Degree of comparison: Degree of Comparison is a tool of estimating, praising, comparing the qualities (like colour, size, shape and other virtues) of two or more people, places, ideas or things.
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Degree of Comparison Exercises for Class 10 ICSE with Answers
There are basically three degrees of comparison:
- Positive degree
- Comparative degree
- Superlative degree
Positive Degree:
It is the adjective in its simplest form. It is used to denote the existence of a quality but can be used to indicate comparison to an equal degree.
Positive degree is formed by using ‘as ……… as’ with adjective in positive (affirmative) sense and ‘not as ……… as’ or ‘not so ……… as’ in negative sense,
Examples:
(i) Gunjan is as smart as Pritam.
(ii) Mumbai is as busy as Delhi.
(iii) My pen is not so (as) expensive as yours.
(iv) Vipin is not as clever as (or so clever as) his brother.
Consider the following sentences:
(i) Rudra is a kind man.
(ii) This baby is gorgeous.
Here, the qualities of ‘Rudra’ and ‘baby’ have been simply stated and not been compared with those of anybody else. This is also positive degree.
Comparative Degree:
It is generally used when two entities being compared possess an unequal degree of a certain quality.
In comparative degree, suffix ‘er’ is added to the adjective and ‘than’ is used after the adjective.
Examples:
(i) Shamli is taller than Sonali.
(ii) Anurag is braver than Prayas.
(iii) Iron is harder than wood.
(iv) Rutuja is fairer than Swapnil.
Some adjectives with more than one syllable do not take ‘er’ as a suffix but ‘more’ is used before them as follows :
(i) Ayan is more intelligent than Rehan.
(ii) Tokyo is more expensive than Delhi.
(iii) This room is more spacious than that.
(iv) He found Sherlock Holmes more interesting than Donald Duck.
Important Points about Comparative Degree
Adjectives ending in ‘or’ such as superior, inferior, prior, junior, senior, etc take ‘to’ in place of ‘than’ along with them.
Examples:
(i) Mr Sharma is junior to (not ‘than’) Mr Mishra.
(ii) This jewellery is superior to that one.
We use ‘to’ with the verb ‘prefer’. Neither ‘er’ nor ‘than’ is used with ‘prefer’ as the verb itself means ‘to like more’.
Examples:
(i) I prefer tea to coffee.
(ii) Madhurima preferred eating fruits to drinking juices.
Superlative Degree:
Superlative degree is used for the comparison of three or more things of unequal degree of a certain quality. It is the highest degree of quality and is used to express that one person or thing possesses the most superior of the quality among the things being talked about.
While forming the superlative form of an adjective, the suffix ‘est’ is added to the adjective which is preceded by article ‘the’.
Examples:
(i) Resham is the wisest girl among them all.
Or
Resham is the wisest of all girls.
(ii) This is the funniest of all books that I have read so far.
(iii) Rishi is the strongest boy in our class.
(iv) You are the best friend of mine.
Some adjectives with more than two syllables that take ‘more’ in comparative degree take ‘most’ in superlative degree.
Examples:
(i) The snake is the most dangerous animal.
(ii) The Taj Mahal is the most famous epitome of love.
(iii) Chiraag is the most handsome boy in his family.
(iv) Room no 15 in the hotel was the most convenient one for the businessmen.
Forming Comparatives and Superlatives
When you compare two items, you are using a comparative, so you use ‘more’ before the adjective or the suffix ‘er’ at its end. When you compare three or more items, you’re using a superlative, so you use ‘most’ or the suffix ‘est’.
The following hints may be used while forming comparatives and superlatives.
1. Most adjectives of one syllable form the comparative by adding ‘er’ and the superlative by adding ‘est’ to the positive degree.
Note:
If the positive degree ends in ‘e’, only ‘r’ or ‘st’ is added.
Example:
able, abler, ablest.
2. When the positive degree ends in ‘y’, preceded by a consonant, the ‘y’ is changed into ‘i’ before adding ‘er’ and ‘est’.
3. When the positive degree consists of a word of one syllable and ends in a single consonant preceded by a vowel, this consonant is doubled before adding ‘er’ and ‘est’.
