Question

Change the degree of comparison from superlative to comparative without changing the meaning:
Australia is the greenest island in the world.
a. No other island in the world is as green as Australia
b. Australia is greener than all other islands in the world.
c. None of the options
d. Australia is more greener than all other islands in the world.

Answer 1

Hint: More is only used when the adjective or adverb remains the same in comparative degree as in positive degree.

Complete answer:
The comparative degree of green is green + -er , i.e., greener. In option b, the superlative degree has been replaced with the correct comparative degree and the meaning of the sentence remains the same. The sentence in the question says that Australia has the most greenery in the world i.e. it is the greenest island in the world. Option b too says the same thing using a comparative degree, it says, Australia is greener than all other islands in the world. Hence, the core meaning remains the same. Therefore, option b is the correct answer. Option a too has the same core meaning but, it does not use any comparative degree. Green is a positive degree. Hence, option a is ruled out. Option c, none of the options, is again invalid as we have already found the answer in the options given. Statement in option d, is inappropriate as more is used when the positive and comparative degrees are the same. Here, greener which is the comparative degree with a suffix -er added to green, has been preceded by more, which is incorrect.

Note: We can say, ‘more green’ in certain exceptional situations, for e.g., ‘I want to add more green to the painting that I’m making.’, but ‘more greener’ as a term is incorrect.