When and how to use Comparative Degree?

An adjective, which helps to qualify a Noun or a Pronoun can exist in three forms:

i. Base / Positive

ii.  Comparative

iii. Superlative

· The positive form is the base word of adjective.

· Comparative form expresses a higher degree of some quality

· Superlative form expresses the highest degree.

So, the Comparative degree is the form of an Adjective or Adverb involving a comparison of more or less, greater or lesser.

The Comparative form is used for comparing two actions or States.

Examples:

1.  Can’t we drive faster?

2. The company performed better this year.

3. Apple is sweeter than pear..

4. I made my fever look worse than it was.

5. The building is taller than any other building.

6. A pint is less than a quart.

7. It is farther from Delhi to Chennai than it is from Delhi to Kolkata.

I.   The comparative degree is usually followed by the preposition ‘than’

For e.g. – He is taller than me.

The puzzle is easier than expected.

The book was more interesting than the movie.

II.      The comparative degree is used to compare two persons or things having same quality.

It denotes the existence of a higher degree of quality than the Positive form

For e.g. - Cancer is more dreadful than cholera.

Apple is sweeter than pear.

·   They usually follow the pattern:

Noun (Subject) +Verb+ Comparative adjective + than +Noun (object).

Example :

e.g.: My house is larger than hers.

The rock flew higher than the roof.

III.  Some adjectives change their spellings in their Comparative Form.

Model 1. By adding ‘er’

Model 2. By adding ‘’’r’ if the last syllable is ‘e’

Model 3. By deleting ‘y’ and adding ‘ier’

Model 4. By doubling the final consonant.

Model 5. By using the word ‘more / less’.

Model 6. Irregular comparison where the Comparative degree is reflected using a different word,altogether.

· Examples of Irregular Comparative forms in sentence:

e.g.: Today is the worst day I’ve experienced in a long time.

I ran farther than I did yesterday.

The sweater is much less expensive than I thought.

You are much better at cracking codes than I expected.

Some more example from literature:

1. The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.

Curious oddballs like ‘Handsome’

· The rules of English Grammar suggest the use of ‘handsomer’ but modern usage hardly practices that. Instead, we opt for the more in vogue ‘more handsome’ to denote the comparative degree.

e.g.: He is more handsome than I imagined.

English Grammar and Composition

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