4. In case of adjectives of more than two syllables, the comparative and superlative degree are formed by putting ‘more’ and ‘most’ respectfully before the positive degree.
5. Adjectives with two syllables ending in ‘ful’ (e.g. resentful), ‘less’ (e.g. senseless), ‘ing’ (e.g. boring) and ‘ed’ (e.g. surprised) and many others (e.g. polite, foolish, famous, certain, recent, modern) take ‘more’ and ‘most’.
6. Two fold comparisons
7. Irregular comparisons
‘older’ and ‘oldest’ refer to age of persons or things, ‘elder’ and ‘eldest’ refer to order of birth within a family.
Change of Degree
Change of degree means transformation of one form of degree of an adjective into another form but retaining the same meaning of the sentence. Let us try to understand the rules of transforming one form of degree of comparison into another.
Superlative Degree to Positive and Comparative
When we use superlative degree to estimate the quality of an object, we mean to say that it has the highest degree of that particular quality among all the objects being compared. This means ‘no other’ object has that quality to the same degree.
Therefore, in positive degree, we use, ‘No other’ and in comparative ‘all other’ or ‘any other’ because the degree of the quality in the object being talked about is ‘superior’ to that in any other object.
Examples:
(i) Superlative Degree Hardik is the strongest player of our team.
(ii) Superlative Degree Swara is the cleverest of all girls in my class.
Or
Swara is the cleverest girl in my class.
Positive Degree No other girl in my class is as clever as Swara.
Comparative Degree Swara is cleverer than any other girl (or all other girls) in my class.
(iii) Superlative Degree Mumbai is the most expensive place to live in Maharashtra.
Positive Degree No other place in Maharashtra is as expensive to live in as Mumbai.
Comparative Degree Mumbai is more expensive than any other place to live in Maharashtra.
(iv) Superlative Degree Suraj is the most intelligent of all boys.
Positive Degree No other boy is as intelligent as Suraj.
Comparative Degree Suraj is more intelligent than all other boys.
Positive Degree to Comparative Degree
Both positive and comparative degree are used to compare only two objects (i.e. two persons, ideas, or things). Therefore, they cannot be transformed into superlative degree.
Consider the following sentence:
“Ram is as tall as Shyam”.
This means both have equal heights. Its comparative degree will be:
“Shyam is not taller than Ram”.
Some More Examples
(i) Positive Degree A glass of juice is as good as a glass of water.
Comparative Degree A glass of water is not better than a glass of juice.
(ii) Positive Degree Question A is as simple as question B.
Comparative Degree Question B is not simpler than question A.
(iii) Positive Degree President Rule is not as good as democracy.
Comparative Degree Democracy is better than President rule.
(iv) Positive Degree Rose is as beautiful as tulip.
Comparative Degree Tulip is not more beautiful than rose.
Comparative Degree to Positive Degree
Consider the following example:
“Metals are harder than non-metals”.
This means non-metals are not equal in degree of hardness as metals. Therefore its positive degree will be:
“Non-metals are not as hard as metals”.
Some More Examples
(i) Comparative Degree Chocolates are tastier than cookies.
Positive Degree Cookies are not so tasty as chocolates.
(ii) Comparative Degree Arushi’s house is bigger than her office.
Positive Degree Arushi’s office is not as big as her house.
(iii) Comparative Degree Mobile phones are more convenient than tablets.
Positive Degree Tablets are not as convenient as mobile phones.
(iv) Comparitive Degree Drinking is not more dangerous than smoking.
Positive Degree Smoking is as dangerous as drinking.
In Case of Conversion from Positive Degree to Comparative Degree and Comparative Degree to Positive Degree
- The sentence begins with the second entity (person, place etc) being compared.
- An affirmative sentence is changed into positive and vice-versa.
- And the degree is changed.
Degree of Comparison Worksheets
A. Change the following into positive degree and comparative degree.
Question 1.
India is the largest democracy.
Answer:
No other democracy is as large as India. (Positive Degree)
India is larger than any other democracy. (Comparative Degree)
Question 2.
