COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Degrees of Comparison

Positive Degree:

Explanation: The positive degree of an adjective is its simple form, used to denote the mere existence of a quality.
Examples:
The mango is sweet. (Here, “sweet” simply describes the quality of the mango without comparing it to anything else.)

Comparative Degree:

Explanation: The comparative degree denotes a higher degree of the quality than the positive, used when comparing two things.
Examples:
The mango is sweeter than the apple. (Here, “sweeter” indicates that the mango has more sweetness compared to the apple.)
This book is better than that one. (Comparing the quality of two books.)
She is more intelligent than her sister. (Comparing the intelligence of two sisters.)

Superlative Degree:

Explanation: The superlative degree denotes the highest degree of the quality, used when comparing more than two things.
Examples:
The mango is the sweetest fruit in the basket. (Here, “sweetest” indicates that the mango has the highest level of sweetness compared to all other fruits.)
She is the most talented singer in the group. (Comparing the talent of multiple singers.)
It was the most exciting movie I’ve ever watched. (Comparing the level of excitement among several movies.)

Formation of Comparative and Superlative

Comparative Degree:

Formation Explanation: In most cases, adjectives with one syllable, and some with more than one, form the comparative degree by adding “er” to the positive form of the adjective.
This comparative form is used when comparing two things or sets of things.
Examples with Explanation:
Positive: tall
Comparative: taller
This form is used when comparing the height of two objects or individuals. For example, “The giraffe is taller than the elephant.”
Positive: fast
Comparative: faster
This form indicates a comparison of speed between two entities. For instance, “Cheetahs are faster than lions.”
Positive: big
Comparative: bigger
Here, we compare the size of two things. For example, “The blue whale is bigger than any other mammal.”

Superlative Degree:

Formation Explanation: The superlative degree is formed by adding “est” to the positive form of most adjectives with one syllable, and some with more than one. This superlative form is used when comparing three or more things, indicating the highest degree of a quality.
Examples with Explanation:
Positive: tall
Superlative: tallest
This form denotes the extreme height among a group of objects or individuals. For example, “Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.”
Positive: fast
Superlative: fastest
Here, we indicate the highest speed among a group. For instance, “The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird.”
Positive: big
Superlative: biggest
This form highlights the largest size within a set. For example, “The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean on Earth.”

Formation of Comparative and Superlative Degrees (continued)

Regular Formation:

1. Sweet — sweeter — sweetest
Explanation: When the positive form ends in “e,” only “r” and “st” are added to form the comparative and superlative degrees.
Example: “This cake is sweeter than the one we had yesterday. It’s the sweetest dessert I’ve ever tasted.”

2. Big — bigger — biggest
Explanation: Adjectives of one syllable ending in a single consonant preceded by a short vowel double the consonant before adding “er” and “est” for the comparative and superlative degrees.
Example: “The elephant is bigger than the hippo. It’s the biggest land animal.”

3. Happy — happier — happiest
Explanation: When the positive ends in “j,” preceded by a consonant, the “y” is changed to “i” before adding “er” and “est.”
Example: “She’s happier today than she was yesterday. It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen her.”

Formation with “More” and “Most”:

4. Beautiful — more beautiful — most beautiful
Explanation: Adjectives with more than two syllables form the comparative and superlative degrees by adding “more” and “most” before the positive.
Example: “The sunset is more beautiful today than yesterday. It’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever witnessed.”

5. Difficult — more difficult — most difficult
Explanation: Similarly, adjectives with two syllables ending in “ful,” “less,” “ing,” “ed,” and others also take “more” and “most” for comparison.
Example: “This puzzle is more difficult than the one we solved last week. It’s the most difficult one yet.”

6. Modern — more modern — most modern
Explanation: Adjectives like “modern,” “recent,” “foolish,” “famous,” “certain,” etc., also use “more” and “most” for comparison.
Example: “Her apartment is more modern than mine. It’s the most modern building in the neighborhood.”

Irregular Comparison

1. Good — better — best:
Explanation: The adjective “good” is irregular because its comparative form is “better” and its superlative form is “best.” This irregularity means that instead of adding “-er” or “-est” like most adjectives, “good” changes completely.
Example: “She is a good singer, but he is even better. He is the best vocalist in the competition.” This example demonstrates how “good” changes to “better” when comparing two singers, and then to “best” when comparing one singer against all others.

2. Bad — worse — worst:
Explanation: Similarly, the adjective “bad” follows an irregular pattern with “worse” as its comparative form and “worst” as its superlative form. This irregularity deviates from the standard “-er” and “-est” endings.
Example: “The weather today is bad, but it was worse yesterday. Tomorrow is forecasted to be the worst day of the week.” Here, “bad” changes to “worse” when comparing two days, and then to “worst” when comparing one day against all others.

3. Little — less — least:
Explanation: The adjective “little” has an irregular comparative form “less” and an irregular superlative form “least.” Instead of adding “-er” or “-est,” it changes entirely. This irregularity is important to remember when comparing amounts or quantities.
Example: “He has little experience in this field, but she has even less. She has the least amount of experience among all the applicants.” In this case, “little” transforms into “less” to compare two amounts of experience, and then to “least” when comparing against all other amounts.