Degree of Comparison — Rules, Change & Exercise

Degree of comparison is the form an adjective or adverb takes to show how much of a quality something has: positive (tall), comparative (taller) and superlative (tallest). Exam questions ask you to rewrite a sentence in a different degree without changing its meaning, which follows fixed patterns — "no other … so … as" for positive, "than any other" for comparative.

Where it is set: SSC & HSC English 2nd Paper — Grammar

The three degrees

An adjective or adverb changes form to show how much of a quality is present. The positive degree simply names the quality, the comparative compares two things, and the superlative picks one out of three or more.

How the forms are built

• ✓ Rahim is tall. Karim is taller. Jamal is the tallest of the three.
• ✗ This is more better than that. ✓ This is better than that. — never combine more with a comparative form

Changing between the degrees

Board questions ask you to rewrite a sentence in another degree without changing its meaning. Each direction has a fixed pattern, and the patterns are what carry the marks.

The three equivalent forms of one idea

• ✓ Superlative: Dhaka is the largest city in Bangladesh. → Comparative: Dhaka is larger than any other city in Bangladesh.
• ✓ Positive: No other city in Bangladesh is so large as Dhaka.

Comparisons of equality and inequality

The positive degree is also used to say two things are equal, or that one falls short. The word order is fixed and small errors in it are common.

• Equality: as … as — He is as tall as his brother.
• Inequality: not so … as or not as … as — He is not so tall as his brother.
• A comparative always takes than, never then: taller than, not taller then.
• Use the comparative for two, the superlative for three or more: the better of the two, the best of the three.
• Than any other is needed in a comparative that stands for a superlative — omitting other makes the sentence illogical, since Karim cannot be taller than himself.

• ✗ Karim is taller than any boy in the class. ✓ Karim is taller than any other boy in the class.
• ✗ He is the taller of the three. ✓ He is the tallest of the three.

Latin comparatives and other special cases

A small group of adjectives derived from Latin is already comparative in meaning and takes to instead of than. Using than with them is a standard exam trap.

• ✗ He is senior than me. ✓ He is senior to me.
• ✗ She is my older sister. ✓ She is my elder sister. — elder before a noun within the family

Adjectives that have no degrees

Some adjectives describe an absolute state that cannot be held in greater or lesser amount. They have no comparative or superlative in careful writing, and boards mark the attempt as an error.

• unique, perfect, complete, empty, full, round, square, dead, eternal.
• Something is either unique or it is not; more unique is therefore illogical.
• If you need to soften one, use a phrase: almost unique, nearly perfect.
• Prefer also resists than: write prefer tea to coffee, never prefer tea than coffee.

• ✗ This is the most unique painting in the gallery. ✓ This painting is unique.
• ✗ I prefer rice than bread. ✓ I prefer rice to bread.

Practice

Work through these before you check the answers — the reasoning matters more than the answer.

1. Change to comparative: “Rahim is the best boy in the class.”
2. Change to positive: “Dhaka is the largest city in Bangladesh.”
3. Change to superlative: “Very few metals are so useful as iron.”
4. Correct: “He is senior than me by three years.”
5. Correct: “This book is more better than that one.”
6. Comparative or superlative: “She is the ___ (clever) of the two sisters.”
7. Correct: “Karim is taller than any boy in his class.”
8. Correct: “I prefer coffee than tea.”

Answers

1. Rahim is better than any other boy in the class.
2. No other city in Bangladesh is so large as Dhaka.
3. Iron is one of the most useful metals.
4. He is senior to me by three years — Latin comparatives take to.
5. This book is better than that one — never double the comparative.
6. cleverer — a comparison of two takes the comparative.
7. Karim is taller than any other boy in his class.
8. I prefer coffee to tea.