Uses of Positive Degree of Comparison of Adjectives

Uses of Positive Degree of Comparison of Adjectives :



Positive Degree

When two persons or things are said to be equal in respect of some quality, we use the Positive Degree with AS...AS or we can use the Comparative Degree with NOT.

1. This boy is as clever as that.
2. This boy is no less clever than that.
3. That boy is not more clever than this.

Comparative Degree

When two persons or things are said to be unequal in respect of some quality, we use the Comparative Degree.

(a) This boy is more clever (or cleverer) than that.
(b) This boy is the cleverer of the two.

Forms (a) and (b) do not mean entirely the same thing. Form (a) merely denotes superiority. Form (b) denotes the selection of the one in preference to the other.

In (a) CLEVERER is used predicatively.
In (b) CLEVERER is used attributively or as an epithet - a noun being understood after and it is really to this noun that THE belongs.

This boy is the cleverer (boy) of the two.

Superlative Degree

When one person or thing is said to surpass all other persons or things of the same kind, we use the Superlative Degree with THE / OF.

1. This boy is the cleverest of all.

Observe that the Superlative Degree must always (except in the instances mentioned below) be preceded by the Definite Article.

When the Superlative is (a) preceded by a Possessive adjective or (b) is used to qualify some Noun in the Vocative Case, it is not preceded by the Definite Article.

2. He is my greatest friend or at least one of my greatest friends.
3. O dearest one, when shall we see you again?
4. Your loveliest girl friend was here to meet you.

The Superlative Degree must not be used as if it were equivalent to the Positive Degree preceded by VERY.

1. He wrote a best book. (Incorrect)
2. He wrote a very good book. (Correct)
3. He is a worst scholar. (Incorrect)
4. He is a very bad scholar. (Correct)

The only kind of exception to this rule is that given above. Here O DEAREST ONE is equivalent to O VERY DEAR ONE.

But the Superlative Degree may itself be preceded by VERY where VERY is not an Adverb, but an Adjective signifying real or actual.

1. He is the very best (=the actual best) student in this class.

In such a sentence as….This is a most interesting book…there is no violation of the rule, since MOST INTERESTING is not the Superlative Degree in this sense. What we have is the Positive Degree (interesting) modified by an Adverb of degree. Most = Very)

The words superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior and posterior are followed by TO instead of THAN.

1. This silk is superior to that.
2. Kamala is inferior to Sita in intelligence.
3. I am senior to him, but junior to you.

RELATED PAGES :

1. The Adjective
   
2. An Adjective
   
3. Attribute Position of Adjective
   
4. Predicative Position of Adjective
   
5. Kinds of Adjectives
   
6. Proper Adjectives
   
7. Descriptive Adjectives
   
8. Quantitative Adjectives ( Adjectives of Quantity )
   
9. Qualitative Adjectives ( Adjectives of Quality )
   
10. Numeral Adjectives ( Adjectives of Number )
    
11. Definite Numeral Adjectives
    
12. Indefinite Numeral Adjectives
    
13. Demonstrative Adjectives ( Demonstrative Adjective )
    
14. Definite Demonstrative Adjectives
    
15. Definite Demonstratives
    
16. Indefinite Demonstrative Adjectives
    
17. Indefinite Demonstratives
    
18. Distributive Adjectives
    
19. Interrogative Adjectives
    
20. Exclamatory Adjectives
    
21. Possessive Adjectives
    
22. Possessive Determiners
    
23. First Person Possessive Adjectives
    
24. Second Person Possessive Adjectives
    
25. Third Person Possessive Adjectives
    
26. Emphasizing Adjectives
    
27. Coordinate Adjectives
    
28. Paired Adjectives
    
29. Cumulative Adjectives
    
30. Non-Coordinate Adjectives
    
31. Two Uses of Adjectives
    
32. Attributive Use of Adjectives
    
33. Predicative Use of Adjectives
    
34. The Degrees of Comparison
    
35. Comparison of Adjectives
    
36. Latin Comparatives of Adjectives
    
37. Irregular Comparisons of Adjectives
    
38. Formation of Comparatives and Superlatives
    
39. Formation of Comparative and Superlative
    
40. Uses of Quantitative Adjectives
    
41. Uses of Numeral Adjectives
    
42. Definite Numeral Quantities
    
43. Uses of Demonstrative Adjectives
    
44. Uses of Distributive Phrases
    
45. Uses of Distributive Adjectives
    
46. Example Sentences with suitable Adjectives
    
47. Uses of Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives
    
48. Uses of Comparative Degree of Comparison of Adjectives
    
49. Uses of Superlative Degree of Comparison of Adjectives
    
50. Use of The Comparative Degree
    
51. OTHER after Positives and Comparatives
    
52. Preferables in English Grammar
    
53. Double Comparatives
    
54. Double Superlatives
    
55. Comparatives which have lost their force
    
56. Latin Comparatives
    
57. English Comparatives
    
58. Adjectives used as Nouns
    
59. Adjectives in Pairs
    
60. Adjectives preceded by THE
    
61. Position of Adjectives
    
62. Adjectives Used Attributively
    
63. Adjectives Used Predicatively
    
64. The Adjective Clause
    

Uses of Positive Degree of Comparison of Adjectives :

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