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

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

3. Radium is one of the ……………………… metals. (valuable / more valuable / most valuable)

4. Few English poets were as ……………………. as Wordsworth. (great / greater / greatest)

5. Shimla is ………………….. than most other hill stations in India. (famous / more famous / most famous)

6. Gold is one of the ……………………. metals. (precious / more precious / most precious)

7. Solomon was …………………… than any other king. (wise / wiser / wisest)

8. Few historians write as ………………….. as Macaulay. (well / better /best)

9. Very few books are as ……………………. as David Copperfield. (popular / more popular / most popular)

10. A train is …………………. than a car. (fast / faster / fastest)

Answers

1. No other boy is as tall as James.

2. Milk is more nourishing than any other food.

3. Radium is one of the most valuable metals.

4. Few English poets were as great as Wordsworth.

5. Shimla is more famous than most other hill stations in India.

6. Gold is one of the most precious metals.

7. Solomon was wiser than any other king.

8. Few historians write as well as Macaulay.

9. Very few books are as popular as David Copperfield.

10. A train is faster than a car.

Change the degrees of comparison in the sentences given below.

1. Lead is heavier than any other metal.

2. Susie is the tallest girl in the class.

3. Gold is more precious than silver.

4. Bombay is one of the biggest cities in India.

5. Wordsworth is the greatest of all English poets.

6. India is the largest democracy in the world.

7. The tiger is the most ferocious of all animals.

8. Asia is the largest continent in the world.

Answers

1. No other metal is as heavy as lead. / Lead is the heaviest of all metals.

2. No other girl in the class is as tall as Susie. / Susie is taller than any other girl in the class.

3. Silver is not as precious as gold.

4. Few Indian cities are as big as Bombay. / Bombay is bigger than most other Indian cities.

5. Wordsworth is greater than any other English poet. / No other English poet is as great as Wordsworth.

6. No other democracy in the world is as large as India. / India is larger than any other democracy in the world.

7. No other animal is as ferocious as the tiger. / The tiger is more ferocious than any other animal.

8. No other continent is as large as Asia. / Asia is larger than any other continent in the world.

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.

Incorrect: Gold is most precious than silver.
Correct: Gold is more precious than silver.

To compare one person or thing with another person or thing we use the comparative form of the adjective. Note that adjectives and adverbs having more than two syllables form their comparative and the superlative by the addition of more and most before the positive adjective or adverb.

Incorrect: From the two he is clever.
Correct: He is the cleverer of the two.

Incorrect: From the three he is more clever.
Correct: He is the cleverest of the three.

We use the superlative to compare more than two people or things.

Incorrect: I have never seen a so beautiful sight.
Correct: I have never seen so beautiful a sight.

Incorrect: He was a so big man that he could not sit in that chair.
Correct: He was so big a man that he could not sit in that chair.

The correct pattern is ‘so + adjective + a/an + singular countable noun’.

Incorrect: He lives in tribal area.
Correct: He lives in a tribal area.

A singular countable noun should be preceded by the article a/an.

Incorrect: He is a best player in the team.
Correct: He is the best player in the team.

A superlative adjective should be preceded by the definite article the.

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.

She looks just like her mother.
He fought like a lion.
He fought as a lion does.
The papers were late and the post was too.

Structures such as so do I and neither do I can also be used.

She doesn’t like meat, and neither do I.
She likes music, and so do I.

To say that people or things are identical in a way, we can use the same as.

Her eyes are just the same color as mine.

To talk about differences we use the negative forms of these structures.

She doesn’t look like her mother.

Her eyes are not the same color as yours.

Equality

To say that people or things are equal in a way, we use the structure as…as or as much/many…as.

She earns as much money as he does.

In negative comparisons we can use not as…as or not so…as.

She doesn’t earn so much money as he does.

To say that people or things are unequal in a way we use comparative adjectives and adverbs with than.

She is taller than you.
She is more intelligent than her husband.

We can also use less than or least to talk about inequality.

She earns less than I do. OR I earn more than she does.
She is less ugly than you. OR You are uglier than her.

Her boyfriend is much / far older than her. (NOT Her boyfriend is very older than her.)
Chinese is much more difficult than Hindi. (NOT Chinese is very more difficult than Hindi.)

Is she any better?
She doesn’t look any older than her daughter.

Notes

We do not normally use quiet with comparatives except in the expression ‘quiet better’.

