
Old older/elder oldest/eldest
In inner innermost/inmost
Up upper upmost/uppermost
Out outer (utter) utmost/uttermost
Rule 1:- Don’t use double comparative or double superlative degree in a sentence at a time.
Examples
1. Hari is the most strongest boy of our class. (drop most)
2. Fatima is more taller than Suneeta. (drop more)
3. Australia is the most large island in the world. (use- largest instead of most large)
4. A wise man is more good than a foolish friend. (use- better instead of more good)
Rule 2:- We use ‘any other or all other’ to exclude a person or thing from the same variety.
Examples
1. Shakespeare is greater than any other writer of London.
2. Mt. Everest is higher than all other peaks of the world.
Note- Noun after any other would be in the singular form and after all other would be in the plural form.
Examples
3. Lead is heavier than any metal. (use- any other)
4. Diamond is more precious than any other metal. (drop ‘other’)
Note-
(i) In the first sentence Lead is also a metal so we need to use other to exclude lead from metal.
(ii) While in the second sentence Diamond is not a metal.
Rule 3:- Other is not used with the superlative degree.
Examples
1. Shakuntalam is the best of all other dramas in Sanskrit. (drop ‘other’)
2. Asia is the largest of all continent. (use- continents)
Rule 4:- Always compare with the similar things and case.
Examples
1. The climatic condition of Lucknow is better than Delhi. (use- that of Delhi)
2. The people of Lucknow are more hard working than Delhi. (use- those of Delhi)
3. Mohan’s handwriting is more attractive than Sohan. (use- Sohan’s)
4. Her way of speaking is more attractive than you. (use- yours)
Rule 5:- When we have to compare two qualities of the same person or thing, comparative degree with ‘more’ is used. (not ‘er’)
Examples
1. John is braver than prudent. (use- more brave)
2. She is faster than accurate. (use- more fast)
Rule 6:- Always use comparative degree to show progressive increase or decrease.
Examples
1. She is getting weak and weak day by day. (use- weaker and weaker)
2. The weather became cold and cold. (use- colder and colder)
Rule 7:- To express parallel increase or decrease between two separate things, we use follow structure.
The + comp. degree + Subj. + V, the + comp. degree+ subj. +v.
Examples
1. The more you practice, the better you become.
2. The higher you go, the cooler it becomes.
Rule 8:- Follow this structure to use two superlative degree.
The S.D. with ‘est’ + and S.D. with ‘most’
Examples
1. He is the most intelligent and tallest boy of the class. (incorrect)
2. He is the tallest and most intelligent boy of the class. (correct)
3. She is the most punctual and cleverest girl in the office. (incorrect)
4. She is the cleverest and most intelligent girl in the office. (correct)
Rule 9:- ‘Comparatively and relatively’ are not used with the comparative degree.
Examples
1. Saleem is relatively healthier today. (use- healthy)
2. You were comparatively better yesterday. (use- good)
Rule 10:- ‘Equally’ can not be used with as…..as
Examples
1. Sonia is equally as intelligent as Seema. (incorrect)
2. Sonia and Seema are equally innocent. (correct)
Rule 11:- ‘As’ is used with positive degree and ‘than’ is used with comparative degree. If the sentence contains adjectives in both comparative and positive degree, both ‘as’ and ‘than’ are required.
Examples
1. She is as beautiful, if not more beautiful than your sister. (incorrect)
2. She is as beautiful as, if not more beautiful than your sister. (correct)
3. He is as brave or even braver than his enemy. (incorrect)
4. He is as brave as or even braver than his enemy. (correct)
Rule 12:- When two adjectives require different prepositions, use appropriate preposition with both adjectives.
Examples
1. His nature is different and inferior to his brother. (incorrect)
2. His nature is different from and inferior to his brother. (correct)
3. She is neither ashamed nor sorry for her misconduct. (incorrect)
3. She is neither ashamed at nor sorry for her misconduct. (correct)
Rule 13:- Use positive degree with time If time comes for comparison.
Examples
1. This book is three times better than that one. (incorrect)
2. This book is three times as good as that one. (correct)
3. His salary is five times higher than yours. (incorrect)
4. His salary is five times as high as yours. (incorrect)
Note-
We use comparative degree if sentence is without ‘times’.
Examples
1. This phone is five hundred rupees cheaper than that. (correct)
2. This building is five metres higher than that. (correct)
Rule 15:- After some verbs only adjectives can be used (not ‘an adverb)
Appear, make, become, smell, sound, taste, turn, grow, get, look, remain.
Examples
1. He sounded foolishly. (use- foolish)
2. She looks beautifully. (use- beautiful)
3. The roses smell sweetly. (use- sweet)
Note-
When something is done intentionally, we use adverb after these verbs (not ‘adjectives’)
Examples
1. The thief turned the pistol dangerous towards me. (use- dangerously)
2. He tasted the soup doubtful. (use- doubtfully)
3. His boss was looking angry at him. (use- angrily)
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