4.
3 Comparison
1. Negative Degrees of Comparison
1. Abebe is wise.
2. Bekele is wiser than Abebe.
3. Hailu is the wisest of all.
The words wise, wiser, and wisest are all adjectives. The first sentence tells us that Abebe is
wise. However, it does not indicate the extent of his wisdom. When there is no comparison
involved, the adjective is said to be in the positive degree.
The word “wise” in the first sentence is in the positive degree. An adjective in its simple form is
in the positive degree.
Examples: strong, good, big, etc.
In the second sentence, Bekele is compared with Abebe, and it is stated that Bekele is wiser than
Abebe. Hence, the word “wiser” is said to be in the comparative degree.
The comparative degree represents a higher level of quality and is used when comparing two
people or things with each other.
In the third sentence, Hailu is compared with the other two boys—Abebe and Bekele—and we
are told that Hailu is the wisest of the three. When more than two persons or things are
compared, the adjective is said to be in the superlative degree.
The word “wisest” is in the superlative degree. It denotes the highest degree of quality.
Therefore, adjectives have three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and
superlative.
Note: Adjectives do not have number, gender, or person.
1. For comparative or superlative adjectives with one syllable, add -er or -est to the positive
form.
Examples:
o old → older → oldest
o bright → brighter → brightest
If the adjective ends in e, add -r or -st.
Examples:
obrave → braver → bravest
ofine → finer → finest
2. Two-syllable adjectives follow one of the above rules:
o Those ending in ful or re usually take more and most.
Examples:
doubtful → more doubtful → most doubtful
obscure → more obscure → most obscure
o Those ending in er, y, or a consonant + le usually add -er, -est or -r, -st.
Examples:
pretty → prettier → prettiest
gentle → gentler → gentlest
3. Adjectives with three or more syllables form their comparative or superlative by adding
more and most.
Examples:
o interested → more interested → most interested
o frightening → more frightening → most frightening
Incorrect Example: devere → deverer → deverest (Note: This does not follow the
standard pattern).
Irregular Comparisons
Examples:
bad → worse → worst
far → farther → farthest (of distance only)
little → less → least
2. Constructions with Comparisons
A) With the positive form of the adjective, we use “as... -as” in the affirmative and “not as/not
so... -as” in the negative.
Examples:
A girl of sixteen is often as tall as her mother.
Your coffee is not as/so good as the coffee mother makes.
B) With the comparative, we use than.
Examples:
The new tower blocks are much higher than the old buildings.
He is stronger than I expected.
C) Comparison of three or more people/things is expressed by the superlative with the or of.
Examples:
This is the oldest theory in London.
The youngest of the family was the most successful.
A relative clause is especially useful with a perfect tense.
Examples:
This is the best beer that I have drunk.
It was the most worrying day (that) he had ever spent.
Note: Ever is used here, not never.
Most + adjective (without the) means “very.”
Example:
You are most kind (means you are very kind).
Gradual increase or decrease is expressed by two comparatives joined by and.
Examples:
The weather is getting colder and colder.
He became less and less interested.
Comparison of actions with gerunds or infinitives.
Examples:
Riding a horse is not as easy as riding a motorcycle.
It is nicer/more fun to go with someone than to go alone.
Comparison with like (preposition) and alike
Example:
He keeps the central heating full on. It’s like living in the tropics.
Exercise Nine
I. Write the comparative degree of the given positive adjectives:
1. dark → darker
2. interested → more interested
3. pretty → prettier
4. old → older
5. bad → worse
6. thin → thinner
7. fat → fatter
II. Fill in the blanks with the comparative forms of the adjective shown in the brackets:
1. This building is bigger than the one next to it. (big)
2. He is weaker than you are. (weak)
3. The bag is heavier than the suitcase. (heavy)
4. The temperature is higher today than it was yesterday. (high)
5. It is sunnier on this side of the valley. (sunny)
6. The table is lower at this end. (low)
The comparative form followed by "than"
The comparative forms of adjectives are typically followed by the word than.
Examples:
Pawlos is wiser than Girma.
The house is taller than the tree.
Exercise Ten
I. The following table gives the ages and heights of five children.
Example:
Beti and Saron (age)
Beti is older than Saron.
**1. Elshaday and Mena (height)
Elshaday is taller than Mena.
**2. Saron and Kalkidan (age)
Saron is older than Kalkidan.
**3. Mena and Elshaday (height)
Elshaday is taller than Mena.
**4. Kalkidan and Saron (age)
Saron is older than Kalkidan.
**5. Beti and Saron (height)
Beti is taller than Saron.
The Comparative Form Followed by a Noun and Then by "Than"
The comparative forms of an adjective followed by than can also be combined with a noun.
Examples:
1. She is a better cook than her sister.
2. Tedi is a faster worker than I am.
II. Compare the following phrases with the comparative form:
1. She is a fine guitarist. (her cousin is)
o She is a finer guitarist than her cousin is.
2. The table has short legs. (that one does)
o The table has shorter legs than that one does.
3. We are having a hot summer. (you are)
o We are having a hotter summer than you are.
3. Superlative Forms of Adjectives
The superlative form of an adjective is used to describe something that possesses a characteristic
in the greatest degree.
Examples:
Amar is the youngest boy in our class.
She is the best actress I have seen.
Spelling Rules for Adjectives That Use Endings
Positive Comparative Superlative
Final Letter(s) of the Positive Form
Form Form Form
Two consonants (other than “y”) fast faster fastest
“Y” preceded by a consonant dry drier driest
Silent “e” brave braver bravest
One consonant preceded by two vowels loud louder loudest
w, x, and y preceded by a vowel new newer newest
One consonant (other than y, w, x) preceded by
a single stressed vowel
Exercise Eleven
I. Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the superlative forms of the
adjectives in the brackets:
Example:
She is the runner in the team. (fast)
She is the fastest runner in the team.
1. This is the cake I have ever eaten. (sweet)
o This is the sweetest cake I have ever eaten.
2. That is the highway in the country. (wide)
o That is the widest highway in the country.
3. That is probably the thing to do. (wise)
o That is probably the wisest thing to do.
4. He is the boy I know. (lucky)
o He is the luckiest boy I know.
5. The first act is the part of the play. (sad)
o The first act is the saddest part of the play.
6. Tomorrow will be the day of the week. (bad)
o Tomorrow will be the worst day of the week.
Note: Superlative adjectives are usually preceded by the word “the”.
Irregular Adjectives
The superlative forms of the English irregular adjectives are closely related to the comparative
forms of these adjectives.
Note: “Much” and “many” share the same superlative form: most.
Positive Form Comparative Form Superlative Form
good better best
many more most
little less least
far farther/further farthest/furthest
Exercise Twelve
I. Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the superlative forms of the
irregular adjectives shown in brackets.
Example:
Saron is the student in the class. (good)
Saron is the best student in the class.
1. They produced the least butter this year. (little)
2. That is the best suggestion we have heard yet. (good)
3. He ate the least jam. (little)
4. His farm has produced the most potatoes. (many)
5. That is the worst news I have ever heard. (bad)
6. This is the farthest journey we have ever travelled in one day. (far)
7. He has the most cheese. (much)
II. Turn each adjective in the brackets into a superlative adjective.
These are my three good neighbors: Robel, Amar, and Kerod. Robel is the clever one. My
English teacher thinks he is the brainiest student in the class and he is always winning prizes. He
usually asks the most intelligent questions. Amar is the dreamiest of my friends. He is often
thinking about other things and he writes the loveliest stories and poems. Kerod is the cheerful
in my group. He tells the funniest jokes and says the silliest things. He sends me the craziest
text messages.