Superlatives can be modified by much and by far. Other adverbs of degree such as almost, easily, practically and nearly can also be used with superlatives.

She is by far the oldest person in the office.
She is much the most creative among them.
That is easily the best movie I have seen this year.

Much more and many more

Much more is used before uncountable nouns. Many more is used before plural nouns.

Much more money
Many more opportunities

The words far, a lot etc., can be used before both uncountable and countable nouns.

Far more money / a lot more money
Far more opportunities / a lot more opportunities

Very with superlative adjectives

Very can be used with superlative adjectives. Very is also used before first, last and next.

This is your very last chance.
You are the very first person I have spoken to today.

]]> http://www.englishpractice.com/improve/degree-modifiers-comparatives-superlatives/feed/ 0 http://www.englishpractice.com/improve/formation-comparative-superlative-adjectives-advanced-points/ http://www.englishpractice.com/improve/formation-comparative-superlative-adjectives-advanced-points/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:19:36 +0000 tutor http://www.englishpractice.com/?p=1342 Most one syllable adjectives have their comparative and superlative forms ending in -er and -est. Some two syllable adjectives also have comparative and superlative forms ending in -er and -est.

A few one syllable adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms.

Good (positive) / better (comparative0 / best (superlative)
Bad / worse / worst
Ill / worse / worst
Far / farther / farthest
Far / further / furthest
Far / farther / farthest
Old / older / oldest; old / elder / eldest

The determiners little and much/many have irregular comparatives and superlatives.

Little / less / least
Much / more / most
Many / more / most

Few has two possible comparatives and superlatives: fewer/less and fewest/least

Two-syllable adjectives

Adjectives ending in -y have comparative and superlative forms ending in -ier and -iest.

Happy / happier / happiest
Easy / easier / easiest

Some other two syllable adjectives ending in an unstressed vowel also have comparative and superlative forms ending in -er and -est.

Narrow / narrower / narrowest
Simple / simpler / simplest
Clever / cleverer / cleverest
Quiet / quieter / quietest

With adjectives ending in -ing, -ed, -ful and -less, only more/ most is possible.

Beautiful / more beautiful / most beautiful
Careless / more careless / most careless

With many two-syllable adjectives, both -er/-est and more/most are possible.

Longer adjectives

Adjectives of three or more syllables have comparative and superlative forms ending in more and most.

Intelligent / more intelligent / most intelligent
Practical / more practical / most practical

Words like unhappy, untidy etc., are exceptions to this rule.

Unhappy / unhappier / unhappiest
Untidy / untidier / untidiest

Compound adjectives like well-known and good-looking have two possible comparative and superlative forms.

Good looking / more good-looking (or better-looking) / most good-looking (or best-looking)

To say that people or things are similar, we can use as or like, so/neither do I and similar structures.

You look just like your sister.
He fought like a tiger.
He fought as a tiger does.
She likes traveling. So do I.
She didn’t come. Neither did he.

To say that people or things are identical we use the same as.

Your eyes are the same color as mine.

To say that people or things are not similar, we can use the negative forms of the structures used for talking about similarity.

She doesn’t look like her sister.
He didn’t fight like a tiger.
She doesn’t like traveling. Neither do I.
She came. So did he.
Your eyes are not the same color as mine.

Note that we use neither do I after a negative statement. We use so do I after an affirmative statement.

To say that people or things are equal in a particular way, we use a structure like as…as.

She earns as much money as he does.
You are as tall as he is.
She is as beautiful as her sister (is).

In negative comparisons we can use not as…as or not so…as.

She does not earn as much as he does.
You are not so tall as he is.
She is not as beautiful as her sister (is).

Comparison using comparative adjectives and adverbs

To say that people or things are unequal in a particular way, we can use comparative adjectives or adverbs.

She is much taller than her husband.
She is more beautiful than her sister.

We can also talk about inequality by using less or least.

She is less beautiful than her sister.

When the positive adjective ends in a consonant + y, the y is changed into i before adding –er and –est.

Happy (positive), happier (comparative), happiest (superlative)
Easy, easier, easiest
Heavy, heavier, heaviest

When the positive adjective is of one syllable and ends in a short vowel + single consonant, this consonant is doubled before adding –er and –est.

Red (positive), redder (comparative), reddest (superlative)
Big, bigger, biggest
Hot, hotter, hottest
Fat, fatter, fattest

Adjectives of more than two syllables form the comparative and superlative by putting more and most before the positive.

