English Grammar Complete Guide - Degree

English Grammar Complete Guide – Degree

What is the Degree of Comparison?

To describe, quantify, modify or identify nouns/pronouns, adjectives are used. Adjectives have comparison their own degrees called degrees of adjectives or degrees of comparison that compare one thing/person to another.

[ দোষ-গুনের তারতম্য বোঝাতে আমরা দুই ব্যক্তি বা বস্তুর মধ্যে যে তুলনা করি তাকে Comparison of Adjective বলে ৷ আর এই তারতম্য বা বেশি বা কম বোঝানোকেই Degree of comparison বলে ৷ ]

Adjectives have three degrees of comparison

1. Positive degree of adjectives
2. Comparative degree of adjectives
3. Superlative degree of adjectives

Examples:

Positive degree – The cat runs fast.
Comparative degree – The cat runs faster than dogs.
Superlative degree – The cat runs fastest of all animals.

[*Formation of Degree is discussed in the Adjective section.]

 

Degree of Comparison

Instructions:

1. If a sentence in the positive degree has some negative sense, it will become affirmative in the sense when we change it into a sentence in the comparative degree. [ যদি positive degree তে কোন বাক্য নেতিবাচক অর্থে থাকে তাহলে  comparative degree তে বাক্যটি ইতিবাচক অর্থে পরিণত হবে ]

2. If a sentence in the positive degree has some affirmative sense, it will become negative in sense when we change it into a sentence in the comparative degree. [ যদি positive degree তে কোন বাক্য ইতিবাচক অর্থে থাকে তাহলে  comparative degree তে বাক্যটি নেতিবাচক অর্থে পরিণত হবে ]

3. Above mentioned rules are applicable to a comparative degree also. [ উপরোক্ত নিয়মগুলি comparative degree এর ক্ষেত্রেও প্রযোজ্য ]

[*Note: When there are only two subjects in the sentence, the formation of superlative degree is not possible. In such case the transformation of positive to comparative and vice versa can take place. (Comparison of One as to One) (যদি কোন বাক্যে দুটি subject থাকে তাহলে ওই বাক্যের superlative degree সম্ভব নয়। এক্ষেত্রে কেবল positive থেকে comparative এবং তদ্বিপরীত সম্ভব।) ]

 

Rules and Examples

 

Exercise

1. Change the sentences according to directions.
i. Mushin was one of the best philanthropists in the world. (Positive)
ii. Cox’s Bazar is one of the most beautiful sea-beaches in the world. (Positive)
iii. Madhusudan Dutta was one of the greatest dramatists in Bangla literature. (Positive)
iv. The rose is the best of all flowers. (Positive)
v. A healthy poor man is happier than a sick moneyed man. (Positive)

2. Change the sentences according to directions.
i. Flood is one of the most dangerous natural disasters. (Comparative)
ii. Corruption is one of the worst evils. (Comparative)
iii. William Wordsworth is one of the most famous poets in English literature. (Comparative)
iv. No other thing is as interesting as reading books. (Comparative)
v. Strategy is the most important thing in the examination. (Comparative)

3. Change the sentences according to directions.
i. No other student in the class is as bad as a failed student. (Superlative)
ii. Musin was more generous than most other men in the sub-continent. (Superlative)
iii. No other person is as hated as a corrupted man. (Superlative)
iv. Very few conquerors of the world were as great as Taimur. (Superlative)
v. Very few curses of the 21st century are as big as child labour. (Superlative)

4. Change the sentences according to directions.
i. Television is one of the most wonderful inventions of science. (Comparative)
ii. A hardworking man is healthier than an idle man. (Positive)
iii. He was one of the best cap makers with palm leaves. (Positive)
iv. Books are our best friends. (Positive)
v. A freedom fighter is the greatest son of the soil. (Comparative)
vi. Raffles is one of the finest of all hotels. (Comparative)
vii. The contribution of our freedom fighters is greater than any other thing. (Superlative)
viii. One of the most important keys to increasing our intrinsic value is industry. (Comparative)
ix. The Internet is one of the most wonderful inventions of modern science. (Positive)
x. Man is the most intelligent creature. (Comparative)

5. Change the degrees of comparison without changing the meaning of the sentence.
1. Iron is more useful than any other metal.
2. Platinum is the most precious metal.
3. The giraffe is taller than any other animal.
4. This box is not as heavy as that box.
5. Maria is prettier than Alice.
6. Shyam is the most intelligent boy in the class.
7. Tokyo is the most populous city in the world.
8. Mr. Yadav is the oldest member of the club.
9. Few playwrights write as interestingly as Bernard Shaw.
10. Mumbai is one of the richest cities in India.

About The Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top