Question

Change the given sentence into a positive and comparative degree:
The Nobel Prize is one of the greatest honors in the world.

Answer 1

Hint: An adjective is used to describe a noun. For example, Sara is very beautiful. Here, ‘beautiful’ is an adjective that describes the noun, ‘Sara’. It has three degrees - positive, comparative, and superlative.

Complete answer:

From the hint given to us, we know that an adjective is used to describe a naming word which is called a noun. It has three degrees - positive, comparative, and superlative. A positive adjective is used to describe one noun. A comparative degree is used to compare between two nouns. A superlative degree is used to compare more than two nouns. Let us understand the adjective degrees in a little more detail:
A positive degree uses the positive form of the adjective.
For example, she is a great personality.
Here, we just have one noun and no comparison. Hence, we use the positive degree of the adjective, great.
Comparative degree adds the suffix -er to the adjective and is followed by the determiner ‘than’.
For example, she is a greater personality than her husband.
Here, we have a comparison between two nouns and hence, we use the comparative degree of the adjective, great.
Superlative degree adds the suffix -est to the adjective and is preceded by the determiner ‘the.
For example, She is the greatest personality of all the people I know.
Here we are comparing a given noun with a collective noun that comprises many individuals. Hence, we use the superlative degree of the adjective, great.
We observe that the given sentence is in a superlative degree. Let’s construct the positive and comparative degree for the same, using the information given above.
Positive degree: There are very few honors as great as the Nobel Prize.
Comparative degree: The Nobel Prize is greater than the other awards in the world.

Note: Comparative degree is also formed by placing the adverb, ‘more’ before the adjective. Similarly, the superlative degree can also be formed by placing the adverb, ‘most’ before the adjective.