Adjective - 2 - English Grammar Basic - Class 10

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES (DEGREE)

Let us take a few sentences:
1. Sunil’s orange is sweet.
2. Kavita’s orange is sweeter than Sunil's.
3. Sanjay’s orange is the sweetest  of all.

In the first sentence, the adjective sweet merely tells us that Sunil's orange has the quality of sweetness, without saying how much of this quality it has.

In the second sentence, the adjective sweeter tells us that Kavita’s orange, compared with Sunil’s, has more of the quality of sweetness.

And, in the third sentence, the adjective sweetest tells us that of all these oranges, Sanjay’s mango has the greatest amount or highest degree of the quality of sweetness.

Thus, we see that Adjectives change in form (sweet, sweeter, sweetest) to show comparison. They are called the three Degrees of Comparison.

In order to know adjectives at length, it is essential to know the degrees of comparison.

There are three kinds of degree.
1. Positive degree.
2. Comparative degree.
3. Superlative degree.

In the above sentences, Sweet is in the Positive degree and Sweetest is in the Superlative degree.

Structures Used for Making Positive, Comparative and Superlative

1. Positive : No other .... as + P.F + as + N.

Comparative : N + h.v. + C.F. + than any other...

Superlative : N + h.v. + the + S.E.......

As,
No other boy in our class is as bad as Mohan. —Positive

Mohan is worse than any other boy in our class. —Comparative

Mohan is the worst boy in our class.  —Superlative

Note : After the + superlative, no other and than any other, we use singular noun.

As,
The best boys —wrong
The best boy — correct
No other boys —wrong
No other boy —correct
Than any other boys —wrong
Than any other boy —correct

2. Positive : Very few...... as + PF + as + N

Comparative : N + h.v. + C. F + than most other.....

Superlative : N + h.v. + one of +the +S.F.......

As,
Kolkata is one of the busiest cities of India. —Superlative

Very few cities of India are as busy as Kolkata. —Positive

Kolkata is busier than most other cities of India. —Comparative

Note : There is no use of singular noun after  — one of very few and than most other.
As,
One of the best girl —wrong
Very few girl —wrong
Than most other girl —wrong
One of the best girls —correct
Very few girls —correct
Than most other girls    —correct