The Pyramids of Egypt are the greatest architecture.
Answer:
No other architecture is as great as the Pyramids of Egypt. (Positive Degree)
The Pyramids of Eygpt are greater than all other architectures. (Comparative Degree)
Question 3.
Mr Sinha is the most successful businessman of his town.
Answer:
No other businessman of his town is as successful as Mr Sinha. (Positive Degree)
Mr Sinha is more successful than any other businessman of his town. (Comparative Degree)
Question 4.
Asia is the largest continent in the world.
Answer:
No other continent in the world is as large as Asia. (Positive Degree)
Asia is larger than all other continents in the world. (Comparative Degree)
Question 5.
Soufia was the most ambitious girl in the class.
Answer:
No other girl in the class was as ambitious as Soufia. (Positive Degree)
Soufia was more ambitious than any other girl in the class. (Comparative Degree)
Question 6.
‘The Bhagwad Gita’ is the holiest epic of the Hindus.
Answer:
No other epic of the Hindus is as holy as the ‘Bhagwad Gita’. (Positive Degree)
‘The Bhagwad Gita’ is holier than all other epics of the Hindus. (Comparative Degree)
Question 7.
The pen can be the mightiest tool for fighting against social evils.
Answer:
No other tool can be as mighty as the pen for fighting against social evils. (Positive Degree)
The pen can be mightier than any other tool for fighting against social evils. (Comparative Degree)
Question 8.
‘Silence’ is the strongest weapon to win an argument.
Answer:
No other weapon is as strong as ‘silence’ to win an argument. (Positive Degree)
‘Silence’ is stronger than any other weapon to win an argument. (Comparative Degree)
Question 9.
Bhavesh is the tallest of all students.
Answer:
No other student is as tall as Bhavesh. (Positive Degree)
Bhavesh is taller than any other student.(Comparative Degree)
Question 10.
This is the safest way to escape punishment.
Answer:
No Other way is as safe as this one to escape punishment. (Positive Degree)
This is safer than any other way to escape punishment. (Comparative Degree)
B. Change the degree of comparison in each of the following sentences.
Question 1.
Varun was as weak as Ravish.
Answer:
Ravish was not weaker than Varun. (Comparative Degree)
Question 2.
Geetika is the bravest of all girls in her family.
Answer:
No other girl in her family is as brave as Geetika. (Positive Degree)
Geetika is braver than all other girls in her family. (Comparative Degree)
Question 3.
Mobile phones are better than pagers.
Answer:
Pagers are not as good as mobile phones. (Positive Degree)
Question 4.
The Ganga is the longest river in India.
Answer:
No other river in India is as long as the Ganga.(Positive Degree)
The Ganga is longer than all other rivers in India. (Comparative Degree)
Question 5.
Manoshi is my best friend.
Answer:
No other friend of mine is as good as Manoshi. (Positive Degree)
Manoshi is better than any other friend of mine. (Comparative Degree)
Question 6.
To practise is better than to preach.
Answer:
To preach is not as good as to practise. (Positive Degree)
Question 7.
The Dead sea is the lowest point on the Earth.
Answer:
No other point on the Earth is as low as the Dead sea. (Positive Degree)
The Dead sea is lower than any other point on the Earth. (Comparative Degree)
Question 8.
India is bigger than Bangladesh.
Answer:
Bangladesh is not as big as India. (Positive Degree)
Question 9.
Serena’s phone is smarter than Shipra’s.
Answer:
Shipra’s phone is not so smart as Serena’s. (Positive Degree)
Question 10.
Aryan is as clever as Mahroof.
Answer:
Mahroof is not cleverer than Aryan. (Comparative Degree)
C. Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
Question 1.
She laid the table after she had finished the cooking.
(Begin: When ……… )
Answer:
When she had finished the cooking, she laid the table.
Question 2.
He is old but still he works hard.
(Begin: Despite ……… )
Answer:
Despite being old, he still works hard.
Question 3.
The delivery boy was requested to bring the parcel the next day.
(Rewrite using direct speech)
Answer:
I asked the delivery boy, “Could you bring the parcel tomorrow?”
