Goftman English language Institute

(a).  Positive Degree

Examples

• The elephant is taller than the horse.
• The shirt is longer than the shorts.

 (c).  Superlative Degree:

Examples  

• This is a long pencil.
• This pencil is longer than that.
• This is the longest pencil.

Formation of Comparative and Superlative

1.  Most adjectives of one syllable and some of more than one syllable form the comparative by adding “-er”  and the superlative by adding “-est” to the positive.  

Positive            Comparative            Superlative

bold                  bolder                     boldest

clever               cleverer                   cleverest

deep                 deeper                    deepest

sweet               sweeter                   sweetest

tall                   taller                        tallest

The first apple is large.

The second apple is larger than the first.

The third apple is the largest of the three.

The jalopy is a fast car.

The racecar is the faster car.

The dragster is the fastest car

2.  When the positive ends in “e”, add “-r” for the comparative and “-st” for the superlative.  

Positive              Comparative            Superlative

able                     abler                      ablest

brave                   braver                    bravest

fine                      finer                      finest

simple                  simpler                   simplest

wise                     wiser                      wisest

3.  When the positive ends in “y”, preceded by a consonant, the “y” is changed into “i” before adding “-er” for the comparative and “-est” for the superlative.  

Positive              Comparative            Superlative

busy                   busier                     busiest

happy                 happier                   happiest

noisy                  noisier                     nosiest

pretty                 prettier                   prettiest

wealthy               wealthier                wealthiest

4.  When the positive is a word of one syllable and ends in a single consonant, preceded by a short vowel, the consonant is doubled before adding “–er” for the comparative and “-est” for the superlative.  

Positive             Comparative            Superlative

big                    bigger                     biggest

fat                    fatter                      fattest

hot                   hotter                     hottest

sad                   sadder                    saddest

thin                  thinner                   thinnest

5.  Adjectives of more than two or more syllables form the comparative by using the adverb “more”, and form superlative by using the adverb “most”. 

Positive              Comparative              Superlative

beautiful            more beautiful            most beautiful

courageous        more courageous        most courageous

difficult              more difficult              most difficult   

satisfactory        more satisfactory        most satisfactory      

useful                more useful                 most useful

Notes

(a).  Be careful, not to use “more” along with a Comparative formed with “er”, and “most” along with a  Superlative formed with “est”, i.e. do not write  ‘more heavier’ or ‘most heaviest’.

(b).  The “as.....as” construction is used to make a comparison expressing equality.        

Example   

• She is as intelligent as her mother.

6.  Irregular Comparison: Some adjectives are compared irregularly, i.e. their comparatives and superlatives are not formed from the positive.  

Positive             Comparative           Superlative

good                 better                      best

bad                   worse                      worst

little                  less                         least

far                    farther                     farthest

many                more                        most

Activity I :   

Sample Questions

• Lead is the heaviest of all the metals. (Superlative degree)

1. This coffee is very weak. I prefer it a bit __________.  (                   )
2. The Wabash River flows __________ in spring than in fall.  (                 )
3. Bill has bought a __________ car.  (                )
4. The giraffe is __________ than the man.  (                )
5. Paul is the __________ boy in our class.  (                 )
6. Who is your __________ singer?  (                )
7. Sam is __________ than Tom.  (                )
8. You look __________. Have you lost weight?  (                )
9. The children look __________ today.  (                )
10. It’s __________ today than yesterday.  (                )

Activity II : 

Sample Sentences

Complete the sentences by choosing the correct form of the words given in brackets.

1. Australia is __________ island in the world.  (large, larger, the largest)
2. The class test was __________ than we had expected.  (easy, easier, the easiest)
3. The elephant has __________ trunk.    (a long, a longer, the longest)
4. Kilimanjaro in Africa is __________ than Mount Blanc in Europe .  (tall, taller, the tallest)
5. King Solomon was  __________ of the kings we have ever heard of.  (wise, wiser, the wisest)

Activity IV 

Sample Sentences    

1. A cow is a large animal. (positive degree)
2. The elephant has a long trunk. (positive degree)
3. A rhinoceroses is larger than a cow. (comparative degree)
4. A cow has thinner legs than a rhinoceroses. (comparative degree)
5. An elephant is the largest of all these animals. (superlative degree)
6. (The cow has the longest tail. (superlative degree