Degree of Comparison

Charter EST commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyIcz_rJBRk&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

3 Degrees of Comparison

The positive degree is used when at least one thing is being described.

Ex. Those murals are colorful.

This suitcase is heavy.

The comparative degree is used when two things or groups of things are being compared.

Ex. Those murals are more colorful than these.

My suitcase is heavier than yours.

The superlative degree is used when three or more things are being compared.

Ex. Those murals are the most colorful that I’ve seen.

Silvia’s suitcase is the heaviest of all.

Regular Comparison

Most one-syllable words only require adding –er for the comparative degree and –est for the superlative degree.

One-syllable Words

Positive Comparative

Superlative

Close

Slow

Soon

straight

Closer

Slower

Sooner

straighter

Closest

Slowest

Soonest

Straightest

Regular Comparison

Two-syllable words only require adding –er or by using more for the comparative degree. They form the superlative degree by adding –est or by using most.

Two-syllable Words

Positive Comparative

Superlative

Simple

Easy

Jealous

Swiftly

Simpler

Easier

More jealous

More swiftly

Simplest

Easiest

Most jealous

Most swiftly

Regular Comparison

Words that have three or more syllables form the comparative degree by using more and the superlative degree by most.

Three-Syllable Words

Positive Comparative

Superlative

Powerful

Illegible

Joyfully

Attractively

More powerful

More illegible

More joyfully

More attractively

Most powerful

Most illegible

Most joyfully

Most attractively

Decreasing Comparison

To show decreasing comparisons, words form the comparative degree by using less and the superlative degree by using least.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Sharp

Costly

Often

Less sharp

Less costly

Less often

Least sharp

Least costly

Lest often

Irregular Comparison

Positive Comparative Superlative

Bad

Far

Good

Well

Many

Much

Worse

Farther or further

Better

Better

More

More

Worst

Farthest or furthest

Best

Best

Most

Most

big

1. The Corn Palace is ______________than I thought it would be.

bigger

pretty

2. People in Mitchell try to make each year’s Corn Palace decorations _______ than the ones before.

Prettier or more pretty

fresh

3.The building looks the __________ in September after new corn and grasses are put on it.

freshest

easy

4. Some workers find it ___________ to saw and nail the corn to panels, while others prefer to hang the finished panels on the building.

Easier (or more easy)

well

5. I could not decide which of the many corn murals on the Corn Palace I liked _______________.

better

mysterious

6. The mural of the dancing figure was the __________ one to me.

Most mysterious

famous

7. Until his death in 1983, Mitchell’s ____________artist, Oscar Howe, helped to design and paint these murals.

Most famous

interesting

8. The life of this Sioux artist is the _______________ story I’ve ever heard.

Most interesting

slowly

9. My parents walked ________ around the Corn Palace than I did and studied every design.

More slowly

far

10. I met a family from Mexico who had traveled ________ than we had to see the Corn Palace.

farther