Question 4.
I prefer playing a game to watching television.
(Begin: I would rather ……… )
Answer:
I would rather play a game than watch television.
Question 5.
Every family has a black sheep.
(Begin: There is no ……… )
Answer:
There is no family without a black sheep.
Question 6.
I have never worn a more ill-fitting suit.
(End: ever worn ……… )
Answer:
This is the most ill-fitted suit that I have ever worn.
Question 7.
Anil is too fast a runner not to come first in the race.
(Begin: Anil is so ……… )
Answer:
Anil is so fast a runner that he came first in the race.
Question 8.
As soon as the sports meet ended, the children ran on the field.
(Begin: Hardly ……… )
Answer:
Hardly had the sports meet ended than the children ran on the field.
D. Change the degree of comparison in each of the following sentences.
Question 1.
Lead is the heaviest non-metal.
Answer:
No other non-metal is as heavy as lead. (Positive Degree)
Lead is heavier than any other non-metal. (Comparative Degree)
Question 2.
This is the best book.
Answer:
No other book is as good as this one. (Positive Degree)
This book is better than any other one. (Comparative Degree)
Question 3.
Ruby is as red as blood.
Answer:
Blood is not redder than ruby. (Comparative Degree)
Question 4.
Emerald is as green as grass.
Answer:
Grass is not greener than emerald. (Comparative Degree)
Question 5.
Pencils are cheaper than pens.
Answer:
Pens are not as cheap as pencils. (Positive Degree)
Question 6.
Anushka is not smarter than Rabia.
Answer:
Rabia is as smart as Anushka. (Positive Degree)
Question 7.
Birbal was the wisest courtier in Akbar’s court.
Answer:
No other courtier was as wise as Birbal in Akbar’s court. (Positive Degree)
Birbal was wiser than any other courtier in Akbar s court. (Comparative Degree)
Question 8.
The Taj Mahal is more famous than any other monument in India.
Answer:
No other monument in India is as famous as the Taj Mahal. (Positive Degree)
The Taj Mahal is the most famous monument in India. (Superlative Degree)
Question 9.
Pen is mightier than sword.
Answer:
Sword is not as mighty as pen. (Positive Degree)
Question 10.
Baikal lake is the deepest fresh water lake in the world.
Answer:
No other fresh water lake in the world is as deep as Baikal lake. (Positive Degree)
Baikal lake is deeper than any other fresh water lake in the world. (Comparative Degree)
Question 11.
Gungun is as sweet as her brother.
Answer:
Her brother is not sweeter than Gungun. (Comparative Degree)
Question 12.
The cap of blue pen is bigger than that of red pen.
Answer:
The cap of red pen is not so big as that of blue pen. (Positive Degree)
Question 13.
Books are the most interesting companions.
Answer:
No other companion is as interesting as the books. (Positive Degree)
Books are more interesting than any other companion. (Comparative Degree)
Question 14.
They are the most reliable friends.
Answer:
No other friend is as reliable as they are. (Positive Degree)
They are more reliable than all other friends. (Comparative Degree)
Question 15.
Dheeraj is as strong as his father.
Answer:
His father is not stronger than Dheeraj. (Comparative Degree)
E. Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each sentence. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not alter the meaning of each one.
Question 1.
Grapes are as lovely as Jumblums.
(Begin: Jumblums ……… )
Answer:
Jumblums are not lovelier than grapes.
Question 2.
Ganesh is the wisest among all Gods.
(Begin: No other ……… )
Answer:
No other God is as wise as Ganesha.
Question 3.
Miheer is not weaker than this friend.
(Begin: His friend ……… )
Answer:
His friend is as weak as Miheer.
Question 4.
English language is as tough as French.
(Use: tougher)
Answer:
French is not tougher than English.
Question 5.
Akhilesh Yadav is the youngest Chief Minister in India.
(Use: younger)
Answer:
Akhilesh Yadav is younger than all other Chief Ministers in India.
Question 6.
Diamond is the costliest non-metal.
(Use: costly)
Answer:
No other non-metal is as costly as diamond.
