Comparison (Adjective)

  COMPARISON

Adjectives can be compared in different ways. Look at the following examples:

Sujata is tall. (Positive Degree)

Sujata is taller than Anju. (Comparative Degree)

Sujata is the tallest girl in the class. (Superlative Degree)

The positive degree of an adjective is the adjective in its simplest form. It is used to denote mere existence of some quality of what we speak about.

One way of describing a person or thing is by saying that they have more of a particular quality than someone or something else. To do this, we use comparative adjectives, which are formed either by adding    -er at the end of the adjective, or placing more before it, e.g.

She’s more intelligent than her sister.

This is a bigger piece of cake.

It is also possible to describe someone or something by saying that they have more of a particular quality than any other of their kind. We do this by using superlative adjectives, which are formed by adding -est at the end of the adjective and placing the before it, or placing the most before the adjective, e.g.

He’s the most intelligent man I’ve ever met.

This is the tallest building in the town

Use of positive degree

One noun-person, object etc. having a quality:

John is a tall boy.

The adjective is in positive form showing that two persons or things are the same – two nouns having the same quality. The common conjunction used is “as…as”.

Mohan is as good singer as Sohan is.

The adjective or adverb is in positive form showing that two persons or things are not the same – two nouns not having the same quality.

He is not as(so) intelligent as his sister is.

Use of comparatives

Just like other adjectives, comparatives can be placed before nouns in the attributive position, e.g.

a more intelligent child

the bigger piece of cake

Comparatives can also occur after be and other link verbs, e.g.

The street has become quieter since they left.

You should be more sensible.

Comparatives are very commonly followed by than and a pronoun or noun group, in order to describe who the other person or thing involved in the comparison is, e.g.

John is taller than me.

I think that she’s more intelligent than her sister.

As well as pronouns and noun groups, than is often followed by other kinds of clause, e.g.

I think the portions were bigger than they were last time.

They had given a better performance than in previous years.

Comparatives are often qualified by using words and phrases such as much, a lot,far, a bit/little, slightly, e.g.

You should go by train, it would be much cheaper.

Could you be a bit quieter?

I’m feeling a lot better.

Do you have one that’s slightly bigger?

Two comparatives can be contrasted by placing the before them, indicating that a change in one quality is linked to a change in another, e.g.

The smaller the gift, the easier it is to send.

The more stressed you are, the worse it is for your health.

Two comparatives can also be linked with and to show a continuing increase in a particular quality, e.g.

The sea was getting rougher and rougher.

Her illness was becoming worse and worse.

He became more and more tired as the weeks went by.

 

Use of superlatives

Like comparatives, superlatives can be placed before nouns in the attributive position, or occur after be and other link verbs, e.g.

It is the most delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.

This restaurant is the best.

As shown in the last example, superlatives are often used on their own if it is clear what or who is being compared. If you want to be specific about what you are comparing, you can do this with a noun, or a phrase beginning with in or of, e.g.

This restaurant is the best in town.

Another way of being specific is by placing a relative clause after the superlative, e.g.

This offer is the best I’m going to get.

Note that if the superlative occurs before the noun, in the attributive position, the in or of phrase or relative clause comes after the noun, eg.

The best restaurant in town.

The best offer I’m going to get.

Although the usually occurs before a superlative, it is sometimes left out in informal speech or writing, e.g.

This one seems to be cheapest.

However, the cannot be left out when the superlative is followed by an of/in phrase, or a relative clause indicating the group of people or things being compared, e.g.

This one is the cheapest.

This one is cheapest.

This one is the cheapest of the new designs.

* This one is cheapest of the new designs.

This one is the cheapest I could find.

*This one is cheapest I could find.

Sometimes possessive pronouns are used instead of the before a superlative, e.g.

my youngest brother

her most valuable piece of jewellery

Ordinal numbers are often used with superlatives to indicate that something has more of a particular quality than most others of its kind, e.g.

It’s the third largest city in the country.

 

The opposite of comparative and superlative forms

Comparative and superlative forms with -er/-est and more/most are always used to talk about a quality which is greater in amount relative to others. If we want to talk about a quality which is smaller in amount relative to others, we use the forms less (the opposite of comparative more), and the least (the opposite of superlative the most). Less is used to indicate that something or someone does not have as much of a particular quality as someone or something else, e.g.

This sofa is less comfortable.

I’ve always been less patient than my sister.

The least is used to indicate that something or someone has less of a quality than any other person or thing of its kind, e.g.

It’s the least expensive way to travel.

She was the least intelligent of the three sisters.