Positive, comparative, superlative

 

Some rules of interchanging degrees

By using more and most
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Useful	More useful	Most useful	active	more active	most active
Intelligent	More Intelligent	Most Intelligent	attractive	more attractive	most attractive
Attentive	More attentive	Most attentive	beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
Difficult	More difficult	Most difficult	brilliant	more brilliant	most brilliant
courageous	more courageous	most courageous	careful	more careful	most careful
cunning	more cunning	most cunning	splendid	more splendid	most splendid
famous	more famous	most famous	proper	more proper	most proper
faithful	more faithful	most faithful	popular	more popular	most popular
caring	more/less caring	most/least caring	amazing	More amazing	most amazing
gifted	more/less gifted	most/least gifted	terrible	More terrible	most terrible

 

By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Black	Blacker	Blackest	bright	brighter	brightest
Fair	Fairer	Fairest	strong	stronger	strongest
Clever	Cleverer	Cleverest	bold	bolder	boldest
Poor	Poorer	Poorest	young	younger	youngest
great	greater	greatest	cold	colder	coldest
high	higher	highest	fast	faster	fastest
kind	kinder	kindest	sweet	sweeter	sweetest
long	longer	longest	tall	taller	tallest
small	smaller	smallest	weak	weaker	weakest
rich	richer	richest	thick	thicker	thickest

 

By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
brave	braver	bravest	pale	paler	palest
fine	finer	finest	simple	simpler	simplest
large	larger	largest	wise	wiser	wisest
nice	nicer	nicest	white	whiter	whitest
noble	nobler	noblest

 

By doubling the final consonants
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
big	bigger	biggest	hot	hotter	hottest
dim	dimmer	dimmest	thin	thinner	thinnest
fat	fatter	fattest	Wet	Wetter	Wettest
sad	sadder	saddest	slim	slimmer	slimmest

 

By deleting the final ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’ and ‘iest’
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
costly	costlier	costliest	Prettier	Prettier	Prettiest
dry	drier	driest	Busy	Busier	Busiest
easy	easier	easiest	lazy	lasier	lasiest
happy	happier	happiest	mercy	mercier	merciest
heavy	heavier	heaviest	wealthy	wealthier	wealthiest
chewy	chewier	chewiest

 

Exceptional
Positive	Comparative	Superlative	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Good/well	Better	Best	Out	Outer/utter	Utmost/utter most
Bad/evil/ill	Worse	Worst	Far	Farther	Farthest
Much/Many	More	Most	Fore	Former	Foremost/first
Little	Less	Least	Fore	Further	Furthest
Late	later/latter	Latest/last	In	Inner	Inmost/inner most
Old	Older/elder	Oldest/eldest	Up	Upper	Upmost/uppermost
near	nearer	nearest	fun	more/less fun	most/least fun
hind	hinder	hindermost	nigh	nigher	Nighest/ next

 

 There are also some adjectives that can be inflected using either form we looked at above. The following are some of the most common:

Adjective (positive degree)	Comparative degree	Superlative degree
clever	cleverer or more/less clever	cleverest or most/least clever
likely	likelier or more/less likely	likeliest or most/least likely
narrow	narrower or more/less narrow	narrowest or most/least narrow
quiet	quieter or more/less quiet	quietest or most/least quiet
simple	simpler or more/less simple	simplest or most/least simple

 

1. Turn the following superlative into comparative and positive:

bravest, driest, thinnest, most attractive, most important, best, fastest, quickest, truest, finest, hardest, deepest, coldest, gentlest, least interesting, wisest, ugliest, worst, dullest, utmost, greatest, eldest, blackest, cheapest, fairest

2. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) There is no other story as — (funny/funnier/funniest) as this.

(b) Bangladesh is — (populous/more populous/most populous) than any other country.

(c) He is — (sincere/more sincere/most sincere) than his brother.

(d) This is the — (foggy/foggier/foggiest) day in the year.

(e) Jacocabath is the (warm/warmer/warmest) place in the world.

(f) Hanif is — (old/older/oldest) than any other player in the team.

(g)City life is not as — (quiet/quieter/quietest) as village life.

(h) Mahbub is the — (wise/wiser/wisest) boy in the class.

(i)No other gift is as — (fine/finer/finest) as this.

(j)Starvation is — (honourable/more honourable/most honourable) than begging.

3. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Kamal does not get as — (high/higher/highest) marks as Jamal.

(b) This milk is — (fresh/fresher/freshest) than that.

(c) He is — (friendly/more friendly/most friendly) to me than to you.