Question 7.
Iodine is the most lustrous non-metal. .
(Use: as lustrous as)
Answer:
No other non-metal is as lustrous as iodine.
Question 8.
Groundnuts are good as cashewnuts.
(Use: better)
Answer:
Cashewnuts are not better than groundnuts.
Question 9.
No other substance is as soft as butter.
(Use: softest)
Butter is the softest substance.
Question 10.
Newspapers are the best media for a variety of news.
(Begin: No other ……… )
Answer:
No other medium is as good as the newspaper for a variety of news.
Question 11.
Physics is as difficult as Mathematics.
(Begin: Mathematics ……… )
Answer:
Mathematics is not more difficult than Physics.
Question 12.
The rabbit is as soft as cotton.
(Begin: Cotton ……… )
Answer:
Cotton is not softer than the rabbit.
Question 13.
Blood is thicker than water.
(Use: thick)
Answer:
Water is not as thick as blood.
Question 14.
Saree is the most graceful dress.
(Begin: No other dress ……… )
Answer:
No other dress is as graceful as saree.
Question 15.
Ayushmati is the fastest runner in our school.
(Use: faster)
Answer:
No other runner can run faster than Ayushmati in our school.
F. Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
Question 1.
Tansen was the best singer in Akbar’s court.
(Use: better)
Answer:
Tansen was better than any other singer in Akbar’s court.
Question 2.
Very few doctors in the hospital are as dedicated as he is.
(Begin: He is ……… )
Answer:
He is one of the most dedicated doctors in the hospital.
Question 3.
I have never seen a film as bad as this.
(Begin: This is ……… )
Answer:
This is the worst film I have ever seen.
Question 4.
Nobody in our city can run as fast as Usha.
(Begin: Usha ……… )
Answer:
Usha runs fastest in our city.
Question 5.
This is the funniest movie I have ever seen.
(Begin: Never ……… )
Answer:
Never have I seen such a funny movie.
G. Change the degree of comparison without changing the meaning.
Question 1.
Malacca is the oldest town in Malaysia.
Answer:
No other town in Malaysia is as old as Malacca. (Positive Degree)
Malacca is older than any other town in Malaysia. (Comparative Degree)
Question 2.
Peter is cleverer than any other boy in the class.
Answer:
No other boy in the class is as clever as Peter. (Positive Degree)
Peter is the cleverest boy in the class. (Superlative Degree)
Question 3.
Jupiter is the biggest of all planets.
Answer:
Jupiter is bigger than any other planet. (Comparative Degree)
No other planet is as big as Jupiter. (Positive Degree)
Question 4.
Very few boys are as industrious as John.
Answer:
John is more industrious than most boys. (Comparative Degree)
John is one of the most industrious boys. (Superlative Degree)
Question 5.
India is the largest democracy in the world.
Answer:
India is larger than any other democracy in the world. (Comparative Degree)
No other democracy in the world is as large as India. (Positive Degree)
Question 6.
Shakespeare was greater than any other playwright.
Answer:
No other playwright is as great as Shakespeare. (Positive Degree)
Shakespeare is the greatest of all playwrights. (Superlative Degree)
Question 7.
Asoka was one of the greatest Indian kings.
Answer:
Very few Indian kings were as great as Asoka. (Positive Degree)
Asoka was greater than most other Indian kings. (Comparative Degree)
Question 8.
Greenland is the largest island in the world.
Answer:
No other island in the world is as large as Greenland. (Positive Degree)
Greenland is larger than any other island in the world. (Comparative Degree)
Question 9.
Lead is heavier than any other metal.
Answer:
No other metal is as heavy as lead. (Positive Degree)
Lead is the heaviest of all metals. (Superlative Degree)
Question 10.
Very few animals are as useful as the cow.
Answer:
The cow is more useful than most other animals. (Comparative Degree)
The cow is one of the most useful animals. (Superlative Degree)
H. Rewrite the sentences given below using different degrees of comparison.
Question 1.
Shakespeare is the most famous of all writers in English.
