DEGREES OF COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Read the following sentences:

1.
2.
3.

John is tall.
Peter is taller than John.
Harry is the tallest of the three.

In sentence 1, the adjective tall merely says something about Johns height. It doesnt state how tall
John is. In sentence 2, the adjective taller is used to compare Johns height with Peters height. In
sentence 3, the adjective tallest is used to compare Harrys height with the height of John and Peter.
We have thus seen that adjectives change in form to show comparison. These different forms of the
adjective are called the degrees of comparison.
In the examples given above, the adjective tall is said to be in the positive degree. The
adjective taller is said to be in thecomparative degree and the adjective tallest is said to be in the
superlative degree.
1. The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere
existence of some quality. Adjectives in the positive degree are used when no comparison is made.
2. The comparative degree of an adjective shows a higher degree of the quality than that is present in
the positive degree. It is used when two things or two sets of things are compared.

Peter is smarter than John.

Which of the two sisters is the prettier?
Apples are dearer than oranges.

* When forming comparative degree, normally add:

a) er to positive
E.g.:

tall taller

sharp sharper

old older

short shorter

young younger

long longer

large larger high higher

b) for superlative, add est to positive.

tall taller tallest

sharp sharper sharpest

old older oldest

short shorter shortest

young younger youngest

long longer longest

large larger largest

high higher highest

c) for word ending with y remove y from positive and add ier for comparative and iest for
superlative.
heavy heavier heaviest

lucky luckier luckiest

pretty prettier prettiest

dirty dirtier dirtiest

merry merrier merriest

dirty more dirty most dirty

The Adjectives which have two syllables, will have more for comparative and most for superlative.
Ex: beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

honest more honest most honest

popular more popular most popular

reliable more reliable most reliable

pretty more pretty (prettier) most pretty(prettiest)

Some form themselves into comparative and superlative in an irregular pattern.
Positive Comparative Superlative
good / well better
best

bad / ill

high

little

higher

highest

much / many more

most

fore former foremost

first

far

worse

worst

less

least

farther

farthest

3. The superlative degree of an adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality. It is used when
more than two things or sets of things are compared.

Peter is the smartest boy in the class.

Iron is the most useful of all metals.
Alice is the prettiest girl in the neighborhood

Ex. 1. Fill in the blanks with the comparative or superlative form of the adjective given in the brackets.
1. How is your mother today? Is she any ..? (Good)
2. In India May is than June. (Hot)
3. Julie is .. than her sister. (Pretty)

4. Who is the girl in your class? (Beautiful)

5. Which is the .. of all metals. (Precious)
6. Her husband is ten years than her. (Old)
7. All of us are bad singers, but I sing the .. of all. (Bad)
8. I think you require a .. diet. (Nutritious)
9. Which is the part of India? (Dry)
10. It was the .. moment of my life. (Proud)
Notes
1. The comparative adjective is usually followed by the prepositionthan. The superlative adjective
should be used with the article the.

2. Some adjectives express ideas that cannot be graded. For example, a person cant be more or less
dead. In the same way, a sphere cant be more or less round. In grammars these adjectives
are called non-gradable or absolute adjectives.
Non-gradable adjectives do not have comparative or superlative forms. There are very few nongradable adjectives, so you can learn them by heart if you really want. Here is a list of common nongradable adjectives in English.
Absolute, impossible, principal, adequate, inevitable, sufficient, complete, main, unanimous,
unavoidable, entire, minor, fatal, unique, final, universal, ideal, whole, preferable, dead etc.

Exceptions
Although the adjectives given above are not normally used in comparative and superlative forms, you
might still hear expressions like more complete or most perfect. Though incorrect, these expressions
are quite common in speech and they have become sort of acceptable, too. However, if you are a
careful user of the language, you must avoid them especially in writing.
Also be careful, not to use more along with a comparative adjective ending in er and most with a
superlative adjective ending in -est. Do not write more taller or most smartest. These are examples of
double comparatives and superlatives. They are always wrong and must be avoided.

She is prettier than her sister. (NOT She is more prettier than her sister.)

Some compound adjectives have two possible comparatives and superlatives.

