Page 101 - New Grammar with a Smile 5

Adjectives can be used to compare people and things. Adjectives are of three degrees—
positive, comparative and superlative.

Ø Positive: An adjective is said to be in the positive degree when there is either no
comparison or a comparison is made using so...as/as...as. For example,

y It is cold today.

y Latha is a tall girl.

y He is as intelligent as his father.
y I am not so old as you are.

Ø Comparative: An adjective is said to be in the comparative degree when two people
or things having the same quality are compared using than. For example,

y Yesterday was colder than today.

y Priya is taller than Latha.
Ø Superlative: An adjective is said to be in the superlative degree when three or more

people or things having the same quality are compared. For example,
y Sunday was the coldest day of the week.

y Maya is the tallest girl in the class.

1. For most adjectives, the comparative and superlative degrees are formed by adding
er and est, respectively, to the positive degree. For example,

Positive Comparative Superlative

small smaller smallest

long longer longest

tall taller tallest

2. For adjectives ending in e, the comparative and superlative degrees are formed by
adding r and st to the positive degrees, respectively.

Positive Comparative Superlative

pure purer purest

pale paler palest

wise wiser wisest

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