In this lesson on "Change of Degree," we explore the different forms of adjectives and adverbs—positive, comparative, and superlative degrees. We learn how to transform one degree into another, such as changing a positive degree to a comparative or superlative degree, and vice versa. Additionally, the lesson covers the rules and guidelines for these transformations, ensuring that we understand when and how to modify the structure of the degree in sentences. By the end, we'll be able to confidently shift between different degrees of comparison while maintaining grammatical accuracy.
The **positive degree** is the basic form of an adjective or adverb. It is used to describe a quality without making any comparison. For example:
- **Adjectives**:
- **Adverbs**:
The **comparative degree** is used to compare two things or actions. It shows a higher or lower degree of a quality or characteristic than the positive degree (the basic form of an adjective or adverb).
1. **For one-syllable adjectives and adverbs**: Add **-er** to the adjective or adverb.
Example:
2. **For adjectives or adverbs ending in -e**: Simply add **-r**.
Example:
3. **For adjectives or adverbs with two syllables ending in -y**: Change the **-y** to **-ier**.
Example:
4. **For adjectives or adverbs with two or more syllables (not ending in -y)**: Use **more** before the adjective or adverb.
Example:
Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular forms in the comparative degree:
Change of Degree refers to modifying the intensity or degree of an adjective or adverb. It is done using three forms: Positive Degree, Comparative Degree, and Superlative Degree. Here’s an explanation of each:
The positive degree is used to describe a quality without making any comparison. It simply states a fact about the subject.
Example:
The comparative degree is used to compare two things or persons. It shows the difference between them. It often ends in -er (for short adjectives) or uses more or less (for longer adjectives).
Example:
The superlative degree is used to compare more than two things or persons, indicating the highest or lowest degree of quality. It often ends in **-est** (for short adjectives) or uses **most** or **least** (for longer adjectives).
Example:
Converting an adjective or adverb from the positive degree to the comparative degree involves altering the word to express a comparison between two things. Here are the basic rules for conversion:
1. **For one-syllable adjectives/adverbs, generally, add **"-er"** at the end:
2. **For adjectives/adverbs with two syllables, ending in **"y"**, replace the "y" with **"-ier"**:
3. **For adjectives/adverbs with two syllables (not ending in "y") and three or more syllables, use **"more"** before the adjective/adverb:
There are also some irregular adjectives/adverbs that don't follow these rules:
The Positive, Comparative, and Superlative degrees are used to describe the quality of something in different ways:
1. Positive Degree: Describes a quality without making any comparison.
Example:
2. Comparative Degree: Compares two things or people.
Example:
3. Superlative Degree: Describes the highest or lowest degree of a quality, usually comparing three or more things or people.
Example:
For adjectives with one syllable: Add -est.
Example:
For adjectives with two syllables ending in -y: Change -y to -iest.
Example:
For adjectives with two or more syllables: Use most or least before the adjective.
- Example:**Comparative** and **Positive degree** are two different forms of adjectives (or adverbs) that show different levels of comparison.
This is the base form of the adjective or adverb, used when describing a quality without making any comparison.
Example:
This form is used to compare two things or people, indicating that one has more or less of a certain quality than the other.
Example:
The **comparative degree** and **superlative degree** are used to compare two or more things in terms of a quality.
1. Comparative Degree: It is used when comparing two things or people. The adjective or adverb is modified, usually by adding **-er** or **more** (for longer adjectives or adverbs).
For example:
Rules:
2. Superlative Degree: It is used when comparing more than two things or people, indicating that one person or thing has the highest degree of the quality. The adjective or adverb is modified, usually by adding **-est** or **most**.
For example:
Rules:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| tall | taller | tallest |
| fast | faster | fastest |
| beautiful | more beautiful | most beautiful |
| expensive | more expensive | most expensive |
The **positive degree**, **comparative degree**, and **superlative degree** are used to show the level or intensity of an adjective or adverb.
Here's how they work:1. Positive Degree: This is the basic form of an adjective or adverb, used to describe something without comparing it to anything else.
Example:
2. Comparative Degree: This is used to compare two things or people, typically formed by adding "-er" to the adjective or using "more" for longer adjectives.
Example:
3. Superlative Degree: This is used to compare more than two things or people, typically formed by adding "-est" to the adjective or using "most" for longer adjectives.
Example:
Changing from Superlative to Positive Degree:
To convert a superlative degree into the positive degree, you simply use the base form of the adjective without any comparison.
For example:
The **superlative degree** and the **comparative degree** are used to compare nouns, but they differ in the context of the comparison.
1. Comparative Degree: This is used to compare two things or people. It often ends in **-er** (for shorter adjectives) or uses **more** or **less** (for longer adjectives).
- Example (with shorter adjective): *He is taller than his brother.* - Example (with longer adjective): *She is more intelligent than her friend.*2. Superlative Degree: This is used to compare three or more things or people, indicating the highest or lowest degree of a quality. It typically ends in **-est** (for shorter adjectives) or uses **most** or **least** (for longer adjectives).
- Example (with shorter adjective): *He is the tallest in his class.* - Example (with longer adjective): *She is the most intelligent in the group.*To change a superlative degree sentence to a comparative degree sentence, you need to focus on comparing two things instead of the highest or lowest point in a group. Here's how to adjust them:
**Superlative to Comparative**:
When we talk about changing degrees, we're usually referring to adjectives and adverbs, and their comparative and superlative forms. Here's a breakdown of the rules for changing degrees:
The positive degree is the base form of an adjective or adverb. It simply describes a quality or state.
Example:
The comparative degree is used to compare two things or actions.
Regular formation: For most adjectives and adverbs, we add -er for one-syllable words or more for multi-syllable words.
- Example (adjective):
- Example (adverb):
- **Irregular comparative forms**: Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms.
- **Note on spelling**: If the adjective ends in **-e**, simply add **-r**.
- If the adjective ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant before adding **-er**.
- The **superlative degree** is used to describe the highest degree of a quality, comparing three or more things or actions.
- **Regular formation**: For one-syllable adjectives and adverbs, add **-est**. For multi-syllable adjectives and adverbs, use **most**.
- Example (adjective):
- Example (adverb):
- **Irregular superlative forms**: Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular superlative forms.
- **Note on spelling**: Similar to comparatives, if the adjective ends in **-e**, simply add **-st**.
- If the adjective ends in a consonant + vowel + consonant, double the last consonant before adding **-est**.
Some adjectives and adverbs don't follow the standard rules for comparative and superlative forms and have completely irregular forms.