What are the rules for the positive degree of comparison in grammar?
The positive degree of comparison is the base form of adjectives and adverbs. It describes a quality or state, but does not compare one thing to another. Mastery of this concept is important for clear writing and effective exam preparation, as it lays the foundation for understanding how we compare qualities in English.
| Degree | Example | Usage in Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | smart | Raman is smart. |
| Comparative | smarter | Raman is smarter than Arjun. |
| Superlative | smartest | Raman is the smartest in the class. |
What is the Positive Degree of Comparison?
The positive degree of comparison is the simplest form of an adjective or adverb. It simply states a quality about someone or something, with no comparison to others. For example, in “The sky is blue,” the word “blue” is a positive degree adjective.
- The positive degree states a quality.
- It does not compare two or more things.
- It is the form found in dictionaries.
Rules and Structure for Using Positive Degree
- The positive degree is used when describing a single person, place, thing, or action.
- Use the base form of the adjective or adverb (e.g., tall, easy, beautifully, fast).
- Do not add “-er” or “-est” to adjectives in the positive degree.
- For adverbs not ending in “-ly,” also use the base form (e.g., fast, hard).
- Irregular forms (good, well) stay in their root form for positive degree.
Positive Degree Examples in Sentences
| Positive Degree | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| quick | Adjective | The rabbit is quick. |
| kind | Adjective | She is kind. |
| big | Adjective | It is a big house. |
| honest | Adjective | Aman is honest. |
| fast | Adverb | The athlete runs fast. |
| softly | Adverb | The baby sleeps softly. |
| bright | Adjective | The room is bright. |
| happily | Adverb | They laughed happily. |
| beautiful | Adjective | This garden is beautiful. |
| strong | Adjective | He is strong. |
Table: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Forms
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Smaller | Smallest |
| Happy | Happier | Happiest |
| Intelligent | More intelligent | Most intelligent |
| Good | Better | Best |
| Beautiful | More beautiful | Most beautiful |
| Bad | Worse | Worst |
Difference Between Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Degree
The positive degree describes a single thing’s quality. The comparative degree compares two things. The superlative degree shows the extreme or highest point among three or more.
- Positive: “This apple is sweet.”
- Comparative: “This apple is sweeter than that one.”
- Superlative: “This is the sweetest apple in the basket.”
Positive Degree Worksheets: Practice Questions
- This room is _______. (clean)
- The dog barked _______. (loud)
- Anu is _______. (kind)
- The flower smells _______. (sweet)
- He worked _______ today. (hard)
- Answers:
- clean
- loud
- kind
- sweet
- hard
Common Errors and Tips for the Positive Degree
- Do not use “more” or “most” with positive degree adjectives.
- Do not use “-er” or “-est” in positive degree.
- “Very” can modify, but does not change the degree. (“Very happy” is still positive.)
- To transform a comparative or superlative sentence to positive, remove the comparison and describe just the subject.
- Example: “She is the tallest girl.” → “She is tall.”
Where Do We Use the Positive Degree?
You use the positive degree when you are stating a fact about one thing. In school exams, writing essays, and speaking English every day, positive degree keeps sentences clear and direct.
At Vedantu, we teach grammar to help you express yourself correctly, whether in exams or daily conversations.
Internal Links for Further Learning
- Degrees of Comparison: Full Guide
- Comparative Adjectives
- Superlative and Comparative Examples
- Kinds of Adjectives
- Sentence Transformation
In summary, the positive degree of comparison is the base form of adjectives and adverbs, describing a quality without any comparison. Understanding it is essential for forming correct sentences in school, competitive exams, and everyday English. Practice and review will help you avoid mistakes and communicate with confidence.
FAQs on Positive Degree of Comparison: Meaning, Rules & Examples
1. What is the positive degree of comparison in English?
The positive degree of comparison is the basic form of an adjective or adverb, describing a quality without comparing it to anything else. It's the simplest way to describe something. For example, in the sentence "The flower is beautiful," 'beautiful' is in the positive degree.
2. What are examples of positive degrees?
The positive degree simply describes a quality without comparison. Here are some examples: tall, short, big, small, fast, slow, happy, sad, bright, dark. These words are used in their basic form without adding '-er' or '-est'.
3. What is the rule of positive degree?
The rule for the positive degree is straightforward: use it when you're describing a quality without making a comparison to something else. You use the adjective or adverb in its basic form, without adding any suffixes. For example: The cat is quick (not quicker or quickest).
4. What is an example of a positive comparative?
There's no such thing as a "positive comparative." The terms positive, comparative, and superlative describe three different degrees of comparison. Positive is the base form (e.g., "big"), comparative compares two things (e.g., "bigger"), and superlative compares three or more (e.g., "biggest").
5. What is the 3 degrees of comparison?
The three degrees of comparison are: positive (describing a quality without comparison), comparative (comparing two things), and superlative (comparing three or more things to find the most extreme). For example, using the adjective "tall": Positive: He is tall; Comparative: He is taller than his brother; Superlative: He is the tallest in the class.
6. What is the difference between positive, comparative, and superlative degrees?
The key difference lies in the comparison: Positive describes a quality directly (e.g., "The cake is sweet"). Comparative compares two items (e.g., "This cake is sweeter than that one"). Superlative identifies the most extreme among three or more (e.g., "This is the sweetest cake I've ever tasted").
7. How is the positive degree different from comparative and superlative?
The positive degree simply describes a quality (e.g., "He is strong"). The comparative degree compares two things (e.g., "He is stronger than his friend"). The superlative degree compares three or more, indicating the highest degree (e.g., "He is the strongest person in the group").
8. What is a positive degree adjective?
A positive degree adjective is an adjective in its simplest form, used to describe a noun without making a comparison. For example, in the sentence "The dog is large," 'large' is a positive degree adjective.
9. Can you give 5 positive degree examples?
Here are five examples of words in the positive degree: happy, big, small, fast, clever. These are the basic forms of these adjectives; they don't show comparison.
10. Is "good" a positive degree?
Yes, "good" is the positive degree of the adjective. Its comparative form is "better," and its superlative form is "best."
11. What is the positive degree of comparison for "more"?
“More” itself isn't an adjective with a positive degree in the traditional sense. It's used to create comparative and superlative forms of some adjectives (e.g., more beautiful, most beautiful). The positive degree would be simply the base adjective.
12. Positive degree of comparison in Hindi?
The concept of degrees of comparison (positive, comparative, superlative) applies across languages. In Hindi, you would use the basic form of an adjective for the positive degree, similar to English. However, the grammatical structures for forming comparatives and superlatives will differ.
