DEGREE CHANGE

We apply Degrees of Comparison when one person or one thing is compared with another. Only Adjectives and Adverbs have degrees of Comparison. It is not applicable to Verbs, Nouns, and Pronouns. 

# 03 Rules of Degree Change

We can change superlative form to positive or comparative using certain patterns. These patterns are called rules of Degree Change. Using only 3 rules we can easily change superlative-positive-comparative and vice versa.

Rule -1: ‘The biggest’/ ‘the most beautiful’ 

Examples: 

Superlative:  The Padma is the biggest river in Bangladesh.

Comparative: The Padma is bigger than any other river in Bangladesh.

Positive:        No other river in Bangladesh is as big as the Padma.

Superlative:  The rose is the best flower.

Comparative: The rose is better than any other flowers.

Positive:        No other flower is as good as the rose.

Superlative:  Books are the greatest friends.

Comparative: Books are greater than any other friends.

Positive:        No other friends are as great as books.

Superlative:  Sylhet is the most beautiful city in Bangladesh.

Comparative: Sylhet is more beautiful than any other city in Bangladeh.

Positive:        No other city is as beautiful as Sylhet in Bangladesh.

Rule-2: ‘One of the biggest’/ ‘one of the most beautiful’ 

Examples: 

Superlative:  Dhaka is one of the largest cities in the world.

Comparative: Dhaka is larger than most other cities in the world.

Positive:        Very few cities in the world are as large as Dhaka.

Superlative:  Sujan is one of the most brilliant students in the class.

Comparative: Sujan is more brilliant than most other students in the class.

Positive:        Very few students in the class are as brilliant as Sujan.

Rule-3: ‘Not the biggest’/ ‘not the most beautiful’ 

Examples: 

Superlative:  This is not the biggest river in our country.

Comparative: This is not bigger than few other rivers in our country.

Positive:        Other rivers in our country are as big as this one.

Superlative:  Tiger is not the most ferocious animal.

Comparative: Tiger is not more ferocious than few other animals.

Positive:        Other animals are as ferocious as Tiger.