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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 .