Answer:
No other writer in English is as famous as Shakespeare. (Positive Degree)
Shakespeare is greater than any other writer in English. (Comparative Degree)
Question 2.
Iron is more useful than any other metal.
Answer:
No other metal is as useful as iron. (Positive Degree)
Iron is the most useful of all metals. (Superlative Degree)
Question 3.
I earn as much money as Ram.
Answer:
Ram does not earn more money than I do. (Comparative Degree)
Question 4.
China is larger than India.
Answer:
India is not as large as China. (Positive Degree)
Question 5.
Air is lighter than water
Answer:
Water is not as light as air. (Positive Degree)
Question 6.
I am taller than my brother.
Answer:
My brother is not as tall as I am. (Positive Degree)
Question 7.
Shyam is the strongest boy in the class.
Answer:
Shyam is stronger than any other boy in the class. (Comparative Degree)
No other boy in the class is as strong as Shyam. (Positive Degree)
Question 8.
Supriya is the smartest girl in the class.
Answer:
No other girl in the class is as smart as Supriya. (Positive Degree)
Supriya is smarter than any other girl in the class. (Comparative Degree)
I. Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary but do not change the meaning of each sentence.
Question 1.
Kochi is the best port in Kerala.
(Use: better instead of ‘best’)
Answer:
Kochi is better than any other port in Kerala.
Question 2.
Mount Everest is higher than any other peak in the world.
(Use: ‘highest’ instead of ‘higher’)
Answer:
Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
Question 3.
Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
(Use: ‘high’ instead of ‘highest’)
Answer:
No other peak in the world is as high as Mount Everest.
Question 4.
The Nile is longer than the Amazon.
(Use: ‘long’ instead of ‘longer’)
Answer:
The Amazon is not so long as the Nile.
Question 5.
Greenland is the largest island.
(Use: ‘large’ instead of ‘largest’)
Answer:
No other island is as large as Greenland.
Question 6.
Oranges are cheaper than apples.
(Use: ‘cheap’ instead of ‘cheaper’)
Answer:
Apples are not as cheap as oranges.
Question 7.
James is not as intelligent as Mark.
(Use: ‘more’ intelligent instead of ‘intelligent’)
Answer:
Mark is more intelligent than James.
Question 8.
I don’t eat as much chocolate as you do.
(Use: ‘more’ instead of ‘much’)
Answer:
You eat more chocolate than I do.
Question 9.
he is the richest woman in the country.
(Use: ‘rich’ instead of ‘richest’)
Answer:
No other woman in the country is as rich as her.
Question 10.
Africa is hotter than any other continent in the world.
(Use: ‘hottest’ instead of ‘hotter’)
Answer:
Africa is the hottest continent in the world.
J. Change the degree of comparison in each of the following sentences.
Question 1.
Lead is heavier than any other metal.
Answer:
No other metal is as heavy as lead. (Positive Degree)
Lead is the heaviest of all metals. (Superlative Degree)
Question 2.
Susie is the tallest girl in the class.
Answer:
No other girl in the class is as tall as Susie. (Positive Degree)
Susie is taller than any other girl in the class. (Comparative Degree)
Question 3.
Gold is more precious than silver.
Answer:
Silver is not as precious as gold. (Positive Degree)
Question 4.
Bombay is one of the biggest cities in India.
Answer:
Few Indian cities are as big as Bombay. (Positive Degree)
Bombay is bigger than most other Indian cities. (Comparative Degree)
Question 5.
Wordsworth is the greatest of all English poets.
Answer:
Wordsworth is greater than any other English poet. (Comparative Degree)
No other English poet is as great as Wordsworth. (Positive Degree)
Question 6.
The tiger is the most ferocious of all animals.
Answer:
No other animal is as ferocious as the tiger. (Positive Degree)
The tiger is more ferocious than any other animal. (Comparative Degree)
Question 7.
He is as wise as Solomon.
Answer:
Solomon was not wiser than he is. (Comparative Degree)
Question 8.
No other metal is as costly as gold.
Answer:
No other metal is costlier than gold. (Comparative Degree)
Gold is the costliest of all metals. (Superlative Degree)