Degree or Comparison of Adjectives

Transformation of Degree

The grammatical item, ‘Degree’ deals with adjectives and adverbs. It can be classified into three kinds.

a) Positive Degree

b) Comparative Degree

c) Superlative Degree

            a) Positive Degree: The Positive Degree of an Adjective is the Adjective in its simple form. It is used to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no comparison is made. Here we find the structure: ‘as/so+ adjective + as.’

For example,

No other dramatist is so great as Shakespeare.

No other boy in the class is as tall as Macbeth.

Very few boys in the village are as small as Mack. Shabnur is not so beautiful as Ayesha Takia.   

            b) Comparative Degree: The Comparative Degree of an Adjective denotes a higher degree of the quality than Positive Degree and is used when two or sets of things are compared. In it, the words ‘more/ er’ and ‘than’ are seen as the signs of Comparative Degree.

Fast / Slow

A car is faster than a bicycle.
A bicycle is slower than a car.

For example,

Nicola is better than Nancy is.

A pen is mightier than most other weapons.

He is worse than any other boy in the class. Bangla is not easier than English. Women are not less capable than men.

Rangamati is greater than Satkhira in size. The more we read, the more we learn. Alex is busier than many other friends.

            c) Superlative Degree: The Superlative Degree of an Adjective denotes the highest degree of the quality, and is used when more than two things are compared. In it, the words ‘the’ and ‘most/est’ are seen as the signs of the Superlative Degree.

For example,

Shakespeare is one of the greatest dramatists in the world.

He is the best boy in the class. This is the finest book I have ever studied.

Alexander Pope is the most satiric of all poets in nature in 18^th century. Elephant is the biggest animal on land.

      

Rules to Change Degrees

Rule 1: Positive Degree to Comparative Degree

Positive Degree	To	Comparative Degree
No (other)	=	All (other) + Any (other)
Very few	=	Most (other) + Many (other)

For example,

Positive - Very few boys in the class are so good as he. 

Comparative - He is better than many other boys in the class.

Positive - No other food item on the menu was so cheap as mutton chop.

Comparative - Mutton chop is cheaper than all other dishes on the menu.

Exceptional:

Positive - I am as strong as him.

Comparative - He is not stronger than me.

Note: “Negative is changed into Affirmative” and “Affirmative into Negative accordingly.”

Rule 2: Positive Degree to Superlative Degree

Positive Degree	To	Superlative Degree
No (other)	=	The most (the tallest/ the most beautiful)
Very few	=	One of the

For example,

Positive - Very few boys in the class are so good as he.

Superlative - He is one of the best boys in the class.

Positive - No other dish on the menu was so cheap as mutton chop.

Superlative - Mutton chop was the cheapest of all dishes on the menu.

Rule 3: Comparative Degree to Superlative Degree

Comparative Degree	To	Superlative Degree
All (other) + Any (other)	=	The most (Superlative Form)
Most (other) + Many (other)	=	One of the (Superlative)

For example,

Comparative - Tennyson is not greater than some other poets.

Superlative - Tennyson is not the greatest of all poets.

Comparative -Lead is heavier than all other metals.

Superlative -Lead is the heaviest of all metals.

  

Rule 4: Need to remember:

a) No other, of any, any other = Noun Singular after them

b) All other, most other, many other, few other, very few, one of the = Noun Plural after them

Rule 5: Superlative Degree to Comparative Degree

a) Of all = than all other. b)  Of any = than any other.

Look at the Chart Carefully

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Sweet	Sweeter	Sweetest
White	Whiter	Whitest
Red	Redder	Reddest
Difficult	More Difficult	Most Difficult
Learned	More Learned	Most Learned

Rule 6: About Syllable:

If an adjective/adverb is of single syllable, we don’t add ‘more/most’ with it but if an adjective/adverb takes more than one syllable, we must use ‘more/most’ for Comparative and Superlative Degrees respectively. 

For example,

Sorna is better than Borney. (Positive)

Helen is more beautiful than Braisias. (Comparative) (beau-ti-ful)

Sorna is the cleverest of all in her family. (Superlative)

Dubai is hotter than Bangladesh. (Comparative)

“As You Like It” is the most excellent composition of all by William Shakespeare.

Md. Saiful Alam

B. A. Honours and M. A. in English

Assistant Teacher of English 

Machkhola Secondary School, Satkhira 

E-mail: suman64924@gmail.com

Dear leaders,

Please, never hesitate to comment and any correction or suggestion regarding my writings will be largely appreciated and valued and you can ask me any grammatical questions regarding English. I promise I would try my level best to assist you, all. Thank you very much.