Degrees of Comparison — Patwari English Grammar
This page gives the rules for forming the three degrees of an adjective — Positive, Comparative and Superlative — spelling changes, irregular forms, Latin comparatives that take 'to', common mistakes, and methods of sentence transformation by changing degree.
- Class 4-10 grammar level
- 8 min read
What Are the Three Degrees
Adjectives, and many adverbs, come in three forms to compare a quality. Positive degree — the plain form of the quality, with no comparison or a comparison of equality (as…as): Ravi is tall / Ravi is as tall as Mohan. Comparative degree — compares two people/things or groups, usually with 'than': Ravi is taller than Mohan. Superlative degree — the highest or lowest degree of a quality among three or more, usually with 'the': Ravi is the tallest boy in the class.
Remember the clue words: if you see 'than', it's comparative; if you see 'the … of all / in the class / ever', it's superlative; if it's 'as … as' or 'so … as', it's positive. Also check the sentence's meaning — in 'Cotton is ___ than wood', grammatically both heavier and lighter are comparative, but only 'lighter' is correct by meaning.
Rules for Forming the Comparative and Superlative
Rule
One-syllable words-er / -est
Ending in -ejust -r / -st
Ending in one vowel + one consonant (one syllable)double the final consonant, then -er / -est
Ending in consonant + ychange y to i, then -er / -est
Ending in vowel + yy does not change
Most words of two or more syllablesput more / most in front
Some two-syllable words (clever, narrow, simple, quiet, gentle)both methods are in use
Adverbs ending in -lymore / most
Example
One-syllable wordstall – taller – tallest; long – longer – longest
Ending in -elarge – larger – largest; wise – wiser – wisest
Ending in one vowel + one consonant (one syllable)big – bigger – biggest; hot – hotter – hottest; thin – thinner – thinnest
Ending in consonant + yheavy – heavier – heaviest; busy – busier – busiest; happy – happier – happiest
Ending in vowel + ygrey – greyer – greyest
Most words of two or more syllablesbeautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful; careful – more careful – most careful
Some two-syllable words (clever, narrow, simple, quiet, gentle)cleverer / more clever; narrower / more narrow
Adverbs ending in -lyslowly – more slowly – most slowly
handsomer/handsomest for 'handsome' are also found in dictionaries, but school grammar treats 'more handsome – most handsome' as the standard form.
Irregular Forms (to be memorised)
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| good / well | better | best | — |
| bad / badly / ill | worse | worst | — |
| much / many | more | most | 'much' is quantity, 'many' is number |
| little (quantity) | less | least | 'little' meaning size also has littler/smaller |
| far | farther / further | farthest / furthest | 'further' can also mean 'additional/more' |
| old | older / elder | oldest / eldest | elder-eldest only for family members; 'elder' doesn't take 'than' |
| late | later / latter | latest / last | later-latest = time; latter-last = order |
Common Mistakes and Special Rules
(1) Don't make a double comparative — more better, most tallest are wrong. (2) Comparatives of Latin origin — superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, preferable — take 'to' after them, not 'than': He is senior to me; This cloth is superior to that. (3) Words that express completeness — perfect, unique, round, square, complete, ideal — are not compared in school grammar: don't write 'more perfect'. (4) When choosing between two, use 'the' with the comparative: Ravi is the taller of the two brothers. (5) 'The + comparative …, the + comparative' expresses proportion: The harder you work, the better you score.
(6) When comparing within the same group, use 'than any other': Jaipur is bigger than any other city in Rajasthan (Jaipur itself is in Rajasthan). When comparing with a different group, use just 'than any': Mumbai is bigger than any city in Rajasthan. (7) The comparison must be between like things — The climate of Jaipur is hotter than that of Shimla (not 'than Shimla'). (8) 'elder' does not take 'than' — He is older than me is correct, He is elder than me is wrong; but my elder brother is correct.
Sentence Transformation by Changing Degree
| Degree | Sentence (same meaning) |
|---|---|
| Superlative | Lata is the best singer in the group. |
| Comparative | Lata is better than any other singer in the group. / No other singer in the group is better than Lata. |
| Positive | No other singer in the group is as good as Lata. |
| Superlative (one of the) | Delhi is one of the largest cities in India. |
| Comparative | Delhi is larger than most other cities in India. |
| Positive | Very few cities in India are as large as Delhi. |
'one of the + superlative + plural noun' is transformed using 'most other' and 'very few … as … as', not 'any other'.
Memory Trick / Exam Tip
A three-second check: (1) Is there a 'than'? → comparative; (2) Is there 'the' + a group? → superlative; (3) Does the word end in consonant + y? → change y to i (busiest, heavier). And '-ior' words (senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior) always take 'to', not 'than'.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Degrees of Comparison are there?+
Three — Positive (tall), Comparative (taller) and Superlative (tallest).
What is the superlative degree of 'Busy'?+
'busiest'. For an adjective ending in consonant + y, change y to i and add -est: busy – busier – busiest.
What is the difference between Elder and Older?+
'Older' can be used for any person/thing and takes 'than'; 'elder' is used only for family members, before a noun (my elder sister), and doesn't take 'than'.
Why don't 'Superior' and 'Senior' take 'than' after them?+
Comparatives of Latin origin, like superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, take 'to' after them instead — He is senior to me.