Comparison of Adjectives
Comparison of Adjectives :
Compare (Verb) : to examine or judge (one thing) in relation to another thing in order to show the points of similarity or difference
I compared the copy with the original and I found there was no difference.
(i) Mumbai is large compared to Chennai.
(ii) Mumbai is large compared with Chennai.
Comparative : (also) Comparative Degree
The form of an adjective or adverb that shows some increase in quality, quantity or degree.
BIGGER is the comparative of BIG.
MORE COMFORTABLE is the comparative of COMFORTABLE.
WORSE is the comparative of BAD and also of BADLY.
There are many important grammatical constructions used for comparing.
(i) When we want to say, that men, matter & actions are similar, we can use as or like.
(i) Your brother looks just like you.
(ii) It is best cooked in coconut oil, as the Malayalees do.
When things, actions are similar to each other, we use as or like.
(ii) When we want to say that things are equal in some way, we often use the structure as as…… (with adjectives and adverbs) as much/many as……(with nouns and verbs).
(i) He looked as nervous as a timid lamb.
(ii) Drive as fast as you can.
(iii) We gave as many packets as we had.
(iv) Give me as much as you can.
(v) It is as cold as ice.
(vi) He is as bad-tempered as his wife.
(vii) She is as beautiful as her sister.
(viii) She is not so beautiful as her sister.
When we talk about the differences between things, We use more (...than) or less (...than) with adjectives, adverbs, verbs or nouns.
More : (Adverb) : (Used for forming the comparative of most adjectives and adverbs, with more than two syllables and of many that have only two).
The first question is more different than the second.
More - (opposite word) – less
There are more cars on the roads in summer than in winter.
'More' is the opposite of both 'less' (for amount) and fewer (for numbers).
'More' - opposite - "fewer'
Less : (adverb) than (used with adjectives and adverbs)
Less : (adverb) than - not so - to a smaller degree than
Less : (adverb) than - not as - to a smaller degree than
(i) I hope the next train will be less crowded than this one.
(ii) The baby can't even walk, much less run.
Less : (determiner - pronoun) (of than) (Comparative of little) (Used with uncountable nouns and singular countable nouns)
Less - a small amount
Less - not so much
(i) 10 is less than 20.
(ii) Increased taxes mean that people have less to spend on luxuries.
Study the following sentences.
(i) This mango is sweet.
(ii) That mango is sweeter.
(iii) The garden mango is the sweetest of all.
(iv) Hari is a strong boy in the class.
(v) Abdul is stronger than Hari (is strong).
(vi) Silverman is the strongest in the class.
(vii) Silverman is stronger than any other in the class.
(viii) Hari is not so strong as Abdul.
(ix) Hari is less strong than Abdul.
(Superlative) longest < > Short (positive)
(Comparative) longer < » Shorter (Comparative)
(Positive) long < > Shortest (Superlative)
Large …. Larger …. largest
Smallest ….. smaller ….. small
(i) His new picture is more beautiful than his last (picture).
(ii) The lorry is running less smoothly than it used to (run).
(iii) Dear girl, I love you more and more every day.
(iv) Every master wants his servant to do more work for less money.
(v) You are the most worrying woman I have ever met.
(vi) My aim is to spend the least possible time working.
Least : (adverb) (superlative of 'little') - Less than anything else or than any others
(i) It happened just when we least expected it.
(ii) He is one of the least known of the Hindi poets.
Least : (Determiner - Pronoun - Superlative of little) - The smallest number, amount, etc.
(i) Buy the one that costs (the) least.
(ii) It is the least that I could do.
Positive (adjective) having no doubt, sure
Positive (Noun) (in grammar)
The positive form of an adjective or adverb
The positive of 'prettiest' is ’pretty'.
Superlative (adjective) (no comparative) (in grammar)
Superlative - of the form of an adjective or adverb expressing highest degree of comparison
Superlative - best – highest quality
'Biggest' is the superlative of 'big'.
'Worst' is the superlative of 'bad'.
Superlative (N) - superlative form of an adjective or adverb
(i) She described the event and the performance with many superlatives. (Superlative adjectives)
Comparison of Adjectives
The Grammar Index
