The document defines and provides rules for the three degrees of comparison in English: positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive degree names a quality without comparison. The comparative degree compares two items by degree, using suffixes like "-er" or "more." The superlative degree compares three or more items, using suffixes like "-est" or "most." The document provides examples and exceptions to the rules for forming degrees of comparison for adjectives and adverbs. It also lists common errors and their corrections.
3. (1) Positive Degree
Offers the comparison
Tells us about existence of quality
Offers equal comparison
Eg : slow , beautiful - Adjective
happily - Adverb
4. Rules for positive degree
Use the adjective or adverb directly
For comparison of equals in positive degree
(1) Use “as + adj + as” for positive comparison of equals
Eg : Ramya is as wise as Sowmya
(2) Use “not so + adj + as” for negative comparison of equals
Eg : Bangalore is not so cool as Ooty
5. (2) Comparative Degree
Compares two things to show which has lesser / greater degree of
the quality
Eg : slower , more beautiful - adjective
more happily - adverb
6. Rules for comparative degrees
Add “er” to adjectives
some exceptional cases , we use “more” before adjectives
For adverbs, we use “more” before them
Some comparatives end with “or” follows by “to”
Eg: Ravi is junior to me
Most of the comparatives will be followed by”than”
Eg: Manoj is more confident than Suba
7. (3) Superlative Degrees
Compares more than two things to show which has the least / greatest degree
of the quality
Eg : slowest , most beautiful - adjective
most happily - adverb
8. Rules for superlative degrees
Add “est” to the adjectives.
But in some cases, use “most + adj”
Must use “the” before Superlatives.
Eg : Lee is the hungriest of all
9. Common errors and it’s rectifications
(1) Don’t use double comparatives / double superlatives
Eg : She can run most fastest - ×
You get more sillier - ×
(2) Use comparative degrees not superlative while comparing two things
Eg : Of the two, she is the most suitable candidate - ×
While using superlative degrees, number of things compared is not known
(3) There are some adjectives without superlative / comparative forms
Eg : single - more / most single - ×
unique - more / most unique - ×
(4) In some adjectives, don’t add “er” or “more” in comparative forms and don’t use “er” or “most” in superlatives,
instead use like this
Eg: littles less least
old elder / older eldest / oldest
good better best
10. (5) Confusions : ( taller than me/ taller than I)
Both are correct ✓
Eg : John is taller than me
John is taller than I am
(6) Some adjectives take both “er” and “more” forms in comparative and both “est” and “most” forms in
superlative degrees
Eg: gentle – gentler / more gentle and gentlest / most gentle
(7) In superlative degrees, in case of adjectives “the” should be used before superlative but in case of noun in
possessive case “the” should not be used
Eg : That should be Ram’s worst behaviour in his childhood
(8) We use “the” in comparative degrees to show one thing depends on other
Eg : The deeper you breath , the calmer you become
Common errors and it’s rectifications
