Rules For Degree Of Comparison With Examples

What is the Degree of Comparison?

To describe, quantify, modify or identify nouns/pronouns, adjectives are used re used. Adjectives have
their own degrees called degrees of adjectives or degrees of comparison that compare one
thing/person to another.
Adjectives have three degrees of comparison -
 Positive degree of adjectives,
 Comparative degree of adjectives
 Superlative degree of adjectives
Degrees of Comparison examples:
Positive degree - The cat runs fast.
Comparative degree - The cat runs faster than dogs
Superlative degree - The cat runs fastest of all animals.

Degree of Comparison Rules

Rule 1. When two items/person are compared, a comparative degree is used by putting ‘er’ to the
adjective word in association with word ‘than’ or in some cases ‘more’ is used.
Comparative degree example:
 She is smarter than her sister.
 She is more smart than her sister
Similarly, when more than two things/persons are compared, superlative degree is used by putting ‘est’
to the adjective word or in some cases ‘most’ is used.
Superlative degree example:
 He is the strongest wrestler.
 He is the most handsome actor
Rule 2. ‘More’ is used when you qualities of a single thing/person are compared. Even if the first
adjective is a single syllable word.
Degree of comparison example:
Incorrect - She is smarter than clever
Correct - She is more smart than clever
Rule 3. Do not use double comparative adjectives or superlative adjectives.
Example:
Incorrect - These mangoes are more delicious than those
Correct - These mangoes are delicious than those
Rule 4. Never use ‘more or most’ with adjectives that give absolute sense.
Degree of comparison example:
Incorrect - This track is more parallel to that one
Correct - This track is parallel and the other is not.
Rule 5. There are a few adjectives that are accompanied by ‘to’, like, senior, Junior, superior, inferior,
preferable, prefer, elder. Do not use ‘than’ with these adjectives.
Degree of adjectives example:
Incorrect: I am elder than her
Correct : I am elder to her
Incorrect - This car brand is superior than that.
Correct - This card brand is superior to that.
Rule 6. When comparing two things, similarity should be there i.e. similar things should be compared.
Example:
Incorrect - This wall colour is more beautiful than the old one. (wall colour is compared with the wall)
Correct - This wall colour is more beautiful than that of the old one. (compare wall colour with wall
colour)
Rule 7. When comparative degree is used in the superlative degree sense,
1. Use ‘any other’ when thing/person of the same group is compared.
Degree of comparison example:
Incorrect: Reena is smarter than any student of her class.
Correct: Reena is smarter than any other student of her class.
2. Use ‘any’ if comparison of things/person is outside the group.
Incorrect: Delhi is cleaner than any other city in Bangladesh.
Correct: Delhi is cleaner than any city in Bangladesh.
Rule 8. When in the same sentence two adjectives in different degrees of comparison are used, both
should be complete in itself.
Incorrect- She is as good if not worse than her sister
Correct - She is as good as if not worse than her sister
Rule 9. To show whether the difference between the compared thing/person is small or big, we use
quantifiers for comparative degree of adjective such as ( A bit, a little, a lot, far, much, a great deal,
significantly, etc).
Example:
 My hostel is only marginally bigger than yours
 She is a little more popular than her sister in their school
 Australia is slightly smaller than Africa.
We don't use quantifiers with superlative degrees of adjectives but there are certain phrases commonly
used with the superlative degrees of comparison.
Example:
 In metropolitan cities, metros are by far the cheapest mode of transportation.
 Sanskrit is one of the oldest languages in the world.
 Siddhivinayak is the second richest temple in India.
Rule. 10. While changing the degree of comparison for the irregular adjectives, the word completely
changes instead of adding ‘er’ or ‘est’.
Examples:
 She has little milk in the jar
 She has less milk than he has
 She has the least amount of milk

List Of Degree of Comparison

The degree of adjectives, positive, comparative and superlative degrees are given below in the list
format. Candidates can also download the rules of degree of comparison and list pdf given in the
article.

