English Grammar 35: Comparison of Adverbs

Chapter 35: Comparison of Adverbs

Welcome to Chapter 35! You might already know that adjectives can be compared (like tall, taller, tallest) to show different levels or degrees. But did you know that adverbs can do this too? Some Adverbs, like Adjectives, have three degrees of comparison. Such Adverbs are generally compared like Adjectives.

The three degrees are:

• Positive Degree: The basic form of the adverb (e.g., fast).
• Comparative Degree: Used to compare two actions (e.g., faster).
• Superlative Degree: Used to compare three or more actions, showing the highest degree (e.g., fastest).

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Topic 1: One-Syllable Adverbs

Explanation

When an adverb is very short—specifically, if the Adverb is of one syllable—we form the Comparative by adding er, and the Superlative by adding est, to the Positive. A syllable is a single unbroken sound of a spoken word.

Important Rules

• Rule: Positive + er = Comparative.
• Rule: Positive + est = Superlative.

Solved Examples from the Text

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Fast	Faster	Fastest
Hard	Harder	Hardest
Long	Longer	Longest
Soon	Sooner	Soonest

Real-Life Sentence Examples:

• Rama ran fast. (Positive)
• Arjun ran faster. (Comparative)
• Hari ran fastest of all. (Superlative)

Additional Practice Exercises

1. Change the adverb "high" into its comparative and superlative degrees.
2. Fill in the blank with the correct degree of the adverb "hard": Out of all the workers, John worked the _______.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. Solution: high (Positive) -> higher (Comparative) -> highest (Superlative). Explanation: "High" is a one-syllable adverb, so we just add -er and -est.
• 2. Solution: hardest. Explanation: We are comparing John to "all the workers" (more than two people), so we use the superlative degree.

Common Mistakes and Tips

• Mistake: Saying "more fast" or "most fast".
• Tip: Always count the syllables. If it's a short, one-syllable word like "fast", always use -er and -est.

Quick Summary

Short, one-syllable adverbs change degrees by simply attaching -er to the end for comparative and -est for superlative.

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Topic 2: Adverbs Ending in "-ly"

Explanation

Many adverbs are formed by adding "-ly" to an adjective (like beautiful -> beautifully). Because these words are already long, adding "-er" or "-est" would make them sound clunky. Instead, Adverbs ending in ly form the Comparative by adding more and the Superlative by adding most.

Important Rules and Exceptions

• Rule: Use more + Adverb for the Comparative degree.
• Rule: Use most + Adverb for the Superlative degree.
• Exception: The word early ends in -ly, but it behaves differently! Note: early, earlier, earliest.

Solved Examples from the Text

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Swiftly	More swiftly	Most swiftly
Skilfully	More skilfully	Most skilfully

Real-Life Sentence Examples:

• Abdul played skilfully. (Positive)
• Karim played more skilfully than Abdul. (Comparative)
• Of all the eleven Ahmed played most skilfully. (Superlative)

Examples of the Exception ("early"):

• I came early this morning.
• Ram came earlier.
• Abdul came earliest of all.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. Change the adverb "carefully" into its comparative and superlative degrees.
2. Fill in the blank: She spoke _______ (quietly) than her sister.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. Solution: carefully -> more carefully -> most carefully. Explanation: Because it ends in -ly, we use more/most.
• 2. Solution: more quietly. Explanation: We are comparing two people (She and her sister), so we use the comparative degree with "more".

Common Mistakes and Tips

• Mistake: Saying "earlier" is wrong because it ends in -ly.
• Tip: Remember "early" is a special rebel word! It ends in -ly but still takes -er and -est.

Quick Summary

For most adverbs ending in -ly, use "more" for comparative and "most" for superlative. The only major exception is "early, earlier, earliest".

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Topic 3: Which Adverbs Can Be Compared?

Explanation

It is important to know that you cannot compare every single adverb in the English language. It will be noticed that only Adverbs of Manner, Degree, and Time admit of comparison.

Important Rules

• Rule: You can compare Manner (how), Degree (how much), and Time (when).
• Rule: Many Adverbs, from their nature, cannot be compared. Examples include: Now, then, where, there, once.