Positive: good-looking
Comparative:
looking or most good-looking

better-looking or more

good-looking

Superlative:

best-

Positive: well-known Comparative: better-known or more well-known Superlative: best-known or most

well-known
EX. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below:
1. The weather yesterday was a lot ................ than today's weather. 2. I've got two brothers, one older
than me and one ....................... . 3. London is the ....................... city that I know. 4. You have to be
very ....................... to go that university. They only take very clever people. 5. All the teachers here
are ....................... . I've learned a lot from them. 6. If you drive ....................... you won't have an
accident. 7. Bristol is quite a big city. It's much ....................... than the city where I live. 8. That's a very
....................... mistake. Try not to do that again. 9. Tomorrow, we're catching the train at seven, so we
have to get up .......................
than nomal. 10. I came to England to study because I have to
speak ....................... English in my job.
1. A warmer
B warmest
2. A younger
B more young
3. A excitingly
B most exciting
4. A intelligent
B more intelligent
5. A well
B good
6. A good
B better
7. A more big
B biggest
8. A more serious
B seriously
9. A earliest
B more early
10. A best
B more good
2. She

C warm
C youngest
C more exciting
C intelligently
C better
C best
C bigger
C serious
C more earlier
C good

isnt

very

clever.

2.

He

isnt

very

3.

She

isnt

4.

5.

He

6.

Im

not

7.

We

dont

8.

They

9.

dont

Youre

than

hard.

You

work

than

much.

You

smoke

than

cook.

You

cook

than

than

people.

You

know

got

much

money.

Youve

got

very

fast.

10. I didnt get up very early. You got up

3. 1. The Nile river is

many

run

her.
than

know

havent
cant

good

than
Youre

old.

very

very

are

tall.

very

smoke
a

You

very

work

doesnt

D warmly
D young
D excitingest
D most intelligent
D best
D well
D big
D most serious
D earlier
D well

You

can

than

then the Amazon. (long)

run

than
than

.
.

2. I'm

than Yuri but

3. They're

than Miko. (tall, short)

than us, but we're

4. This book bag is

than that bag. (expensive)

5. This newspaper is

than that newspaper. (good)

6. Soda juice tastes

than fruit juice. (bad)

7. Today is

than yesterday. (warm)

8. This TV program is

. (interesting)

4. 1. bad - worse -worst

2. This is the

picture on the wall.

3. My test was as
4. Curries are

as yours.
than hamburgers.

5. Ben and Jake were the

t actors in the school play.

6. good - better - best

7. Sues party was the
8. Im not as

party this year.

at maths as you are.

9. The pizzas at this cafe are the

10. Football is

in town.

than hockey.

5. 1. A bike is _________ a car.

more cheap than

cheaper than
more cheaper than
cheaper as
2. "I think Marilyn Monroe was __________ Madonna"

more beautiful than

beautifuller than

than them. (handsome, smart)

more beautifuller than

more beautiful as
3. "CDs are much _________ records, & nobody listens to tapes!"

more moderner than

moderner than
more modern than
more modern as
4. Which of the following are grammatically and factually correct?
Germany is _________ China.
as big as
not bigger as
not as big than
not as big as
5. "When it came to maths Phillip was ________ student in the class."
the worst
worst
the most bad
the baddest
6. You are having a party and some extra guests arrive, what do you say? "Come
in, the more, __________"
the happier
the busier
the merrier
the funnier

6.

1.

2.

We

3.
4.

He
walked

They
My

mother

arrived
than

called
and

my

the
us

sister

talked

than
rest

expected. (early)

of

in

the
the

than

the

people. (slowly)
afternoon. (late)

other

guests. (loudly)

5.
6.

He
The

7.

hit
Spanish

Jim

8.

We

9.

Our

athlete

teacher

all

the

explains

arm

ran

threw

answered
new

his

than

the

before. (hard)
other

runners. (fast)

than
than

exercises

10. The new mechanic checked the car

the

ball

questions
the

than

the
than

Peter. (far)

other
our

old

students. (well)
teacher. (badly)

than the old mechanic. (thoroughly).

7. Choose the correct response: If both options can be used, choose "BOTH ARE OK":

1. Things are ________ now than they used to be.

a) BOTH ARE OK
b) busier
c) more busy
2. He is ________ about this than I am.
a) more nervous
b) nervouser
c) BOTH ARE OK
3. I liked this movie, although I found it a bit ________ than his last film.
a) duller
b) more dull
c) BOTH ARE OK
4. Mary wears her white skirt ________ than (she wears) her blue one.
a) oftener
b) more often
c) BOTH ARE OK
5. This test is ________ than the last one.
a) simpler
b) more simple
c) BOTH ARE OK
6. Which one is ________ ?
a) better
b) more good
c) BOTH ARE OK
7. This is much ________.
a) more important
b) importanter
c) BOTH ARE OK
8. My brother is ________ than I am.
a) more wealthy
b) wealthier
c) BOTH ARE OK
9. This sounds a bit ________.
a) naturaler
b) BOTH ARE OK
c) more natural
10. This trip was ________ than the last one.
a) more fun
b) funner
c) BOTH ARE OK