The Adjective – Degree of Comparison English Grammar For Class 6

The Adjective Degree of Comparison

Study the following sentences carefully

  1. Mayank is a tall man. 
  2. Shashank is taller than Mayank.
  3. Deepanshu is the tallest of the three

We note that Adjectives change their forms (tall, taller, tallest) to show comparison.

In sentence 1, when we say Mayank is a tall man, we do not compare him with any other man..

In sentence 2, when we say Shashank is taller than Mayank, we compare two men-Mayank and Shashank. 

In sentence 3, when we say Deepanshu is the tallest of the three, we compare more than two men (three).

Thus, Adjectives change their forms to show comparison. There are three degrees of comparison:

  1. Positive Degree
  2. Comparative Degree
  3. Superlative Degree

The Adjective’ tall’ is said to be in ‘Positive Degree’. The Positive Degree of an Adjective shows the existence of a certain quality. It is the original form of an Adjective.

The Adjective ‘taller’ is said to be in ‘Comparative Degree’. The Comparative Degree of an Adjective shows the higher degree of a quality. It is used when two things or persons are compared.

Note: We use ‘than’ with the Comparative Degree of an Adjective.

The Adjective ‘tallest’ is said to be in ‘Superlative Degree’. The Superlative Degree of an Adjective shows the highest degree of a quality. It is used when more than two things or persons are compared.

Note: We use article ‘the’ with the Superlative Degree of an Adjective.

MAKING COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE DEGREES 

We can make Comparative and Superlative Degrees in the following manner. 

  1. By adding-er’ and ‘est’ to the Positive Degree of an Adjective.

  1. If an Adjective ends in ‘e’, e is dropped before adding er’ or ‘est

  1. If an Adjective ends in ‘y’, y is changed to ‘i’ before adding ‘er’ or ‘-est’:

  1. In case of some Adjectives the last letter is doubled before adding ‘-er’ or ‘est’:


  1. By adding-er’ or ‘-est’ to the Positive Degree, if it ends in ‘y’ preceded by a Vowel:

  1. Some Adjectives are changed into the Comparative and Superlative Degrees by adding ‘more’ and ‘most respectively:

  1. Some Adjectives are irregular. Their Comparative and Superlative Degrees are not formed from the Positive Degrees. They are formed by using new words:


  1. There are some words which are Adverbs in the Positive Degree, bu Adjectives in the Comparative and the Superlative Degree.

ELDER, OLDER, ELDEST, OLDEST 

Note the distinction in the use of older and elder and oldest and eldest. The words ‘elder’ and ‘eldest’ are used only for persons and not for animals and things. Moreover, these words are used for the members of the same family.

Examples:

  1. My elder brother is a doctor.
  2. My eldest sister is married.

If we use the word ‘than’ in a sentence for comparison, then we use ‘older’ and not ‘elder’.

Examples:

  1. Mukesh is older than his sister.
  2. She is older than I (am).

‘Older’ and ‘oldest’ can be used both for persons and things.

Examples:

  1. Rajni is the oldest girl in the class.
  2. This is the oldest house in our colony.

Use of double Comparatives or Superlatives is not correct.

Examples:

  1. Sarita is more prettier than Suman. (incorrect) 

Sarita is prettier than Suman. (correct)

  1. Mount Everest is the most highest peak in the world. (incorrect)

Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. (correct)

 Some Comparatives are followed by ‘to’ and not ‘than’.

Examples:

  1. Inferior: This cloth is inferior to that. 

Superior: This pen is superior to that.

  1. Junior: Ram is junior to Shyam. 

Senior: Mohit is senior to me.

‘Each’, ‘every’, ‘either’ and ‘neither’, when used as Adjectives, go with Singular Nouns.

Examples:

  1. Neither team scored a goal.
  2. Either pen will do.
  3. He gave education to each son.
  4. Every girl was given a gift.

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks with the correct degree of adjectives given in brackets. 

  1. Parmod is ………….. (strong) than Vinod.
  2. He is the ……….. (bad) student in the class.
  3. This seat is …………….. (comfortable) than that one.
  4. The dog is the ………… (faithful) animal. 
  5. The white box is…… (heavy) than the black box.
  6. Delhi is ………(hot) than Mumbai.
  7. A goat is ………….. (fat) than a dog.  
  8. Pritam is an ………….. (industrious) boy.
  9. Sarita is the ………….. (careless) girl in the class.
  10. Sabina’s marks are the …………. (good) in the whole class.
  11. The baby looked……. (cheerful) today.
  12. The cat is the ………. (lazy) of all animals. 
  13. A sofa is ………… (comfortable) than a bench. 
  14. The first exercise is …………. (difficult) than the second.
  15. The girl is …………(thin) than the boy. 
  16. Pacific Ocean is the ………….. (large) ocean in the world.
  17. Smita is the …………….. (pretty) girl in the school.
  18. He looked …………  (pale) yesterday.
  19. Asha is the …………  (popular) singer in her class.
  20. Which is the …………..  (high) peak in the world?
  21. Iron is …………  (hard) metal than gold is.
  22. Rajasthan is the ……….. (large) state of India.
  23. Yesterday was the …………… (hot) day of the month.
  24. Mercury is the …………… (close) planet to the Sun.
  25. She is the ……………  (lucky) girl in the school.

Exercise 2

Write Comparative and Superlative forms of the following adjectives:

Positive                                     Comparitive             Superlative

Terrible

Attractive

Blue

Bold

Broad

Wide

Charming

White

Tough

Thick

Deep

Delicate

Fair

Fierce

Greedy

Harsh

Low

Loyal

Mean

Naughty

Punctual

Proud

Powerful

Rough

Regular

Selfish

Sincere

Soft

Stout

Smooth

Exercise 3

Fill in the blanks with the correct choice of the Adjectives given in brackets.

  1. Oil is ………….. (light) than water.

(i) light  (ii) lighter (iii) lightest

  1. He is ……… (old) than I

(i) older  (ii) oldest (iii) old

  1. Lead is ……………  (heavy) than any other metal. 

(i) heavy (ii) heaviest  (iii) heavier

  1. The dog is the………… (faithful) animal. 

(i) most faithful (ii) more faithful  (iii) faithful

  1. The Nile is the ………….. (long) of all the rivers.

(i) longer  (ii) longest (iii) more long

  1. He is……….. (popular) today than he was five years ago.

(i) more popular  (ii) most popular (iii) great

  1. Sujan Singh is the ………..  (tall) boy in the school.

(i) taller (ii)tall (iii) tallest

  1. Jaipur is one of the ………… (beautiful) cities in India.

(i) more beautiful (ii) most beautiful (iii) largely beautiful

  1. The Kashmir Valley is the …………….. (charming) place on the earth.

(i) more charming (ii) most charming (iii) greatly

  1. Which is the ………….. (long) river in India?

(i) longer  (ii) long (iii) longest

  1. This cloth is ………….  (fine) than that. 

 (i) more fine (ii) finer  (iii) most finest

  1. Kareena is …………..  (old) than Pushpa.

(i) older  (ii) oldest  (iii) more old

  1. He is the ………..  (rich) man in our town. 

(i) rich (ii) richer  (iii) richest

  1. Iron is the………..  (useful) metal. 

(i) most useful (ii) more useful  (iii) used most

  1. Mohini sings ………  (good) than I.

(i) more good (ii) better (iii) best

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