Learning various grammatical elements has never been a straightforward journey for learners because of some surprising rules and complex structures. However, a positive degree in grammar is the baseline, or we can say the starting point, that allows users to define the quality of a thing without any comparison or overstatement.
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The positive degree of comparison in simple terms is the base form of adjectives and adverbs. It is put into use to define a quality or state of someone or something. However, the key point to note is that it does not compare things. For better understanding, look at the example of positive degree below.
For example
In the above example, the word "pink" is a positive degree adjective stating the state of the sky. This is the most basic example to help you understand the positive degree formula and get going with the topic initially.
The use of positive degree in writing is easy to comprehend because you can learn how the base form of adverbs and adjectives is used to define a quality. Here are some positive degree examples in sentences to get the detailed idea.
1. The swimming pool is big.
2. This is a delicious meal.
3. The bird sings sweetly
4. The peepal tree stood tall against the fading sunset.
5. Ronit Slept Peacefully.
With the help of correct rules and the structure of a positive degree of comparison, we can ensure their use in a sentence is correct. These rules will help you understand dos and don’ts. Here is the explanation of some positive degree rules for your understanding.
1. Describes a Single Entity: The positive degree of comparison is put into use when you have to define or describe a single entity that can be a person, place, thing or action.
2. Uses the Base Form: For positive degree structure, the base form of the adjective or adverb is considered. (e.g., dark, easy, fast)
3. Common suffixes to avoid: Consider not adding “-er” or “-est” as a suffix to adjectives in the positive degree, as it will change the degree of comparison.
4. Adverbs not ending in “ly”: There are adverbs that do not have “ly” as their suffix; in this case, you also have to use the base form. (e.g., fast, hard)
5. Irregular Forms: Irregular forms of both adverb and adjective remain in their root form for the positive degree.
In English grammar, there are three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. Understanding differences between them can help you improve their use in various contexts. Given below is a detailed explanation of the differences between these degrees.
| Basis | Positive Degree | Comparative Degree | Superlative Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | The Positive degree definition states it is a basic, uncompared form of an adjective or adverb. It is used to describe a quality of a single entity without any comparison. | Comparative degree helps in comparing the qualities of two distinct entities or displays the way in which one thing changes | The highest form of degree is used to compare three or more items or to displays the highest or lowest point within any group. |
| Usage | It expresses a quality that the subject possesses without any comparison | It compares two items to show that one has more or less of a specific quality | It recognises the one with the highest or lowest of a specific quality compared to the remaining ones. |
| Examples | The car is fastHe is tall | The temperature is colder today than it was yesterday.The dumbbell is heavier than that one | This is the best web series I have ever seen.Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. |
Understanding the use of a positive degree of comparison is not a complex task; however, to master it, here are some tips and common errors that you must keep in mind.
1. Avoid using "more" or "most" with positive degree For example, he is taller indicates a comparative degree.
2. Avoid using "er" or "-est" in a positive degree of comparison. For example, using words like smallest or happiest is not used with a positive degree.
3. "Very" can modify and intensify the adjective, but it does not change the degree. For example, she is very happy (very happy is still positive)
4. To change a comparative or superlative degree of comparison into positive, remove the comparatives and define the subject. For example, "He is the tallest boy " can be changed to "He is the tall boy".
Till now, you have understood that a positive degree of comparison is the basic form of an adjective or adverb. So, why not let’s have a glimpse of the commonly used positive degree of adjectives & adverbs.
|
Part of Speech |
Positive Degree |
Example |
|
Adjective |
1. Happy 2. Big 3. Small 4. Beautiful 5. Bright 6. Good 7. Lazy 8. Easy 9. Fast 10. Near |
1. He feels happy every morning. 2. The big fish swam quickly in the ocean. 3. I live in a small neighborhood near the church. 4. There are beautiful butterflies in the garden. 5. You can see a bright light coming from the hill. 6. He is in a good mood today. 7. Alex is so lazy, always sleeping during holidays. 8. This easy recipe helped me make dinner quickly. 9. The fast bike overtook us on the highway. 10. Your gym is near my office; I’ll meet you in the evening. |
|
Adverb |
1. Happily 2. Quickly 3. Slowly 4. Loudly 5. Easily 6. Early 7. Well 8. Badly 9. Soon 10. Closely |
1. He smiled happily after he received the good news. 2. Justin ran quickly to catch the last train home. 3. The tortoise moved slowly, yet won the race. 4. He shouted loudly to create a scene at the party. 5. The police solved the case easily in a few hours. 6. They woke up early to visit the temple. 7. He played so well during the match. 8. He injured himself badly during the accident. 9. The project will be completed soon. 10. I am working closely with the team for positive results. |
Now that we have covered every important aspect, including positive degree meaning, rules, examples and more, it’s time to check your understanding through practice worksheets.
