Degree in English Grammar –
In English Grammar degree refers to the intensity or quality level of an adjective or an adverb.
There are three types of degree –
Positive degree
Comparative degree
Superlative degree
1 . Positive degree – This is used to indicate the existence of a quality but don’t use to indicate any comparison.
Example – He is tall.
2. Comparative degree – This is used to compare between two things or person or places or events , etc and to show which one has lesser or greater degree of the quality.
Example – He is taller than his brother.
3. Superlative degree – This is used to indicate which is best or which has the greatest level of quality.
Example – He is the tallest student in his class.
Rules of making degree of adjectives –
1 . One syllable adjective – positive degree – tall
comparative degree – taller ( by adding ‘ er ‘ )
superlative degree – tallest ( by adding ‘ est ‘ )
Other Examples –
Able – abler – ablest
Brave – braver – bravest
Bold – bolder – boldest
Bright – brighter – brightest
Black – blacker – blackest
Calm – calmer – calmest
Clean – cleaner – cleanest
Close – closer – closest
Cool – cooler – coolest
Cold – colder – coldest
Cheap – cheaper – cheapest
Fast – faster – fastest
Faint – fainter – faintest
Fierce – fiercer – fiercest
Fine – finer – finest
Fool – fooler – foolest
Great – greater – greatest
Large – larger – largest
Late – later – latest
Light – lighter – lightest
New – newer – newest
Narrow – narrower – narrowest
Old – older – oldest
Poor – poorer – poorest
Proud – prouder – proudest
Quick – quicker – quickest
Quiet – quieter – quietest
Rich – richer – richest
Slow – slower – slowest
Strange – stranger – strangest
Small – smaller – smallest
Smart – smartest – smartest
Sharp – sharper – sharpest
Short – shorter – shortest
Strong – stronger – strongest
Sweet – sweeter – sweetest
True – truer – truest
Tall – taller – tallest
Thick – thicker – thickest
Tough – tougher – toughest
Weak – weaker – weakest
Wise – wiser – wisest
Wide – wider – widest
White – whiter – whitest
Young – younger – youngest
2. One syllable adjective ending with consonant and having vowel just before that consonant –
Positive degree – thin
Comparative degree – thinner ( double the consonant and add ‘ er ‘ )
Superlative degree – thinnest ( double the consonant and add ‘ est ‘ )
More Examples –
Big – bigger – biggest
Fat – fatter – fattest
Thin – thinner – thinnest
Sad – sadder – saddest
3. More than one syllable and end with ‘ y ‘ –
Positive degree – busy
Comparative degree – busier ( add ‘ ier ‘ in the place of ‘ y ‘ )
Superlative degree – busiest ( add ‘ iest ‘ in the place of ‘ y ‘ )
More Examples –
Angry – angrier – angriest
Crazy – crazier – craziest
Cosy – cosier – cosiest
Curly – curlier – curliest
Dirty – dirtier – dirtiest
Dry – drier – driest
Easy – easier – easiest
Funny – funnier – funniest
Glossy – glossier – glossiest
Happy – happier – happiest
Healthy – healthier – healthiest
Holy – holier – holiest
Jolly – jollier – jolliest
Juicy – juicier – juiciest
Lazy – lazier – laziest
Risky – riskier – riskiest
Sweaty – sweater – sweatiest
Silly – sillier – silliest
Ugly – uglier – ugliest
4 . More than one syllable –
Positive degree – studious
Comparative degree – more studious / less studious
Superlative degree – most studious / least studious
More Examples –
Active – more active – most active
less active – least active
Beautiful – more beautiful – most beautiful
less beautiful – least beautiful
Casual – more casual – most casual
less casual – least casual
Developed – more developed – most developed
less developed – least developed
Effective – more effective – most effective
less effective – least effective
Famous – more famous – most famous
less famous – least famous
Gracious – more gracious – most gracious
less gracious – least gracious
Honest – more honest – most honest
less honest – least honest
Important – more important – most important
less important – least important
Justified – more justified – most justified
less justified – least justified
Knowledgeable – more knowledgeable – most knowledgeable
less knowledgeable – least knowledgeable
Memorable – more memorable – most memorable
less memorable – least memorable
Necessary – more necessary – most necessary
less necessary – least necessary
Organised – more organised – most organised
less organised – least organised
Popular – more popular – most popular
less popular – least popular
Relevant – more relevant – most relevant
less relevant – least relevant
Supportive – more supportive – most supportive
less supportive – least supportive
Tolerable – more tolerable – most tolerable
less tolerable – least tolerable
Urgent – more urgent – most urgent
less urgent – least urgent
Valuable – more valuable – most valuable
less valuable – least valuable
Wept – more wept – most wept
less wept – least wept
Youthful – more youthful – most youthful
less youthful – least youthful
5. Irregular –
Positive degree – good
Comperative degree – better
Superlative degree – best
Other Examples –
Bad – worse – worst
Far – Farther / further – farthest / furthest
Good – better – best
Old – elder – eldest
Late – later – last
Well – better – best
Many – more – most
Much – more – most
Little – less – least
ill – worse – worst
6. Some words whose degree can be changed by two methods –
Examples – clever – cleverer – cleverest
Clever – more clever – most clever
Rules of making degree of adverbs –
1 . One syllable adverb –
Positive degree – slow
Comparative degree – slower ( add ‘ er ‘ in the end )
Superlative degree – slowest ( add ‘ est ‘ )
2. More than one syllable –
Positive degree – quickly
Comparative degree – more quickly / less quickly
Superlative degree – most quickly / least quickly
3. Irregular –
Positive degree – badly
Comparative degree – worse
Superlative degree – worst
Change of degree in sentences –
Positive degree –
Iron is as important as gold .
Change to Comparative degree –
Iron is not less important than gold.
Positive degree –
He is not as tall as you.
Change to Comparative degree –
You are taller than him .
Comparative degree –
He is busier than his brother.
Change to Positive degree –
His brother is not as busy as him .
Positive degree –
No other student is as tall as him in the class .
Change to Comparative degree-
He is taller than any other student in the class.
Change to Superlative degree –
He is the tallest student in the class.
Comparative degree–
Rimo is stronger than any other player in the team .
Change to Positive degree –
No other player is as strong as Rimo in the team .
Change to Superlative degree –
Rimo is the strongest player in the team .
Superlative degree –
Susan is the best singer in our locality .
Change to Comparative degree –
Susan is better than any other singer in our locality.
Change to Positive degree –
No other singer is as good as Susan in our locality.
Superlative degree –
This is the most promising player in the tournament.
Change to Comparative degree –
He is more promising than any other player in the tournament.
Change to Positive degree –
No other player is as promising as him in the tournament.
Superlative degree –
This technique is the least effective among all the techniques.
Change to Comparative degree –
Any other techniques is more effective than this technique.
Or
This technique is less effective than any other technique.
Change to Positive degree –
This technique is not as effective as any other technique .
