Degrees of comparison adjective. Every adjective and adverb can be written in one of three degrees:
The Positive Degree. This offers no comparison. It just tells us about the existence of a quality. For example:
adjectives: slow, beautiful, happy
adverbs: slowly, beautifully, happily
The Comparative Degree. This compares two things to show which has the lesser or greater degree of the quality. For example:
adjectives: slower, more beautiful, happier
adverbs: more slowly, more beautifully, more happily
The Superlative Degree. This compares more than two things to show which has the least or greatest degree of the quality.For example:
adjectives: slowest, most beautiful, happiest
adverbs: most slowly, most beautifully, most happily
Easy Examples of Degrees of Comparison Here is the adjective "hungry" in all three degrees of comparison:
Lee is hungry. (positive degree)
Lee is hungrier than Mark. (comparative degree)
Lee is the hungriest of all. (superlative degree)
Here is the adverb "dangerously" in all three degrees of comparison:
Lee played dangerously today. (positive degree)
Lee played more dangerously than Mark. (comparative degree)
Lee played most dangerously. (superlative degree)
Forming the Comparative and Superlative Degrees Here are the rules for forming the comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives:
Exercise 1. Fill in the correct form of the words in brackets (comparative or superlative). 1. My house is (big) ___________than yours.
2. This flower is (beautiful) _________ than that one.
3. This is the (interesting) ___________book I have ever read.
4. Non-smokers usually live (long) __________ than smokers.
5. Which is the (dangerous) _________animal in the world?
6. A holiday by the sea is (good) __________than a holiday in the mountains.
7. It is strange but often a coke is (expensive) ________ than a beer.
8. Who is the (rich) _________woman on earth?
9. The weather this summer is even (bad) ___________than last summer.
10. He was the (clever) ________ thief of all.
Exercise 2. Сomplete the sentences using the superlative form of the word in brackets. 1. Whales are _________ animals in the world. (HEAVY)
2. For English people, Japanese is one of ___________ languages to learn. (DIFFICULT)
3. My sister is __________ person I know. (TIDY)
4. My grandmother is __________ person in my family. (OLD)
5. That was __________book I've ever read. (STRANGE)
6. _____________ I've ever travelled is from London to San Francisco. (FAR)
7. What's ____________animal in your country? (DANGEROUS)
8. Spain is one of ___________countries in Europe. (SUNNY)
9. What's ____________place you've ever visited? (HOT)
10. What's __________ you've ever stayed up at night? (LATE)