Degrees of Adjectives.
The degrees of Adjectives are three:
1) Positive.
2) comparative.
3) superlative.
We can use them to show comparisons between two things, persons and places. So there are three degrees of adjectives. Adjectives are modifiers that modify nouns and pronouns. We mostly use adjectives to show quality, quantity, number, shape, and size.
- 1. An adjective that modifies the noun is called a positive degree.
- 2. The adjective that is used to compare two things, persons, and places is called comparatives degree.
- 3. An adjective is used to compare one thing, person, place, and group with all other things, persons, and places are called the superlative degree of adjectives.
- Below we will study the Degrees of Adjectives in detail. If you know the Simple definition of an adjective then the degree of the adjective will be very easy.
1) Positive degree of adjectives
The positive degree of an adjective makes no comparison. It simply modifies the noun and pronoun.
- A long road.
- The black cat.
- The white car.
- A new building.
- An old airplane.
2) The comparative Degree:
The comparative degree of an adjective compares two people, things, activities, or qualities.
- Our road is longer than that one.
- This cat is blacker than that one.
- The white car is nearer than the building.
- Her building is newer than a car.
- A jet plane is faster than an airplane.
3) Superlative Degree:
The superlative degree of an adjective compares a person, thing, activity, or quality with the whole group.
- The longest road I have ever seen.
- A small blackest cat cut my way.
- The whitest cat is beautiful.
- The newest building is mine.
- I saw the fastest jet flying.
Rules for making comparatives and superlatives degree of adjectives
There can be many rules to make comparatives and superlatives degrees of adjectives, but here I am going to tell you the easiest way.
One-syllable adjectives. As you know English words are of different syllables.
So what is a syllable:
It is a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants that is forming the whole or a part of a word; for instance, there are two syllables in water and three in inferno.
- Formation of comparative and superlative: We form a one-syllable adjective by adding –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative.
One-Syllable Adjectives.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| New Tall Old Short Smart | newer taller older shorter smarter | newest tallest oldest shortest smartest |
- Note: If the one-syllable adjective ends with the letter ‘e’ just add –r for the comparative form and –st for the superlative form.
One-Syllable Adjectives. With a -e
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Cute Wise wide large brave | Cuter Wiser wider larger braver | Cutest Wisest widest largest bravest |
3. If the one-syllable adjective ends with a single consonant ’thin’ and contains a vowel before it, double the consonant and add –er for the comparative form and double the consonant and add –est for the superlative form.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Thin Sad Thin Big | Thinner Sadder Thinner Bigger | Thinnest Saddest Thinnest Biggest |
Two-syllable adjectives
1. With most two-syllable adjectives we form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Peaceful Careless famous | more peaceful more careless more famous | most peaceful most careless most famous |
Two syllable Adjectives
- For some two-syllable adjectives ending with –y, change the y into “i” and add –er for the comparative form, and for the superlative form change the “y” to “i” and add –est.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Pretty Happy Angry | prettier happier angrier | prettiest happiest angriest |
- Two-syllable adjectives ending in –er, -le, or –ow take –er for the comparative form and –est for the superlative form.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Clever Fine Narrow gentle | Cleverer Finer narrower Gentler | Cleverest Finest Narrowest gentlest |
Adjectives with three or more syllables.
For adjectives with three syllables or more, you form the comparative with more and the superlative with most.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Beautiful Dangerous Convenient comfortable | more beautiful more dangerous more convenient more comfortable | most beautiful most dangerous most convenient most comfortable |
Special note:
Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Good some Bad late Many Much Well Far Little | Better more Worse latter More More Better Farther less | Best most Worst last Most Most Best Farther/furthest Least |
Note: Two-syllable adjectives that follow two rules, can be used with -er and -est and with more and most.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Simple Clever Gentle quiet | simpler/more simple cleverer/more clever gentler/ more clever quieter/quieter | simplest/most simple cleverest/ most clever gentlest/ most gentle quietest/ most quiet |
Note while making superlative adjectives do not forget the article. ”the” should be used.
Related grammars: