DEGREES OF COMPARISON

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.

Types of Degrees of Comparison:

1.  Positive degree

2.  Comparative degree

5.  Superlative degree

Positive Degree

Positive degree describes merely the quality of a person or a thing.

Example:

·         Our house is big.

·         Mili is a tall girl.

·         Monir is a smart boy.

·         The moon looks beautiful when it is full moon.

To compare between two things or persons we can also use positive degree but it follows a different pattern.

Example:

• No other room is as big as my living room.
• No other girl is as tall as Mili.
• No other boy is as smart as Monir.

Comparative Degree

Comparative degree describes the comparison between two persons or two things.

Example:

• Our present house is bigger than that one.
• Mathematics is easier than Physics.
• Mili is taller than her sister.
• My brother is more brilliant than I.(not me)

(Note: Subjective form should be used after ‘than. Using objective form is incorrect.)

• Anil is more intelligent than his brother.

Comparative degree is also used to compare more than two things or persons.

Example:

• My living room is bigger than any other room in this building.
• Mili is taller than any other girl in her class.
• Monir is smarter than any other boys in his village.

Superlative Degree

To compare more than two things or persons, Superlative degree is applied.
Example:

• Mili is the tallest girl in her class.
• Elephant is the biggest animal.
• Monir is the smartest boy in his village.
• My living room is the most beautiful room in my house.

Degrees of Comparison: Formation

Chart-01

er’ for Comparative and ‘est’ for Superlative
bold	bolder	boldest
black	blacker	blackest
cold	colder	coldest
young	younger	youngest
fast	faster	fastest
bright	brighter	brightest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
small	smaller	smallest
great	greater	greatest

Chart-02

r’ for Comparative and ‘st’ for Superlative
wise	wiser	wisest
white	whiter	whitest
large	larger	largest
pale	paler	palest
simple	simpler	simplest
nice	nicer	nicest
noble	nobler	noblest

 Chart-03

Removing ‘y’ and ier’ for Comparative and ‘iest’ for Superlative
happy	happier	happiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
dry	drier	driest
lazy	lasier	lasiest
easy	easier	easiest

Chart-04

Adding the last consonant again
big	bigger	biggest
dim	dimmer	dimmest
fat	fatter	fattest
hot	hotter	hottest
thin	thinner	thinnest

 Chart-05

Using ‘more’ for comparative and ‘most’ for superlative
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
cunning	more cunning	most cunning
difficult	more difficult	most difficult

 Chart-06

Irregular Comparison
bad	worse	worst
evil	worse	worst
good	better	best
far	farther	farthest
well	better	best
little	less	least
much	more	most
many	more	most
old	elder	eldest

Rules of Degree Change 

Model -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.

Model-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.

Model-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.

Illogical Comparative

Comparison is to be made with the nouns that are logically comparable.

Example:

Incorrect:     My room is bigger than my brother.

Correct:       My room is bigger than that of my brother.

Incorrect:     Professor Pranab’s class is more informative than Professor Nirmal.

Correct:       Professor Pranab’s class is more informative than that of Professor Nirmal.

Incorrect:     Players of Bangladesh are more skillful than India.

Correct:       Players of Bangladesh are more skillful than those of India.

(Note: ‘That of’ is used for the comparison between singular nouns and ‘Those of’ is used for the comparison between plural nouns.)