Contractions and Comparisons 

• The adjective is a word that modifies, describes, distinguishes or otherwise characterizes the noun. 
• Stonefish is poisonous fish.  
• There are three Degrees of Comparison in English.  

1. Positive degree. 
2. Comparative degree.   
3. Superlative degree.  

Positive Degree  

Adjectives describe a characteristic or quality of a noun or pronoun. The basic form of an adjective is sometimes known as the positive degree. 

The positive degree compares two things that are equal in status, have the same quality and also used to compare two things that are not equal and do not have the same status. 

Examples:   

1. My book is as interesting as yours.  
2. An apple is as delicious as a peach.  
3. Mars is not so big as Jupiter.  
4. Mary is as intelligent as Kate.  
5. The elephant is a huge animal.  

Comparative Degree  

Adjectives can also be inflected (changed in form) to compare a quality between two nouns; this form is known as the comparative degree.  

Examples:  

1. English Teacher is more generous than other school teachers.  
2. The planet Jupiter is bigger than Mars.  
3. The Earth is closer to the moon than it is to the sun.  

Superlative Degree  

An adjective to identify a noun with the highest (or lowest degree of an attribute among a group is known as the superlative degree.  

Examples:  

1. Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system.  
2. Iron is the most useful of all metals.  
3. Rainwater is the purest water.  

Forming the Comparative and Superlative adjectives-  

A. With one-syllable adjectives, add “ er ” or est ” and double the final consonant if preceded by one vowel. 

Example: 

B. The final consonant is not doubled if it is preceded by two vowels or another consonant. 

C. If an adjective has two syllables and ends in “-y,” we replace “y” with “i” and add “-er” or “-est,”  

Example: Happy- happier– happiest 

D. “Long” adjectives: Adjectives that have three or more syllables, or adjectives that have two syllables. 

Example: 

Careful— more/less careful— most/least careful 

Caring— more/less caring—most/least caring 

Gifted— more/less gifted—most/least gifted 

Contraction

• A contraction is a group of words that have been shortened. Contractions can be found in both written and oral communication. 
• I am = I’m  
• he is = he’s 
• she is = she’s  
• it is = it’s 
• we are = we’re  
• you are = you’re  
• they are = they’re 

Note: The apostrophe goes in the exact place where the letter or letters are left out in contractions.