(d) Iron is not as — (light/lighter/lightest) as cotton.

(e) You seem — (sleepy/sleepier/sleepiest) than he.

(f)You are the — (lazy/lazier/laziest) boy I have ever seen.

(g) I do not feel as — (free/freer/freest) as you.

(h) The old man is the — (hungry/hungrier/hungriest) of all men.

(i)His hair is — (grey/greyer/greyest) than yours.

(j)Shahin is not — (bold/bolder/boldest) than Shabuj.

4. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Shoheb is — (smart/smarter/smartest) than Sakib.

(b)Travelling is pleasant/more pleasant/most pleasant) than many other things.

(c)This is the — (fancy/fancier/fanciest) dress in the shop.

(d) Trees are the — (good/better/best friend to us.

(e) Nipa is not as — (dull/duller/dullest) as Rita.

(f) He is the — (brave/braver/bravest) man.

(g)A crow is — (ugly/uglier/ugliest) than a dove.

(h)The Cuckoo sings — (sweet/sweeter/sweetest) than most other birds.

(i)I love my country — (much/more/most) than anything else.

(j)I do not know any person as — (humble/humbler/humblest) as he.

5. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Very few persons are as — (sad/sadder/saddest) as he.

(b) He is — (gentle/gentler/gentlest) than any other person in the village.

(c) I did not see anything as — (black/blacker/blackest) as this.

(d) Dishonour is not as — (preferable/more preferable/most preferable) as death.

(e) The Meghna is — (deep/deeper/deepest) than any other river in Bangladesh.

(f) This pen is as — (new/newer/newest) as that.

(g)Grapes are the — (tasty/tastier/tastiest) of all fruits.

(h) Anwar is — (young/younger/youngest) than Akmal.

(i) No other person is as — (wealthy/wealthier/wealthiest) as he.

(j) There is no other person as — (healthy/healthier/healthiest) as he.

6. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Liza is the — (proud/prouder/proudest) of all girls.

(b) No other road is as — (muddy/muddier/muddiest) as this.

(c) English is — (rich/richer/richest) than any other language.

(d) The cow is — (useful/more useful/most useful) than any other animal.

(e) No other person is as — (hot/hotter/hottest) as he to do this job.

(f) He is — (near/nearer/nearest) to us than anybody else.

(g) He is the — (active/more active/most active) person.

(h) Milk is — (nutritious/more nutritious/ most nutritious) than any other food.

(i) These fruits are not as — (fresh/fresher/freshest) as those.

(j) This is — (good/better/best) than all other story books.

7. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) No other girl is as — (pretty/prettier/prettiest) as she.

(b) Gold is the — costly/costlier/costliest) of all metals.

(e) Your handwriting is — (clumsy/clumsier/clumsiest) than hers.

(d) I have not seen any person as — (cruel/crueler/cruelest) as he.

(e)Your hands are not as big/bigger/biggest) as hers.

(f)The Ramadan is the — (holy/holier/holiest) month for the Muslims.

(g)This ghee is — (pure/purer/purest) than that.

(h) Bangladesh is (green/greener/greenest) than many other countries.

(i) Very few persons are as — (greedy/greedier/greediest) as he.

(j) You seem — (gloomy/gloomier/gloomiest) than before.

8. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Liton is the — (handsome/more handsome/ most handsome) boy in the school.

(b) His room is — (tidy/tidier/tidiest) than yours.

(c) The security of the airport was tight/tighter/tightest) than before.

(d) Sumi’s hair is — (curly/curlier/curliest) than Suma’s.

(e)His manner is — (calm/calmer/calmest) than any other person.

(f)Rina’s knowledge in English is not as — (sound/sounder/soundest) as Nasrin.

(g)This is the — (interesting/more interesting/most interesting) matter.

(h) She is — (happy/happier/happiest) than he.

(i) Honesty is — (much/more/most) than anything else.

(j) He is the — (thin/thinner/thinnest) boy in class.

9. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) The Padma is the — (large/larger/largest) river in Bangladesh.

(b) Gold is — (precious/more precious/most precious) than iron.

(c) No other girl is as — (pretty/prettier/prettiest) as Rani.

(d) January is — (cold/colder/coldest) than December.

(e) Anis is — (happy/happier/happiest) than you.

(f)He is one of the — (good/better/best) boys in the class.

(g) English is — (rich/richer/richest) than any other language.

(h) He is — (noble/nobler/noblest) than any other person I have ever met.

(i)A bird cannot sy as — (last/faster/fastest) as a plane.

(j) Dhaka is the — (big/bigger/biggest) city in Bangladesh

10. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Very few metals are as — (precious) as gold.

