Comparison of Adjectives

Adjectives are used to compare persons, animals and things.

Here, the ant, the sparrow and the cat are comparing their sizes :

• I am a big ant.
• I am bigger than you.
• But I am the biggest.

The ant, the sparrow and the cat use the adjective big to compare each other.

Adjectives have three degrees of camparison.

• The adjective big is in the positive degree. We use it when no comparison is made.
  For example :
  
  • I am a big ant.
  • Jaya is a tall girl.
• The adjective bigger is in the comparative degree. We use it when two persons, animals or things are compared. We use than with this degree.
  For example :
  
  • I am bigger than you.
  • Sarah is taller than Jaya.
• The adjective biggest is the superlative degree. We use it when more than two persons, animals or things are compared. We use the with the adjective.
  For example :
  
  • But I am the biggest.
  • Aria is the tallest in the class.

Here are some degrees of comparison of adjectives :

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
tall	taller	tallest
poor	poorer	poorest
high	higher	highest
sweet	sweeter	sweetest
quiet	quieter	quietest
neat	neater	neatest
fast	faster	fastest

Some adjectives use more to form the comparative degree and most to form the superlative degree.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent
beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
terrible	more terrible	most terrible
enjoyable	more enjoyable	most enjoyable