Read the following dialogues. Then compare your pencil, lunchbox, etc. with your friend’s things.

Mr. x : I am as old as you.

Mr. Y : Let’s check our birth dates- Mine is 2 March 1992. What’s yours ?

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Mr. X : Mine is also 2-3-1992Mr. Y : Yes, You are right. You are as old as I.Mr. X : Are you taller than I? Mr. Y : No! We are equally tall.Mr. X : Your bag is not so big as my bag.Mr. Y : Let me see. Oh! Your bag- 2Dipak V Parikh

-is bigger than my bag. (Mine)

but the prices are equal.

Mr. X : Your hand-writing is as good as mine.

Mr. Y : No, your hand writing is also as good as mine.

Mr. X : We have many similarities friend. 3Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison

The degrees of comparison in English grammar are made with the adjective and adverb words to show how big or small, high or low, more or less, many or few, etc. of the qualities, numbers and position of the nouns (persons, things, and places)- 4Dipak V Parikh

-in comparison to others mentioned in the other part of sentence/expression.

Is it bigger than a mouse?

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Kinds of Degrees of Comparison(A) Positive Degree: (a) Degree-

-of equality (b) Degree of – -inequality

(B) Comparative Degree (a) Progressive Degree (b) Parallel-

-Degree (C) Superlative Degree

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(A) Positive Degree: One noun, person, thing or place and one quality……above average.

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(1) Eifel tower is a tall man made structure. (One noun with one quality ‘tall’ adjective in positive form.(2) Ram is a tall man.

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Degrees of Comparison:

The adjective or adverb is in positive form showing that two persons or things are the same two nouns having the same quality. The common conjunction used is “as ..adjective.. as”

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(a) Degree of Equality:

(1)Ram is

as strong

as Rohan.

‘strong’ adjective in positive form showing equality.

(2) Baroda is as big as

Rajkot. 10Dipak V Parikh

(3) Rani is as tall as shyamli.

(4) She sings as well as I.

(5) Your house is as big as my house.

(6) This box is as heavy as that box.

(7) Ketan was as hard working as Saad. 11Dipak V Parikh

(b) Degrees of Inequality:

The adjective or adverb is in positive form showing that two persons or things are not the same two nouns not having the same quality.

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(1)Peter is not as (so) fast as Paul.

(2) Bombay is not so hot as Delhi.(3) Wealth is not so precious as health. 13Dipak V Parikh

(4) Abu is not so pleasant as Simla.

(5) To act is not so easy as to advise.

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Comparative Degree:

•Two persons, things or places are being compared with one adjective or adverb to show that one has more quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb than the other.

• The adjective or adverb takes-15Dipak V Parikh

-‘r’ or ‘er’ to its positive form and is said to be in the comparative form.

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Degree of Comparison1.Adjectives of one syllable • Adjectives of one syllable add -

er and -est.• Adjectives ending on 'e' just

add -r and -st.• Some adjectives double the

final consonant.

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Adjective Comparative Superlative

smallwarm

oldnicebig

smallerwarmer

oldernicer

bigger

smallestwarmest

oldestnicest

biggest18Dipak V Parikh

Degree of Comparison2.Adjectives of two syllables • Some adjectives of two

syllables add -er and -est.• For adjectives ending in 'y‘ –

cut y then add -ier and -iest.• Adjectives ending in -ful, -less,

-ing, -ed use more and most.

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Adjective Comparative Superlative

narrowhappyusefulboringmodern

narrowerhappier

more usefulmore boring

more modern

narrowesthappiest

most usefulmost boring

most modern

•Some other adjectives of two syllables use more and most (modern, famous, normal, correct, ...).

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Degree of Comparison

3. Adjectives of three or more syllables

• Adjectives of three or more syllables use more and most.

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Adjective

Comparative

Superlative

beautifuldangero

usexciting

more beautiful

more dangerous

more exciting

most beautiful

most dangerous

most exciting22Dipak V Parikh

Degree of Comparison

4. Irregular adjectives• You will have to memorize

these.

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Adjective Comparative Superlative

good (well)badlittle

much, many

farlateold

betterworselessmorefarther, furtherlaterolder, elder

bestworstleastmost

farthestlast, latest

older, oldest24Dipak V Parikh

•The conjunction ‘than’ is used to connect the two clauses.

A horse can run

Faster

than a dog.25Dipak V Parikh

Comparative degree is of two types: (a) Progressive Degree (b) Parallel Degree.

(a)Progressive Degree: * Two adjectives or adverbs are

being compared to show that one continues to increase (or decrease) when the other increases. (or decreases)

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•The adjective or adverb is in its comparative form with the definite article ‘the’ before it.

•Example:

• The steeper the hill the more difficult it is to push the rock.

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(b) Parallel Degree:

•The quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb continues to increase (or decrease) as the time passes.

• The adjective or adverb in its comparative form is repeated using the conjunction.

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Example:

(1)The days are getting hotter and hotter.

(2) It is getting hotter and hotter day by day.

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(3) A raccoon is smaller than an elephant but bigger than a mouse.

A raccoon is smaller than an elephant but bigger than a mouse.

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(4) Ray swam faster than James did.

(5)The dog on the left is bigger than the other dog.

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(6) Ray swam faster than any other team member.

(7) Ray swam faster than any one else on the team.

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Be sure to include other or else when comparing one member with all the others in a group. We use it in this example because Ray can’t swim faster than himself.

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Superlative Degree

We use the Superlative degree when we compare more than two persons or things with one another. It is the highest degree of the quality.

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Example:

Peter is the smartest boy in class.

Alice is the sweetest girl in the neighborhood.

The blue whale is the largest of all animals.

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SUPERLATIVE DEGREEComparing one noun – person, thing or place – with several others of its kind to show that this particular noun has the highest degree of the quality or quantity of the adjective or adverb being used to compare.

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The adjective or adverb takes the ‘superlative form’, ending with ‘st’ or ‘est’, with the definite article ‘the’ before it. The preposition ‘of’ is used when the comparison is.

among items, and ‘in’ is used to specify the place, position or area

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Superlative Degree: example 1

• The elephant is the largest of all land animals.

• The giraffe is the tallest of all animals. 38Dipak V Parikh

Superlative Degree: example 2

Susan is the most intelligent girl in the class.Susan

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Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 1

• Gopal is footballer in our team.

fast

the fastest

the faster 40Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 2

• Tom is a boy.

stronger

the strongest

strong41Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 3

• This man is , but that man is .sadhappyangry 42Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 4

• Karan is than Sue.more activeactiveractive

43Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 5

• The white flower is as as the red flower.

the most beautiful

more beautiful

beautiful 44Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 6

the weights,

it is to lift them.

The heavy

the difficult

The heavier

the more difficult45Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 7

• The sea is getting .

rough and rough

rougher and rougher

the rougher and the rougher46Dipak V Parikh

Degrees of Comparison: worksheet 8

• Mt. Everest is mountain in the world.

higher than

high

the highest47Dipak V Parikh

Practice: Change the form of degree in the following sentences according to instructions.

1. Baroda is as big as Kanpur. (Turn in to comparative degree)

2. The earthquake of Pakistan was worse than that of 48Dipak V Parikh

Gujarat. (use ‘not so bad as’)

(3) Our principal is older than any other teacher. (Start with ‘No other teacher’)

4. English is easier than Sanskrit to learn. (Begin with –Sanskrit is not )

5. No other singer sings so well-49Dipak V Parikh

-as Lata. (Begin with: Lata sings better…..)

6. The Himalayas is…………in all the mountains of India. (use the proper form of ‘high’)

50Dipak V Parikh