(b) Chattogram is the — (big) port in Bangladesh.

(c) He is — (old) than any other man in the village.

(d) Tomatoes are — (cheap) than oranges.

(e) A bird does not run as — (fast) as a train.

(f) Jamil is the — (wise) man in the village.

(g) Mr. Jabbar is the popular) teacher in our school.

(h) She is — (beautiful) than her sister.

(i) Very few boys are as — (brave) as he.

(j) Bhutan is one of the — (small) countries in the world.

11. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) There is no other fruit as — (cheapest) as pine apple.

(b) It runs the — (fast) of all horses.

(c) Ibrahim is — (wise) than Raju.

(d) There is no other place as — (loneliest) as this.

(e) It is the — (famous) school in the town.

(f) He is — (wealthiest) than his brother.

(g)Very few persons are as — (politest) as his brother.

(h) Our English teacher is — (humble) than any other teacher in the school.

(i) This is the — (safe) place.

(j) I arrived — (early) than you.

12. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Omar is the — (elder) son in the family.

(b) No other person is as — (braver) as he.

(c) She is — (proud) than her sister.

(d) His way of life is — (simple) than all other persons in the village.

(e) Imran is the — (talented) of all students.

(f) 21st February is — (memorable) than any other day.

(g) This is the — (happy) day in my life.

(h) No other day is as — (mistier) as today.

(i) This is the — (easy) way.

(j) Very few days are as — (colder) as today.

13. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) This is the — (wide) road in the city.

(b) Very few roads are as — (narrowest) as this road.

(c) You are the — (weak) student in the school.

(d) This tree is — (tall) than that.

(e) You are not as — (slower) as he.

(f) This knife is — (sharp) than that one.

(g) Bangladesh is one of the — (fertile) lands in the world.

(h) Nothing passes as — (quickliest) as time.

(i) The climate of Rajshahi is not — (healthful) than that of Cox’s Bazar.

(j) Your horse is not — (well) trained than this.

14. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) This is the — (large) mosque.

(b) The pen is — (might) than the sword.

(c) Akbar was — (powerful) than any other kings in India.

(d) This place is — (clean) than that one.

(e) This is the — (dirty) place in the city.

(f) Very few places are as — (noisiest) as this place.

(g) He draws the — (low) salary in the office.

(h) They live in the — (remote) corner of the country.

(i) He is one of my — (close) friends.

(j) Cotton is — (soft) than many other fibres.

15. Fill in the blank with the right form of degree in the brackets.

(a) Aziz is the — (sincere) student in our school.

(b) Very few scenes are as — (loveliest) as this.

(c) Autumn in Bangladesh is not — (warm) than summer.

(d) A journey by boat gives me the — (great) pleasure.

(e) Swimming is — (good) than any other exercise.

(f) This story is — (funny) than any other story.

(g)The days in the winter are — (foggy) than those of other seasons.

(h) This road is — (muddy) than that.

(i) Bangladesh is the — (populous) country in the world.

(j) Very few persons in the village are as — (poorest) as he.

 

 

Reminder:            

1. Positive starts with no other/very few+ ext and ends with subject

2. Comparative and Superlative start with sub + verb and ends with ext

3. If a sentence starts with very few, verb will be plural.

Steps to be followed

1. Try to understand the given sentence—-Positive/comparative/superlative

2. Follow the structures of Positive/comparative/superlative

3. Look at the given rules chart

Examples of Comparison of Adjectives

1. Positive : No other man in the village is as good as he.

Comparative : He is better than any other man in the village.

Superlative : He is the best man in the village.

2. Positive : No other dish on the menu is as cheap as mutton chop.

Comparative : Mutton chop is cheaper than any other dish on the menu.

Superlative :  Mutton chop is the cheapest dish on the menu.

3. Positive : No other wood burns as pretty as it.

Comparative : It burns prettier than any other wood.

Superlative : It burns the prettiest of any wood.

4. Positive : Very few countries of the world are as small as Bangladesh.

Comparative : Bangladesh is smaller than most other countries of the world.

Superlative : Bangladesh is one of the smallest countries of the world.

5. Positive : No other pen writes as fine as it.

Comparative : It writes finer than any other pen.

Superlative : It writes the finest of any pen.

6. Positive : Very few restaurants in Bangladesh are as expensive as Sonargoan.

Comparative : Sonargoan is more expensive than most other restaurants in Bangladesh.

Superlative : Sonargoan is one of the most expensive restaurants in Bangladesh.