Degrees Of Comparison List

Positive Degree Comparative Degree Superlative Degree

angry angrier angriest

able abler ablest

bad worse worst

bitter bitterer bitterest

big bigger biggest

bland blander blandest

black blacker blackest

bloody bloodier bloodiest

bold bolder boldest

blue bluer bluest

bossy bossier bossiest

brief briefer briefest

brave braver bravest

bright brighter brightest

busy busier busiest

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

broad broader broadest

calm calmer calmest

chewy chewier chewiest

cheap cheaper cheapest

chubby chubbier chubbiest

clean cleaner cleanest

classy classier classiest

clear clear clearest

close closer closest

cloudy cloudier cloudiest

clever cleverer cleverest

clumsy clumsier clumsiest

cold colder coldest

coarse coarser coarsest

crazy crazier craziest

cool cooler coolest

creamy creamier creamiest

crispy crispier crispiest

creepy creepier creepiest

cruel crueller cruellest

curly curly curliest

crunchy crunchier crunchiest

cute cuter cutest

curvy curvier curviest

damp damper dampest

deadly deadlier deadliest

dark darker darkest

deep deeper deepest

dirty dirtier dirtiest

dry drier driest

dense denser densest

dull duller dullest

dusty dustier dustiest

dumb dumber dumbest

easy easier easiest

early earlier earliest

faint fainter faintest

fancy fancier fanciest

fair fairer fairest

far further/farther furthest/farthest

fat fatter fattest

fast faster fastest

few fewer fewest

filthy filthier filthiest

fine finer finest

fierce fiercer fiercest

flaky flakier flakiest

firm firmer firmest

fresh fresher freshest

flat flatter flattest

friendly friendlier friendliest

funny funnier funniest

fit fitter fittest

full fuller fullest

good better best

gentle gentler gentlest

grand grander grandest

gloomy gloomier gloomiest

greasy greasier greasiest

grave graver gravest

greedy greedier greediest

great greater greatest

guilty guilter guiltiest

gross grosser grossest

happy happier happiest

hairy hairier hairiest

hard harder hardest

handy handier handiest

healthy healthier healthiest

harsh harsher harshest

heavy heavier heaviest

hip hipper hippest

hungry hungrier hungriest

high higher highest

humble humbler humblest

hot hotter hottest

handsome more handsome most handsome

itchy itchier itchiest

icy icier iciest

juicy juicier juiciest

kind kinder kindest

lazy lazier laziest

large larger largest

likely likelier likeliest

late later latest

light lighter lightest

lively livelier liveliest

long longer longest

little (amount) less least

little (size) littler littlest

lovely lovelier loveliest

lonely lonlier loneliest

low lower lowest

loud louder loudest

many more most

mean meaner meanest

mad madder maddest

messy messier messiest

moist moister moistest

mild milder mildest

naughty naughtier naughtiest

narrow narrower narrowest

near nearer nearest

nasty nastier nastiest

new newer newest

neat neater neatest

nice nicer nicest

noisy noisier noisiest

needy needier neediest

oily oilier oiliest

odd odder oddest

old older/elder oldest/eldest

popular more popular most popular

polite politer politest

plain plainer plainest

poor poorer poorest

proud prouder proudest

pure purer purest

pretty prettier prettiest

quiet quieter quietest

quick quicker quickest

raw rawer rawest

rare rarer rarest

ripe riper ripest

rich richer richest

rough rougher roughest

roomy roomier roomiest

risky riskier riskiest

rusty rustier rustiest

rude ruder rudest

renowned more renowned most renowned

safe safer safest

sad sadder saddest

sane saner sanest

salty saltier saltiest

shallow shallower shallowest

scary scarier scariest

sharp sharper sharpest

short shorter shortest

shiny shinier shiniest

silly sillier silliest

shy shyer shyest

sincere sincerer sincerest

simple simpler simplest

sleepy sleepier sleepiest

skinny skinnier skinniest

slow slower slowest

slim slimmer slimmest

small smaller smallest

smart smarter smartest

smelly smellier smelliest

smooth smoother smoothest

smoky smokier smokiest

soon sooner soonest

soft softer softest

sorry sorrier sorriest

sore sorer sorest

sour sourer sourest

steep steeper steepest

spicy spicier spiciest

stingy stingier stingiest

strict stricter strictest

strange stranger strangest

sunny sunnier sunniest

strong stronger strongest

sweet sweeter sweetest

sweaty sweatier sweatiest

tall taller tallest

tasty tastier tastiest

thick thicker thickest

tan tanner tannest

thin thinner thinnest

tiny tinier tiniest

thirsty thirstier thirstiest

TRUE truer truest

tough tougher toughest

ugly uglier ugliest

wealthy wealthier wealthiest

warm warmer warmest

weird weirder weirdest

weak weaker weakest

wet wetter wettest

wild wilder wildest

wide wider widest

worldly worldlier worldliest

wise wiser wisest

worthy worthier worthiest

windy windier windiest

young younger youngest

Check other relevant english language topics given below-

Active & Passive Voice Direct & Indirect Speech Idioms & Letter Writing
Rules Rules Phrases Format

For more english language topics discussing concepts, rules, lists and uses of General English for
competitive exams, check the linked page.