DEGREES OF COMPARISON

Private Classes
Degrees of Comparison
There are three Degrees of Comparison in English.
1. Positive degree.
• Sam is as tall as Pam.
2. Comparative degree.
• John is taller than Mike.

3. Superlative degree.
• Toby is the tallest boy in the class.
Comparisons of equality
If two things are equal in some way, we can use a comparison with as … as ….
• Mary was as happy as Jane.
• He’s grown so much. He’s as tall as his father now.
• The second game didn’t go as well as the first one.
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We can form the negative of as … as … with not as … as …, or with not so … as …
The form not as … as … is more common:
• John is not so tall as his cousin
• He is not as good as his father.
• Mary is as old as John.
• Mary is as old as John is. When we have names, we can repeat the verb to be on the second part!
• Mary is as old as he. Subject pronoun or object pronoun can be used in the second part too!
• Ruth is as tall as her. Object pronoun (used only informal)
How many times more?
We can use as…as… + twice, three times, four times to say how many
times something is more.
• This building is twice as tall as that one.
• Their house is five times as big as ours
We use same + noun + as to equivalence.
• Ann is the same height as Lucy.
• Henry is the same age as Andrew
Inferiority
Comparative of inferiority we use less + adjective + than
• My bag is less organized than yours
• Cats are less trustworthy than dogs
• This lesson is less difficult than the previous one
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Superlative of inferiority we use the least + adjective
• This is the least comfortable bed in this store
• This exercise was the least difficult of all
Superiority
comparative: adjective + -er + than (If you are comparing two things)
• Jean is older than Tom
• London is bigger than Santiago.
• I am older than my brother.
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superlative: the + adjective + -est (If you are comparing more than two things)
• It is the oldest building in the village
Elder and eldest mean the same as older and oldest.
• Yesterday was the hottest day of the year We only use the adjectives elder and eldest before a
• I am the eldest of three sisters. noun (as attributive adjectives), and usually when
talking about relationships within a family:
Irregular comparatives and superlatives
Farther - Further
Further / farther, furthest / farthest are all used for distance.
Only Further / furthest are used to mean 'additional' or 'more
advanced’.
• Puerto Montt is further / farther than Valdivia is from here (in Santiago).
• If you require further information, please contact reception.
More Examples
Today is hotter than yesterday
Jane's house is the biggest on the street
Susan is prettier than Julia.
This is the easiest lesson in the book
My girlfriend is more beautiful than yours.
He is the most famous of all.
It was the most wonderful day I have ever had
I am a better tennis player than you but Marcelo is the best.
• Steve is a worse liar than me but Adrian is the worst.