Degrees of Comparison

 

          

  Degrees of Comparison :- 

       A significant formal feature of attributive adjectives is that they can be graded. This is known as degrees of comparison. This is a property adjectives share with adverbs.

There are three degrees of comparison:

     Positive Deg.        Comparative Deg.      Superlative Deg.

• bold                             bolder                    boldest
• sweet                          sweeter                   sweetest
• long                             longer                     longest

             

                   Comparative degree 

i)      An adjective in comparative degree is normally followed by than.

1.    Tom is taller than John.

2.    She is older than him.

3.    This picture is more beautiful than that one.

ii)     Comparative form + of comparative form + of is used in the construction the + comparative form + of + the two:

1.    He is the wiser of the two.

2.    This is the better of the two.

iii)                 

                       Comparative form + to

  'to' is used with Latin comparatives

1.    He is junior to me.

2.    She is senior to him.

iv)                 

                     Preferable + to

'to' is used with 'preferable' as well:

1.    Fish is preferable to red meat.

2.    Honey is preferable to sugar.

    Note: 

          a)         'preferable' is not used with more.

Fish is more preferable to red meat.     (FALSE)

b)               than + noun/pronoun (object form)

In this construction than is a preposition used before a noun/pronoun to express comparison between two people or things. Since than is a preposition here it takes a pronoun in the object form:

1.             For Example:-    He is taller than me.

2.                                        He is older than her.

3.                                        She is richer than him.

In this construction purists used to insist that the pronoun following than must be in the subject form.

      e.g. 'He is taller than I'

This is now considered archaic. In current English, the objective form is preferred in both formal and informal usage.

c)     than + noun/pronoun (subject form)

In this construction than is a conjunction used after a comparative adjective/adverb to introduce an adverb clause of comparison, so than takes a pronoun in the subject form:

       e.g.   She loves her more than I do. (love her).

               She is much better rcday than she was yesterday.

               He earns much more than she (does).

               She works harder than he (does) .

             

                         Superlative degree

1st use:-  

              Superlative degree is used in the structure

             the + superlative + of/in/on.  

     This construction is used to compare more            than two  people or things:-     

    

       e.g.  This is the best offer of all.

           This is the oldest church in India.

                    Everest is the highest peak on earth.

          Note: 

             a) In this construction we can't use:-

             all other, any other, anyone else, anybody else, anything else

    e.g.   She is the tallest of any other girls.  (False)

b)     'of' is used with people or things and ' in' and 'on' with place: 

e.g.      She is the best of  the candidates.

                 He is the richest man in the village.

c)     the is obligatory before the superlative form of the adjective.

1.            e.g.                  January is the coldest month.

2.                                    This is the safest way.

3.                                    Philosophy is the most difficult subject to learn.

d)     However, most is used in the following                   without a definite article. Here it is not a superlative; the meaning is that of the intensifier   'very'.

        e.g.   Rashid is most unhappy. (meaning, very unhappy)

              This is a most interesting story. (meaning, very interesting)

   2nd use:-  

                    one of the + superlative + plural noun

    This construction, too, is used to compare more than two people or things:

1.         e.g.      Kalidasa is one of the greatest poets.

                       Jaisalmer is one of the hottest places in summer.

          Note:-    

                     A plural noun is always used  after the superlative:

          e.g.     One of the brightest objects. 

                     One of the cheapest bags.

           

 Comparatives and Superlatives Formation

 i)        Adjective+er/est

Adjective of one syallable add 'er '  in the comparative form and 'est' in superlative form:

            e.g.  - 

Positive         comparative        superlative  

                      Tall                taller                  tallest

          Long              longer                longest 

          Short              shorter               shortest

          Sweet             sweeter              sweetest 

ii)       Adjective+r/st

One syllable adjectives ending in 'e' add 'r' in the comparative form and 'st' in the superlative form:

             e.g.  - 

                  Positive           comparative         superlative 

                    Fine                   finer                       finest  

  Brave                 braver                    bravest

  wise                   wiser                      wisest 

iii)     Double Consonant    :-   +er\est 

     e.g.  - 

      Positive           comparative         superlative 

Big              bigger                      biggest

Fat               fatter                        fattest

Hot             hotter                        hottest

Sad              sadder                      saddest

Glad             gladder                      gladdest

Silm             slimmer                   slimmest

thin              thinner                     thinnest

   

iv)  If a one- syllable adjective ends in consonant + y, 'y' is changed into 'i'  when ' er/ est' is added:

 

 e.g.  - 

      Positive           comparative         superlative 

        easy                     easier                     easiest

       dry                        drier                         driest

       holy                      holier                      holiest

       funny                   funnier                  funniest

       happy                  happier                  happiest

      But vowel + y is not changed into i:

       gay                                 gayer                              gayest

v)   Irregular forms

      e.g.  - 

vi)   Adjectives of more than two syllables form their comparative/superlative by adding more to the comparative form and most in the superlative:

   e.g.  - 

                           Comparison: structure

Positive degree:- 

i)        With the positive degree as +adjective +as is used in the affirmative:

1.               e.g.  -            He is as gentle as a lamb.

2.                                    Virtue is as important as money.

3.                                    She is as tall as him.

This construction indicates equality between two people or things. 

Note: Some of the idiomatic comparisons are:

•   as black as coal/ pitch
•   as brave as a lion
•   as bright as silver 
•   as busy as a bee
•   as clear as crystal/day 
•   as cunning as a fox
•   as cold as ice
•   as dry as dust/ bone
•   as easy as ABC
•   as firm as a rock 
•   as fresh as a daisy 
•   as gentle as a lamb
•   as green as grass
•    as happy as a lark
•    as hot as fire
•   as light as a feather 
•    as proud as a peacock
•   as quiet as a mouse 
•   as red as blood
•    as sharp as a needle/razor
•   as smooth as velvet 
•    as stupid as an ass
•   as sure as death
•   as fresh as a daisy 
•   as tough as leather 
•    as white as snow 
•    as weak as a kitten

ii)    as ... as construction can be replaced by 'like' in certain contexts:

1.            e.g.  - She is as gentle as a lamb. i.e. She is gentle like a lamb.                         He is as tall as me.    i.e.       He is tall  like me. 

             Note: 

          a) as + noun/pronoun (object form)

       In '  as ... as'  the first ' as' is an adverb used before adjectives or adverbs and the second ' as' a preposition. 

In this construction '  as ... as'  means 'to the same extent' and expresses comparison between two people. Since the second as is a preposition it takes a pronoun in the object form:

1.           e.g.                   She is as old as him.

2.                                    He is not as generous as me.

b) as + noun/pronoun (subject form)

When   ' as ... as' means 'to the same extent', the first ' as' is an adverb and the second  ' as' a conjunction because it functions as a clause introducer.

Since the second as is a conjunction, it takes a pronoun in the subject form:

1.              e.g.                She works as hard as he (does).

2.                                    I ran as fast as I could.

3.                                    He is not as innocent as he looks.

4.                                    He loves her as much I (do).

                                    

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