7. Positive : No other dramatist is as great as Shakespeare.

Comparative : Shakespeare is greater than any other dramatist.

Superlative : Shakespeare is the greatest of all dramatists.

8. Positive : No other kind of food is as nutritious as milk.

Comparative : Milk is more nutritious than all other kinds of food.

Superlative : Milk is the most nutritious of all kinds of foods.

9. Positive : No other language in the world is as rich as English.

Comparative : English is richer than any other language in the world.

Superlative : English is the richest language in the world.

10. Positive : No other sea-beach in the world is as large as Cox’s Bazar.

Comparative : Cox’s Bazar is larger than any other sea-beach in the world.

Superlative : Cox’s Bazar is the largest sea-beach in the world.

11. Positive : No other drama I have ever watched is as pathetic as this.

Comparative : This is more pathetic than any other drama I have ever watched.

Superlative : This is the most pathetic drama I have ever watched.

12. Positive : Very few metals are as precious as gold.

Comparative : Gold is more precious than most other metals.

Superlative : Gold is one of the most precious metals.

13. Positive : No other city in Bangladesh is as crowded as Dhaka.

Comparative : Dhaka is more crowded than any other city in Bangladesh.

Superlative : Dhaka is the most crowded city in Bangladesh.

14. Positive : No other commercial area of Bangladesh is as busy as Motijheel.

Comparative : Motijheel is busier any other commercial area of Bangladesh.

Superlative : Motijheel is the busiest of all commercial areas of Bangladesh.

15. Positive : Nowadays very few games are as interesting as cricket.

Comparative : Nowadays cricket is more interesting than most other games.

Superlative : Nowadays cricket is one of the most interesting games.

16. Positive : No other king of India is as great as Akbar.

Comparative : Akbar is greater than all other kings of India.

Superlative : Akbar is the greatest of all kings of India.

17. Positive : No other boy in the class is as young as Rubel.

Comparative : Rubel is younger than all other boys in the class.

Superlative : Rubel is the youngest of all boys in the class.

18. Positive : Very few dramas are as popular as Hamlet.

Comparative : Hamlet is more popular than most other dramas.

Superlative : Hamlet is one of the most popular dramas.

19. Positive : As soon as he reached the station, the bus began to run.

Comparative : No sooner had he reached the station than the bus began to run.

20. Positive : He is as strong as a lion.

Comparative : A lion is not stronger than he.

21. Positive : He is as dull as an ass.

Comparative : An ass is not duller than he.

22. Positive : Sumi was not as witty as we expected.

Comparative : Sumi was less witty than we expected.

23. Positive : He does not get as much as he wishes.

Comparative : He gets more than he wishes.

24. Positive : Very few restaurants in Bangladesh are as expensive as Sheraton.

Comparative : Sheraton is more expensive than most other restaurants in Bangladesh.

Superlative : Sheraton is one of the most expensive restaurants in Bangladesh.

25. Positive : No other dramatist is as great as Shakespeare.

Comparative : Shakespeare is greater than any other dramatist.

Superlative : Shakespeare is the greatest of all dramatists.

26. Positive : No other kind of food is as nutritious as milk.

Comparative : Milk is more nutritious than all other kinds of food.

Superlative : Milk is the most nutritious of all kinds of foods.

27. Positive : No other language in the world is as rich as English.

Comparative : English is richer than any other language in the world.

Superlative : English is the richest language in the world.

28. Positive : No other man in the village is as good as he.

Comparative : He is better than any other man in the village.

Superlative : He is the best man in the village.

29. Positive : No other dish on the menu is as cheap as mutton chop.

Comparative : Mutton chop is cheaper than any other dish on the menu.

Superlative :  Mutton chop is the cheapest dish on the menu.

30.  Positive : No other wood burns as pretty as it.

Comparative : It burns prettier than any other wood.

Superlative : It burns the prettiest of any wood.

31. Positive : No other king of India is as great as Akbar.

Comparative : Akbar is greater than all other kings of India.

Superlative : Akbar is the greatest of all kings of India.

32. Positive : No other boy in the class is as young Rahi.

Comparative : Rahi is younger than all other boys in the class.

 Superlative : Rahi is the youngest of all boys in the class.

33. Positive : Very few dramas are as popular as Hamlet.

Comparative : Hamlet is more popular than most other dramas.

Superlative : Hamlet is one of the most popular dramas.

Transform from Superlative to Comparative and Positive

A. Superlative: Kazi Nazrul Islam is the best writer.  Comparative: Kazi Nazrul Islam is better than any other writer.  Positive: No other writer is as good as Kazi Nazrul Islam.