GRAMMATHON DEGREE OF COMPARISON

BY- SUMAN SHARMA

DEGREE OF COMPARISON

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WHAT IS DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES?

Degrees of adjectives or levels of adjectives or degrees of comparison are of three types namely: Positive Comparative Superlative.

POSITIVE DEGREE

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Positive degree of adjectives are used when we talk about the single person, place, or thing. He is a smart boy. It is a nice pen.

COMPARATIVE DEGREE

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Comparative degree of adjectives are used when we compare two persons, places, or things. We can add “er” to the simple word to transform it to the comparative form or we can use the word “more” after the adjective. This swimming pool is smaller than the last one. You are more intelligent than your brother.

SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

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Superlative degree of adjectives are used when we compare more than two things. The word “the” is added before the adjective. A common word is transformed to its superlative form by adding a suffix “est” or the word “most.” I wear the clothes from biggest store. This is the most important moment of my life.

FORMATION OF DEGREES

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There are two ways of forming the comparative and the superlative: 1) By adding er, est to the positive: Small smaller smallest tall taller tallest

2) By means of more and most: Difficult more difficult most difficult

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By adding er, est to the positive

1. When an adjective of one syllable ends in two consonants or in a single consonant preceded by two vowels, er and est are added:

2. When an adjective of one syllable ends in a single consonant preceded by a short vowel, the consonant is doubled before er, and est:

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3. When an adjective of one syllable ends in e, only r and st are added: 4. When an adjective of one syllable ends in y preceded by a

consonant, we change the ‘y’ into i before adding er, est:

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5. But if the final Y is preceded by a vowel, we simply add er, est:

6. Adjectives of two syllables ending in e / le generally form their comparative and superlative in the same way as the adjectives of one syllable:

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By means of more and most:

1. Adjectives of more than two syllables, and many adjectives of two syllables, form the comparative and superlative by means of more and most.

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RULE 1 : POSITIVE DEGREE No other + object + is/was/verb + so / as + positive form + as + subject. No other girl in the class is as good as Rubi. No other man in the village was as / so wise as he. COMPARATIVE DEGREE Subject + am/is/are/ was / were / verb + comparative form + than any other + object . Rubi is better than any other girl in the class. He was wiser than any other man in the village. SUPERLATIVE DEGREE Subject + am/is/are/was/were/ verb + the + superlative form + object .

RULES FOR TRANSFORMATION OF DEGREES

RULE 1 :

RULES FOR TRANSFORMATION OF DEGREES

POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

No other + object / +

is/was + so / as + positive

form + as + subject.

Example :

a) No other girl in the class

is as good as Rubi.

b) No other man in the

village was as / so wise

as he.

Subject + am/is/are/ was /

were + comparative form

+ than any other + object .

Example:

a) Rubi is better than any

other girl in the class.

b) He was wiser than any

other man in the village.

Subject +

am/is/are/was/were + the +

superlative form + object .

Example :

a) Rubi is the best girl in

the class.

b) He was the wisest man

in the village.

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RULE 2 :

POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

No other + object + verb +

so / as + positive form +

as + subject.

Example :

a) No other wood burns

so / as pretty as it.

Subject + verb +

comparative form + than

any other + object

Example:

a) It burns prettier than

any other wood.

Subject + verb + the +

superlative form + of any

+ object.

Example :

a) It burns the prettiest of

any wood.

RULE 3 :

POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

Object + verb + not +

so/as + positive form + as

+ Subject.

Example :

a) Rana is not so wise as

Hasan.

Subject + verb +

Comparative form + than

+ object.

Example:

a) Hasan is wiser than

Rana.

X

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RULE 4 :

POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

No other + object/

(singular noun) + is / was

/ verb + so / as + positive

form + as + subject.

Example :

a) No other girl in the

class is as tall as Rubi.

b) No other boy in the

village was as / so

brilliant as he.

Subject +

am/is/are/was/were/ verb

+ comparative form +

than all other + object

(plural noun).

Example:

a) Rubi is taller than all

other girls in the class.

b) He was more brilliant

than all other boys in

the village.

Subject +

am/is/are/was/were/ verb

+ the + superlative form +

of all +object (plural

noun).

Example :

a) Rubi is the tallest of all

girls in the class.

b) He was the most

brilliant of all boys in

the village.

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POSITIVE DEGREE COMPARATIVE DEGREE SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

Very few + object / (plural

noun) + are/were/verb +

so/as + positive form + as

+ subject.

Example :

a) Very few cities in

Bangladesh are as big

as Dhaka.

Subject +

am/is/are/was/were / verb

+ comparative form +

than most other + object /

(plural noun).

Example:

a) Dhaka is bigger than

most other cities in

Bangladesh.

Subject +

am/is/are/was/were/ verb

+ one of the +superlative

form + object/ (plural

noun).

Example :

a) Dhaka is one of the

biggest cities in

Bangladesh.

RULE 5 :

“ “I always say that practice gets you to the top, most of the time” – David Beckham

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