“Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives” Explained
In English, the degrees of comparison of adjectives are essential grammar points that are used to compare two or more things.
There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative. These degrees are generally formed from adjectives according to their level. We apply particular grammatical rules in forming the degrees of comparison of adjectives to identify their level in sentences.
We will take a closer look at these degrees of comparison of adjectives to understand them better.
Positive Degree
The positive degree is the simplest form of the three degrees of comparison of adjectives. Initially, we are not really comparing things here. This is the main adjective or the root word that we base our comparison with other things.
Examples of verbs in the Positive Degree:
- Beautiful – The lady is beautiful.
- Happy – I want to be happy.
- Nice – The weather was nice.
- Hungry – Do you feel hungry at the moment?
- Elegant – The candidate looked stunning in her elegant evening gown.
- Cheap – Her new phone is cheap.
- Thin – There is a thin piece of paper on the table.
You can also use the expression “as…as” to also signify that the adjective is in the positive degree.
Examples:
- My mother is as tall as her sister.
- The wall is as high as the door.
- This scent smells as fragrant as the one you have.
Comparative Degree
The comparative degree is one of the degrees of comparison of adjectives that compares two things, people, events, animals, and places. In particular, it used to compare specifically two nouns or pronouns.
We usually add “-er” and “-r” to the end of the root word or “more” at the beginning of the one-syllable adjective. The word “than” is the most important word in the comparative degrees of comparison of adjectives.
Examples:
- My father is taller than my brother.
- I think Paris is more beautiful than New Delhi.
- The new watch I bought is cheaper than my smartphone.
- This book is thinner than that book.
- The table in my office is heavier than the one at the café.
Superlative Degree
The superlative degree is the highest form of the degrees of comparison of adjectives because it describes “the most” among three or more nouns or pronouns.
We add the suffix “-est” to the end of the root word or the word “most” before it. Don’t forget to include the definite article “the” before the adjective.
Examples:
- Alexie is the brightest student in her class.
- Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan.
- Did you choose the thickest fabric for your uniform?
- Philippines wore the shiniest pair of earrings during the competition.
- The most expensive thing I’m wearing is my necklace.