Degrees of Comparison

Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves. The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language. It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English. And it can help everyone--not only teachers of English, but teachers of anything, for all teaching is ultimately a matter of getting to grips with meaning.

The Degrees of Comparison in English grammar are made with the Adjective and Adverb words to show how big or small, high or low, more or less, many or few, etc., of the qualities, numbers and positions of the nouns (persons, things and places) in comparison to the others mentioned in the other part of a sentence or expression.


The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.
The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the positive. It is usedwhen two things (or two sets of things) are compared.
The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things are compared.

The grammatical category associated with comparison of adjectives and adverbs is degree of comparison. The usual degrees of comparison are the positive, which simply denotes a property (as with the English words big and fully); the comparative, which indicates greater degree (asbigger and more fully); and the superlative, which indicates greatest degree (as biggest and most fully). Some languages have forms indicating a very large degree of a particular quality

1. 1 DEGREES OF COMPARISON EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning The Degrees of Comparison in English grammar are made with the Adjective and Adverb words to show how big or small, high or low, more or less, many or few, etc., of the qualities, numbers and positions of the nouns (persons, things and places) in comparison to the others mentioned in the other part of a sentence/expression.

2. 2 EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning Kinds of Degrees of comparison

3. 3 EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning Positive Degree

4. 4 POSITIVE DEGREE One noun – person, thing or place – and one quality… above average tall – adjective John is a man. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

5. 5 Positive degree (continued) Eifel tower is a tall man-made structure . One noun with one quality – ‘tall’ adjective in positive form EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

6. 6 Degree of e quality The adjective or adverb is in positive form showing that two persons or things are the same – two nouns having the same quality . The common conjunction used is “as…as”. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

7. 7 Degree of equality: example 1 John is as strong as James. ‘strong’ – adjective in positive form showing equality EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

8. 8 Degree of in equality The adjective or adverb is in positive form showing that two persons or things are not the same – two nouns not having the same quality. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

9. 9 Degree of in equality Peter is not as (so) fast as Paul. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

10. 10 COMPARATIVE DEGREE Two persons, things or places are being compared with one adjective or adverb to show that one has more quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb than the other. The adjective or adverb takes ‘r’ or ‘ er ’ to its positive form, and is said to be in comparative form. The conjunction ‘than’ is used to connect the two clauses. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

11. Comparative Degree: example A horse can run fast er than a dog. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

12. 12 EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning Degree of Comparison:

13. 13 Progressive Degree Two adjectives or adverbs are being compared to show that one continues to increase (or decrease) when the other increases (or decreases). The adjective or adverb is in its comparative form with the definite article ‘the’ before it. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

14. 14 Progressive Degree: example The steep er the hill, the more difficult it is to push the rock up! EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

15. 15 Parallel Degree The quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb continues to increase (or decrease) as the time passes . The adjective or adverb in its comparative form is repeated using the conjunction ‘and’. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

16. Parallel Degree: example The days are getting hott er and hott er . It is getting hott er and hott er day by day. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

17. 17 SUPERLATIVE DEGREE Comparing one noun – person, thing or place – with several others of its kind to show that this particular noun has the highest degree of the quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb being used to compare. The adjective or adverb takes the ‘superlative form’, ending with ‘ st ’ or ‘ est ’, with the definite article ‘the’ before it. The preposition ‘of’ is used when the comparison is among items, and ‘in’ is used to specify the place, position or area. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

18. 18 Superlative Degree: example 1 The elephant is the large st of all land animals . The giraffe is the tall est of all animals. EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

19. 19 Superlative Degree: example 2 Susan is the most intelligent girl in the class. Susan EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

20. 20 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 1 Gerald is footballer in our team. fast the fastest the faster EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

21. 21 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 2 Tom is a boy. stronger the strongest strong EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

22. 22 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 3 This man is , but that man is . sad happy angry EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

23. 23 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 4 Kate is than Sue. more active activer active EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

24. 24 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 5 The white flower is as as the red flower. the most beautiful more beautiful beautiful EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning

25. 25 Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 6 the weights, the it is to lift them. The heavy the difficult The heavier the more difficult EasyShiksha.Com - A Way of Simple Learning