English grammar

DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Comparison can be made using the three forms of the adjective.

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Adjective is a word and it qualifies a noun. It gives more information about the noun.

eg. The lion is a strong animal. Rita is a beautiful girl.
Adjectives are of three degrees. (1) Positive (2) Comparative (3) Superlative

The Positive degree denotesthe mere existence ofquality.

eg. David is a rich man.

The Comparative degree isused to compare twopersons or things having thesame quality.

eg. Cancel is more dreadful than cholera.

The Superlative degree isused when more than twopersons or things arecompared. It is singles onefrom all the rest.

eg. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
Study the following models.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Very few boys in the class are as tall as John.	John is tallerthan any other boys in the class.	John is the tallest boy in the class.
	John is tallerthan most other boys in the class.	John is one of the tallest boy in the class.

Adjective and Adverbs have three degrees, Positive, Comparative and Superlative.

Positive Degree :

The Pasitive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.

The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made.

• It is a tall building.
• Apple is sweet to taste.

Comparative Degree

The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.

The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the positive. It is used when two things (or two sets of things) are compared.

• This building is taller than any other building.
• Apple is sweeter than pear.

Superlative Degree

The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used when more than two things are compared.

• This is the tallest building.
• Apple is the sweetest fruit.

The Superlative Degree is used when more than two nouns or things are compared.

• Johnsy is kind (Positive Degree)
• Johnsy is kinder than Rosy (Comparative Degree)
• Johnsy is the kindest of all (Superlative Degree)

List of Degrees of Comparison

MODEL-1:

By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
bright	brighter	brightest
black	blacker	blackest
bold	bolder	boldest
clever	cleverer	cleverest
cold	colder	coldest
fast	faster	fastest
great	greater	greatest
high	higher	highest
kind	kinder	kindest
long	longer	longest
small	smaller	smallest
strong	stronger	strongest
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
tall	taller	tallest
young	younger	youngest

MODEL-2:

By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
brave	braver	bravest
fine	finer	finest
large	larger	largest
nice	nicer	nicest
noble	nobler	noblest
pale	paler	palest
simple	simpler	simplest
wise	wiser	wisest
white	whiter	whitest

MODEL-3:

By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
costly	costlier	costliest
dry	drier	driest
easy	easier	easiest
happy	happier	happiest
heavy	heavier	heaviest
lazy	lasier	lasiest
mercy	mercier	merciest
wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest

MODEL-4:

By doubling the final consonats
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
big	bigger	biggest
dim	dimmer	dimmest
fat	fatter	fattest
hot	hotter	hottest
thin	thinner	thinnest

MODEL-5:

By using more and most
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
active	more active	most active
attractive	more attractive	most attractive
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
careful	more careful	most careful
courageous	more courageous	most courageous
cunning	more cunning	most cunning
difficult	more difficult	most difficult
famous	more famous	most famous
faithful	more faithful	most faithful
proper	more proper	most proper
popular	more popular	most popular
splendid	more splendid	most splendid

Irregular Comparisons
POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
bad	worse	worst
evil	worse	worst
good	better	best
ill	worse	worst
far	farther	farthest
well	better	best
late	later	latest
little	less	least
much	more	most
many	more	most
near	nearer	nearest
old	older	oldest
old	elder	eldest

Changes of Degrees ofComparison

Comparison between two things.

Model-1 :

Positive	Comparative
Johnsy is as clever as Rosy	Rosy is not clever than Johnsy
Benjamin is atleast as tall as Jane	Jane is not taller than Benjamin

Model-2 :

Comparative	Positive
Lazar is brighter than Stalin	Stalin is not so bright as Lazar

Model-3 : ( the + Superlative )

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Akthar is the richest man in Kanpur	Akthar is richer than any other man in Kanpur	No other man in Kanpur is so rich as Akthar

Model-4 : ( one of the +Superlative )

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
London is one of the biggest city in England	London is bigger than most other city in England	Very few cities in England are so big as London

Model-5 : ( Superlative + of all )

