Degrees of Comparison Exercises: Mastering Comparatives and Superlatives

Degrees of Comparison Overview

Degrees of comparison are used to describe how one thing differs from another in terms of a particular quality. They are expressed in three forms:

• Positive Degree: The base form of the adjective (e.g., tall, good).

• Comparative Degree: Compares two things (e.g., taller, better). Typically formed by adding "-er" or using "more" before the adjective.

• Superlative Degree: Compares three or more things, showing the highest degree (e.g., tallest, best). Usually formed by adding "-est" or using "most" before the adjective.

Degrees of Comparison Worksheets with Answers

Here are a few examples of degrees of comparison worksheets with answers for you to practise:

Worksheet 1:

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct degree of comparison (comparative or superlative).

1. This chair is __________ (comfortable) than the old one.

2. She is the __________ (intelligent) student in the class.

3. My dog is __________ (friendly) than my cat.

4. This summer is __________ (hot) than last summer.

5. That was the __________ (fun) party I’ve ever been to.

Answers:

1. This chair is more comfortable than the old one.

2. She is the most intelligent student in the class.

3. My dog is friendlier than my cat.

4. This summer is hotter than last summer.

5. That was the funniest party I’ve ever been to.

Worksheet 2:

Instructions: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the adjectives (comparative or superlative).

1. A lion is __________ (strong) than a tiger.

2. This is the __________ (beautiful) garden in the neighbourhood.

3. This puzzle is __________ (hard) than the previous one.

4. She is __________ (happy) now than she was last year.

5. My new phone is __________ (advanced) than my old one.

Answers:

1. A lion is stronger than a tiger.

2. This is the most beautiful garden in the neighbourhood.

3. This puzzle is harder than the previous one.

4. She is happier now than she was last year.

5. My new phone is more advanced than my old one.

Worksheet 3:

Instructions: Choose the correct form of the adjectives to complete the sentences.

1. This cake is __________ (delicious) than the one we had last time.

2. That was the __________ (scary) movie I've ever watched.

3. My house is __________ (small) than my neighbor’s house.

4. She is __________ (young) than her brother.

5. This book is __________ (interesting) than the last one.

Answers:

1. This cake is more delicious than the one we had last time.

2. That was the scariest movie I've ever watched.

3. My house is smaller than my neighbour’s house.

4. She is younger than her brother.

5. This book is more interesting than the last one.

Degrees of Comparison Exercise with Answers

Here are some degrees of comparison exercise with answers for you to practise:

Exercise 1:

Instructions: Rewrite the following sentences using the correct degree of comparison.

1. This shirt is (cheap) __________ than the one I bought yesterday.

2. Mark is (tall) __________ than Tim.

3. That was the (good) __________ meal I've had in a long time.

Answers:

1. This shirt is cheaper than the one I bought yesterday.

2. Mark is taller than Tim.

3. That was the best meal I've had in a long time.

Exercise 2:

Instructions: Choose the correct degree of comparison to complete the sentences.

1. My new laptop is __________ (fast) than my old one.

2. She is the __________ (creative) artist in the group.

3. This test is __________ (difficult) than the last one.

Answers:

1. My new laptop is faster than my old one.

2. She is the most creative artist in the group.

3. This test is more difficult than the last one.

Exercise 3:

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate comparative or superlative form of the adjectives.

1. The red car is __________ (expensive) than the blue car.

2. He is the __________ (talented) player on the team.

3. This book is __________ (interesting) than the last one.

Answers:

1. The red car is more expensive than the blue car.

2. He is the most talented player on the team.

3. This book is more interesting than the last one.

Tips for Using Degrees of Comparison

• Comparatives: Use for comparing two items. Add "-er" to the end of short adjectives (e.g., smaller, faster) or use "more" for longer adjectives (e.g., more beautiful, more interesting).

• Superlatives: Use for comparing three or more items. Add "-est" to short adjectives (e.g., smallest, fastest) or use "most" for longer adjectives (e.g., most beautiful, most interesting).

• Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives: Some adjectives have irregular forms (e.g., good → better → best, bad → worse → worst).

Test Your Knowledge

1. Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences

Instructions: Complete each sentence with the correct form of the adjective (comparative or superlative).

1. This pizza is __________ (delicious) than the one we had last week.

2. Alice is the __________ (creative) student in the art class.

3. His car is __________ (expensive) than mine.

4. The summer this year is __________ (warm) than last year.

5. That was the __________ (fun) game we’ve played all month.

Answers:

1. This pizza is more delicious than the one we had last week.

2. Alice is the most creative student in the art class.

3. His car is more expensive than mine.

4. The summer this year is warmer than last year.

5. That was the funniest game we’ve played all month.

2. Transformation Tasks

Instructions: Rewrite each sentence using the indicated degree of comparison.

1. My garden is bigger than my neighbour’s garden. (Change to superlative form: "My garden is the __________ (big) in the neighbourhood.")

2. This book is more engaging than the previous one. (Change to positive form: "This book is __________ (engaging) than the previous one.")

3. He is the fastest runner in the team. (Change to comparative form: "He is __________ (fast) than any other runner in the team.")

4. This movie is more interesting than the one we watched last week. (Change to positive form: "This movie is __________ (interesting) than the one we watched last week.")

5. Sarah is the most experienced chef in the restaurant. (Change to comparative form: "Sarah is __________ (experienced) than any other chef in the restaurant.")

Answers:

1. My garden is the biggest in the neighbourhood.

2. This book is more engaging than the previous one.

3. He is faster than any other runner in the team.

4. This movie is more interesting than the one we watched last week.

5. Sarah is more experienced than any other chef in the restaurant.

3. Multiple Choice Questions

Instructions: Choose the correct degree of comparison for each sentence.

1. This summer is __________ (a) hotter / (b) hottest / (c) hot than last summer.

2. She is __________ (a) more intelligent / (b) intelligent / (c) most intelligent student in the class.

3. His explanation was __________ (a) clearer / (b) clear / (c) clearest than mine.

4. That was the __________ (a) best / (b) better / (c) good meal I’ve had in a long time.

5. My new car is __________ (a) more economical / (b) economical / (c) most economical than my old one.

Answers:

1. This summer is hotter than last summer.

2. She is the most intelligent student in the class.

3. His explanation was clearer than mine.

4. That was the best meal I’ve had in a long time.

5. My new car is more economical than my old one.

Takeaways from this Article

• Degrees of Comparison: Positive: Base form (e.g., tall, good), Comparative: Compares two items (e.g., taller, better), Superlative: Compares three or more items (e.g., tallest, best).

• Usage: Comparatives use "-er" or "more" (e.g., faster, more interesting), and Superlatives use "-est" or "most" (e.g., fastest, most talented).

• Practise Methods: Fill-in-the-Blank: Complete sentences with the correct form, Transformation Tasks: Rewrite sentences in different degrees, Multiple Choice: Choose the correct degree of comparison.

• Tips: Use degrees accurately for clear comparisons, and watch out for irregular forms and common mistakes.