Degree Of Comparison Examples
In this section, we will cover the three degrees of comparison for adjectives: positive, comparative, and superlative. We’ll also look at how to form these degrees of comparison from one-syllable and multi-syllable words and learn when it is appropriate (or not) to use the word than with a superlative adjective.
DEGREES OF COMPARISON
The three degrees of comparison in English are the positive degree, comparative degree and superlative degree. The comparative and superlative degrees are used to compare two or more things. The comparative degree is used to compare three or more things.
The following table shows examples of these degrees:
A brief introduction
This lesson looks at the formal ways of comparing things in English.
We’ll see how to make comparisons using the positive, comparative and superlative degrees.
The positive degree is used for simple statements without any comparison. The comparative degree is used to show one thing is greater than another. And the superlative degree is used to show one thing as being better or the best of a group of three or more things.
You can also use other words such as ‘more’ or ‘less’ when making comparisons in English; these are called intensifiers because they increase the force of your comment using a word like great which has no comparative form but you could say something like “I am great at this game!”
Example:
I like to eat peaches.
I prefer peaches over apples and oranges.
Peaches are my favorite fruit in the world!
Positive Degree
The positive degree is the basic form of an adjective. It is used to express a quality that is inherent to the subject and cannot be compared with anything else. The positive degree can also be used in comparisons, but it has no comparative or superlative forms:
- I feel great today!
- That was some party last night, wasn’t it?
- You’re beautiful no matter what anyone says!
The positive degree is used to describe one thing or person, the comparative degree describes two things or people and the superlative degree describes more than two things or people.
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Comparative Degree
Comparative Degree
The comparative degree means that one thing is more than another.
The comparative degree is formed by adding -er to the end of an adjective or adverb:
- Alice is a more intelligent student than Jane. (adjective)
- I am happier when I am with you. (adverb)
Superlative Degree
The superlative degree is used to compare three or more things. For example:
- The tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (The superlative degree is used here because there are two buildings that are taller than this one.)
- This restaurant serves the best steak in town! (This sentence uses the superlative because there are many restaurants serving steaks.)
You can also use it when comparing two things when one is better than another:
- You ate my last piece of cake? You’re worse than Darth Vader! (In this sentence, “worse” means “worse than someone else”.)
The positive degree is often used in comparisons, but it has no comparative or superlative forms: I feel great today! That was some party last night, wasn’t it? You’re beautiful no matter what anyone saysThe first thing to understand is the difference between these three degrees. The positive degree is like saying something just as it is, without any comparison. The comparative degree shows one thing as greater than another; for example, “This car is faster than that one.” And finally, the superlative form shows one thing as being better or best of a group of three or more things; for example, “This car has the most power in its class”.!
Remember that one-syllable adjectives use -er/-est, two-syllable adjectives use more/most, and many multi-syllable adjectives simply add more/most. Do not use the word than after a word in the superlative degree.
- One-syllable adjectives use -er/-est.
- Two-syllable adjectives use more/most.
- Many multi-syllable adjectives simply add more/most.
- Do not use the word than after a word in the superlative degree.
Note: Use the superlative degree when comparing two things. This is important because sometimes you may be comparing only two items, but if one of them is the best or worst, then use the superlative degree to show this.
Remember that one-syllable adjectives use -er/-est, two-syllable adjectives use more/most, and many multi-syllable adjectives simply add more/most. Do not use the word than after a word in the superlative degree.