Adjectives and adverbs recognize three degrees of comparison – the positive, the comparative and the superlative.
In many cases, it is possible to express the same idea using any of the three forms. An example is given below.
Alice is as tall as Peter. (In this sentence we make a comparison with the positive adjective tall.)
The same idea can be expressed using the comparative adjective taller.
Peter is not taller than Alice.
Exercise
1. My uncle is ..................... than my father.
2. China is ........................... than any other country in the world.
3. No other thing is ......................... as education.
4. America is ............................. than most other countries in the world.
5. No other grain is .......................... as wheat.
6. Few English novelists are ........................... as Dickens.
Answers
1. My uncle is richer than my father.
2. China is more populated than any other country in the world. / China is the most populated country in the world.
3. No other thing is as important as education. / Education is the most important of all things.
4. America is richer than most other countries in the world. / America is one of the richest countries in the world.
5. No other grain is as nutritious as wheat. / Wheat is the most nutritious of all grains.
6. Few English novelists are as popular as Dickens. / Dickens is more popular than most other English novelists.