Read the sentences below and underline the positive degree adjectives in each sentence
1. The butterflies in the garden are beautiful.
2. The day feels pleasant and perfect for a picnic.
3. The cat is playful and enjoys chasing small toys.
4. The album was calm and helped me relax during the evening.
5. His smile is warm and makes everyone feel happy.
6. The movie was interesting and held my attention all day.
7. The brownie looks lovely with its chocolate icing.
8. The sky appears blue and clear this morning.
9. The mountain track is sharp and exciting for hikers.
10. The river is wide and flows smoothly through the valley.
Answer for Exercise 1
1. The butterflies in the garden are beautiful.
2. The day feels pleasant and perfect for a picnic.
3. The cat is playful and enjoys chasing small toys.
4. The album was calm and helped me relax during the evening.
5. His smile is warm and makes everyone feel happy.
6. The movie was interesting and held my attention all day.
7. The brownie looks lovely with its chocolate icing.
8. The sky appears blue and clear this morning.
9. The mountain track is sharp and exciting for hikers.
10. The river is wide and flows smoothly through the valley.
In this positive to comparative degree exercise, change the degree of comparison for the following sentences.
1. The river is _______ (wide) than the small creek nearby the village.
2. His garage is _______ (large) than mine, with a bigger tool space.
3. This movie was _______ (interesting) than the web series I watched yesterday.
4. This question is _______ (easy) than the one we solved last week.
5. The bike is _______ (fast) than the dog in running around the yard.
6. The sun looks _______ (bright) than the moon in the night sky.
7. Her Outfit is _______ (beautiful) than mine, with a lovely shade of baby pink.
8. The hill is _______ (steep) than the trek we climbed last summer.
9. The new bike is _______ (expensive) than the one you bought last year.
10. This project was _______ (difficult) than the one we took last semester.
Answers for Exercise 2
1. The river is wider than the small creek near the village.
2. His garage is larger than mine, with a bigger tool space.
3. This movie was more interesting than the web series I watched yesterday.
4. This question is easier than the one we solved last week.
5. The bike is faster than the dog in running around the yard.
6. The sun looks brighter than the moon in the night sky.
7. Her Outfit is more beautiful than mine, with a lovely shade of baby pink.
8. The hill is steeper than the trek we climbed last summer.
9. The new bike is more expensive than the one you bought last year.
10. This project was more difficult than the one we took last semester.
In essence, the positive degree is that foundation stone that is used for expressing qualities without any comparison or overstatement, and further, they can also be transformed into comparative or superlative degrees. While getting familiar with this grammatical element, you might have also realised that learning grammar is never that simple. It is because of the basic function that positive degree performs and its simple rules.
Meanwhile, now that you have established the setting stone of your grammar learning journey, build on it and read our other grammar blogs to learn new elements every day. Or you can connect with our experts to seek expert advice while you learn.
1. How to change a comparative degree to a positive degree?
To change a sentence with a comparative degree to a positive degree, restructure the sentence by removing the comparative element. It normally includes restructuring the sentence and describing the sentence in its basic form.
For example:
2. How to change a positive degree to a comparative degree?
To change a sentence with a positive degree adjective to a comparative degree, you normally add "er" as a suffix to the adjective or " more" before the word in case of a longer word. Also, in some cases, "than" is used after the comparative form to show what is being compared.
For example:
3. How to change a sentence into a positive degree?
I am the most unhappy of men. (change to positive degree)
To change this sentence ("I am the most unhappy of men.") into a positive degree, restructure the sentence as ("No other man is as unhappy as I am."). In this sentence, "unhappy" is a positive degree of the adjective without making any direct comparison like "more unhappy".
4. What is the positive degree of an elder?
The positive degree of Elder is " old". Elder is a comparative adjective that is used to show seniority, normally within a group.
5. What is a positive degree of an adjective?
The positive degree of an adjective is its basic form that is used to describe a noun without any comparisons.
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