Degree 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 positions of the nouns (persons, things and places) in comparison to the others mentioned in the other part of a sentence or expression.

Kinds of comparison:

1. POSITIVE DEGREE: Tom is tall a boy.

In this sentence the word ‘tall’ is an adjective telling us how Tom is.  There is no other person or thing in this sentence used to compare Tom with, but it is the general way of saying about persons, animals and things that they have some quality (here ‘tallness’) above average in general sense. The adjective word ‘tall’ is said to be  in the “positive form”.

There are two more comparisons with the ‘positive form’ of the adjective words. They are:

(i)  Degree of Equality: This comparison is used to compare two persons, animals or things to tell us that they are equal – having the same quality.

There are  two cats with the same height and weight, and look the same except for the colour.

Therefore we say:

The brown cat is as beautiful as the grey cat.  (= Both the cats are the same.)

The word “beautiful” is an adjective in the ‘positive form’, and with the conjunction as…as  it expresses the ‘degree of equality’.

(ii)  Degree of Inequality: This comparison is used to compare two persons, animals or things to tell us that they are not equal – not having the same quality.

The brown cat is not so beautiful as the black & white cat.         (= They arenot the same.)

The word “beautiful” is an adjective in the ‘positive form’, and with the conjunction so…as (and the negative ‘not’) it expresses the ‘degree of inequality’

2. COMPARATIVE DEGREE:

Tom is a tall boy.                   Tom is taller than his sister.                                               

In the second sentence the word ‘taller’ is an adjective used to compare the ‘tallness’ of these two persons – Tom and his sister – and to tell us that Tom has more of the quality of ‘tallness’.

Therefore, an adjective word which shows the difference of quality between two groups of persons, animals or things is said to be in the ‘comparative form’. persons, animals or things

This comparison is called “Comparative Degree”

More examples:

• Mike is more dilligent than Michelle
• Tea is better than coke

3. SUPERLATIVE DEGREE:

This comparison is used to compare one person, animal or thing with more than two persons, animals or things (the rest of the group of more than two), and to say that the particular one has the highest degree of that       particular quality (here the comparison is between the blue whale and the rest of the animals, more than two).

Examples:

a. This is the biggest house in this street. (Superlative)

This house is bigger than any other house in this street. (Comparative)

No other house in this street is as big as this one. (Positive) 

The term “biggest" is the superlative version of the term “big". 

All the three sentences mean the same meaning. 

b. This flower is the most beautiful one in this garden. (Superlative)

This flower is more beautiful than any other flower in this garden. (Comparative)

No other flower in this garden is as beautiful as this one. (Comparative) 

The term “most beautiful" is the superlative version of the term “beautiful".

All the three sentences mean the same meaning.