Examples are:

Careful (positive), more careful (comparative), most careful (superlative)
Difficult, more difficult, most difficult
Beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful

Two syllable adjectives ending in –ful, -less, -ing and –ed take more and most before the positive.

Hopeless, more hopeless, most hopeless
Boring, more boring, most boring
Surprised, more surprised, most surprised
Useful, more useful, most useful

Notes

The comparative in –er is not used to compare two qualities of the same person.

John is more smart than prudent. (NOT John is smarter than prudent.)
Here we are comparing two qualities – smartness and prudence – of the same person.

Peter is more brave than intelligent. (= The bravery of Peter is greater than that of his intelligence.)
But the comparative in –er is used to compare the same quality present in two people or things.

John is smarter than Peter. (Here we are comparing the smartness of John with that of Peter.)
Alice is older than Mary. (Here we are comparing Alice’s age with Mary’s age.)

1.    Prevention is ——————- than cure.

a)    Good
b)    Better
c)    Best

2.    Who is the ——————— cricketer in the world?

a)    Good
b)    Best
c)    Better

3.    The pen is ——————– than the sword.

a)    Mighty
b)    Mightier
c)    Mightiest

4.    The Pacific is ——————- than any other ocean.

a)    Large
b)    Larger
c)    Largest

5.    Which of the two girls is the ——————?

a)    Pretty
b)    Prettier
c)    Prettiest

6.    Honor is ——————– to him than life.

a)    Dear
b)    Dearer
c)    Dearest

7.    Who is the ——————– boy in the class?

a)    Tall
b)    Taller
c)    Tallest

8.    The Eifel Tower is —————— than the Taj Mahal.

a)    Tall
b)    Taller
c)    Tallest

9.    Wordsworth is a —————— poet than Cowper.

a)    Great
b)    Greater
c)    Greatest

10.    The piano was sold to the ——————— bidder.

a)    High
b)    Highest
c)    Higher

11.    Mount Everest is the ————— peak of the Himalayas.

a)    Tall
b)    Tallest
c)    taller

12.    She writes the ——————– hand in the class.

a)    Good
b)    Best
c)    Better

13.    He is one of the —————— eminent speakers of our times.

a)    Most
b)    More
c)    Much

14.    Shakespeare is ——————— than any other poet.

a)    Great
b)    Greater
c)    Greatest

15.    Clouds float in the sky because they are ——————- than the air.

a)    Light
b)    Lighter
c)    Lightest

Answers

1.    Better
2.    Best
3.    Mightier
4.    Larger
5.    Prettiest
6.    Dearer
7.    Tallest
8.    Taller
9.    Greater
10.    Highest
11.    Tallest
12.    Best
13.    Most
14.    Greater
15.    Lighter

1.    Malacca is the oldest town in Malaysia.
2.    Peter is cleverer than any other boy in the class.
3.    Jupiter is the biggest of all planets.
4.    Very few boys are as industrious as John.
5.    India is the largest democracy in the world.
6.    Shakespeare was greater than any other playwright.
7.    Asoka was one of the greatest Indian kings.
8.    Greenland is the largest island in the world.
9.    Lead is heavier than any other metal.
10.    Very few animals are as useful as the cow.

Answers

1.    No other town in Malaysia is as old as Malacca. (Positive)
Malacca is older than any other town in Malaysia. (Comparative)

2.    No other boy in the class is as clever as Peter. (Positive)
Peter is the cleverest boy in the class. (Superlative)

3.    Jupiter is bigger than any other planet. (Comparative)
No other planet is as big as Jupiter. (Positive)

4.    John is more industrious than most other boys. (Comparative)
John is one of the most industrious boys. (Superlative)

5.    India is larger than any other democracy in the world. (Comparative)
No other democracy in the world is as large as India. (Positive)

6.    No other playwright is as great as Shakespeare. (Positive)
Shakespeare is the greatest of all playwrights. (Superlative)

7.    Very few Indian kings were as great as Asoka. (Positive)
Asoka was greater than most other Indian kings. (Comparative)

8.    No other island in the world is as large as Greenland. (Positive)
Greenland is larger than any other island in the world. (Comparative)

9.    No other metal is as heavy as lead. (Positive)
Lead is the heaviest of all metals. (Superlative)

10.    The cow is more useful than most other animals. (Comparative)
The cow is one of the most useful animals. (Superlative)