Certain comparative adjectives borrowed from Latin have no positive or superlative degree forms. All of these adjectives end in –or. They are 12 in all. Five of them have already lost their comparative meaning and are now used as positive adjectives. These are: interior, exterior, ulterior, major and minor.

Complete the following sentences.

1. No other boy is as ……………………. as James. (tall / taller / tallest)

2. Milk is ………………….. than any other food. (nourishing / more nourishing / most nourishing)

It is possible to change the degree of comparison of an adjective in a sentence, without changing the meaning of the sentence.

Change the degrees of comparison in the sentences given below.

Correct the following sentences.

Incorrect: He is worst than I.
Correct: He is worse than I.

Incorrect: Horse is usefuller than a car.
Correct: A horse is more useful than a car.

Comparison and contrast are expressed by the structure the…the. Note that this structure is used to show proportionate increase or decrease.

Note the word order in both clauses: the + comparative expression + subject + verb

We use several different structures for comparing.

Similarity

To say that people, things or actions are similar in a way, we can use as and like. Adverbs such as too, also and as well can also be used.

Very cannot be used with comparative adjectives. Instead, we use other words like much, far, very much, rather, a lot, any, no, a little and even.