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Sheakespear is the greatest of all dramatists	Shakespeare is greater than all other dramatists	No other dramatist is so great as Shakespeare

Model-6 : ( By using “Less ... than”)

Positive	Comparative
Lazar is as strong as Lenin	Lenin is not less strong than Lazar

Model-7 : ( By using “least” )

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Some boys in our class are at least as intelligent as Benjamin	Some boys in our class are not intelligent than Benjamin	Benjamin is not the most intelligent boy in our class

Comparisions and Contrasts

1. When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. tha tare some respects equal, we may use the comparion of equality. This is formed by the use of
as... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is as large as mine.
2. When we compare unquals, we may use the comparative degree of the adjective or adverb with than
eg. His new book is more interesting than his earlier books
3. When the comparison is negative, we use
so... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine.
4. In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped.
eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial.
Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties.
5. In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used.
eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it.
6.Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of
the...the...with comparatives.
eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
The more he read, the less he understood.

Degrees of Comparison MoreExamples:

I. Here more than two persons orthings or places are compared.Matchless comparison comes inthis type.

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Iron is the most useful of all metals.	Iron is more useful than any other metal.	No other metal is so useful as iron.

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Tom is the cleverest of all boys in the class.	Tom is cleverer than any other boy in the class.	No other boy in the class is so clever as Tom.

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Rain water is the purest water.	Rain water is purer than any other water.	No other water is so pure as rain water.

II. Here more than two persons orthings or places are compared.Generally this type is in pluralform.

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Paris is one of the busiest cities in England.	Paris is busier than most other cities in England.	Very few cities in England are as busy as Paris.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Very few animals are as fast as cheetah.	Cheetah is faster than most other animals.	Cheetah is one of the fastest animals.

Superlative	Comparative	Positive
Food ball is one of the most interesting games.	Foot ball is more interesting than most other games.	Very few games are as interesting as foot ball.

III. Here only two persons orthings or places are compared.For this type there is noSuperlative form

Comparative	Positive
Paris is hotter than England.	England is not so hot as Paris.

Positive	Comparative
John is as tall as David.	David is not taller than John.

Comparative	Positive
The Blue Mountain Express runs faster than the Green Express.	The Green Express does not run so fast as the Blue Mountain Express.

                            Article

A - AN :

A and an are indefinite articles used to refer to a singular countable noun.
An indefinite article means that we do not know which one, or it is not important 
to know it. 

Which one to use:  'a' or 'an'?
The rule states that “a” should be used before words that begin with consonants
(b, c ,d etc.) while “an” should be used before words that begin with vowels (a,e,i, etc.).
It should be noted, however, that the usage is determined by the pronunciation and
not by the spelling, and this includes abbreviations and acronyms.
To simplify, one uses 'a' before a word that begins with a consonant SOUND,
and 'an' before a word that begins with a vowel SOUND. 
A is used before :

• a consonant (b, c, d, f, g, etc.)    
a car/a hotel
• a vowel that is pronounced like "yu"            a European/a university
• the vowel 'o' when it has a "w" sounda one-way street

An is used before :

• a vowel  (a, e, i, etc.) :         ananimal/an elevator 
• an unaspirated 'h':   an hour/anhonest man
• abbreviations starting with a vowel sound: an MBA ('em' sound)


THE :

The is a definite article used to talk about something specific. 

• The town where Julie lives is very big.
• What book is Julie reading? She's reading the book Tom gave her.

The is also used to refer to:

• Rivers, seas, oceans :
  • the Mississippi river, theMediterranean sea, theAtlantic ocean
• Nationalities :
  • the British, the Americans,the Japanese, the Chinese, etc.

NO ARTICLE :

No article is used in generalisations:

• I like music
• Caviar is expensive.
Exceptions :
• I watch television but I listen tothe radio and I go to the cinema.
• I don't play tennis but I play thepiano, the guitar, etc.

No article is used for place names(towns, countries, mountains) :

• London, Spain, Mount Everest
Except if plural :
• The Greek islands, The United States, The Alps, The Himalayas