Additional Practice Exercises

Determine whether the following adverbs can be compared. If yes, write their comparative form. If no, write "Cannot be compared".
1. There
2. Beautifully

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. Solution: Cannot be compared. Explanation: "There" is an adverb of place, which does not admit of comparison. You cannot say "more there".
• 2. Solution: More beautifully. Explanation: "Beautifully" is an adverb of manner, so it can be compared.

Common Mistakes and Tips

• Mistake: Trying to add "more" to absolute time or place words (e.g., "more yesterday" or "most outside").
• Tip: If it doesn't make logical sense to do something "more" or "less," the adverb cannot be compared!

Quick Summary

Only Adverbs of Manner, Degree, and Time can be compared. Words like "now", "there", and "once" do not have comparative or superlative forms.

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Topic 4: Irregular Comparisons

Explanation

Some of the commonest Adverbs form their Comparative and Superlative Degrees irregularly. This means they don't follow the "-er/-est" or "more/most" rules at all. The entire word changes!

Important Rules

There are no simple formulas for these words. You must memorize them.

Solved Examples from the Text

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Ill, badly	worse	worst
Well	better	best
Much	more	most
Little	less	least
(Nigh), near	nearer	nearest/next
Far	(farther, further)	(farthest, furthest)
Late	later	last

Real-Life Sentence Examples:

• Rama writes well.
• Arjun writes better than Rama.
• Hari writes best of all.
• Do you work much?
• I work more than you do.
• Hari works most of the three of us.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blank: Out of all the players, he performed the _______ (badly).
2. Fill in the blank: She lives _______ (far) from the school than I do.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. Solution: worst. Explanation: The superlative form of "badly" is "worst". We use superlative because we are comparing "all the players".
• 2. Solution: farther (or further). Explanation: The comparative form of "far" is "farther" or "further". We use comparative because we are comparing two people ("She" and "I").

Common Mistakes and Tips

• Mistake: Saying "worser" or "badder".
• Tip: Remind yourself that "badly" completely transforms into "worse" and "worst". "Worser" is never a word!

Quick Summary

Irregular adverbs completely change their spelling in the comparative and superlative degrees. You must memorize forms like well/better/best and little/less/least.

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Textbook Exercise 62

Question: Compare the following Adverbs: Suddenly, Often, Near, Loud, Hard, Wisely, Patiently.

Solutions:

1. Suddenly: more suddenly, most suddenly. (It is an adverb ending in -ly).
2. Often: more often, most often. (It has more than one syllable and does not take -er/-est).
3. Near: nearer, nearest/next. (It is an irregular/one-syllable adverb shown in the irregular table).
4. Loud: louder, loudest. (It is a one-syllable adverb).
5. Hard: harder, hardest. (It is a one-syllable adverb).
6. Wisely: more wisely, most wisely. (It is an adverb ending in -ly).
7. Patiently: more patiently, most patiently. (It is an adverb ending in -ly).

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Chapter Assessment: 20 Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What are the three degrees of comparison for adverbs called?
   A) Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
   B) Simple, Complex, Compound
   C) Positive, Comparative, Superlative
   D) Active, Passive, Neutral
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: Some Adverbs, like Adjectives, have three degrees of comparison: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative.
2. How do you form the comparative degree of a one-syllable adverb?
   A) By adding 'more'
   B) By adding 'est'
   C) By adding 'er'
   D) By changing the whole word
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: If the Adverb is of one syllable, we form the Comparative by adding er to the Positive.
3. What is the superlative form of the adverb "fast"?
   A) More fast
   B) Faster
   C) Fastest
   D) Most fast
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: "Fast" is a one-syllable adverb, so its superlative is formed by adding -est, becoming "fastest".
4. Which of the following is correct for the adverb "swiftly"?
   A) Swiftly, swiftlier, swiftliest
   B) Swiftly, more swiftly, most swiftly
   C) Swiftly, swifter, swiftest
   D) Swiftly, more swift, most swift
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: Adverbs ending in ly form the Comparative by adding more and the Superlative by adding most.
5. What is the comparative form of the adverb "early"?
   A) More early
   B) Earlier
   C) Earliest
   D) Most early
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: "Early" is an exception to the -ly rule. The correct forms are early, earlier, earliest.
6. Which of these adverbs CANNOT be compared?
   A) Hard
   B) Soon
   C) Now
   D) Well
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: Many Adverbs, from their nature, cannot be compared; an example is "now".
7. Which categories of adverbs admit of comparison?
   A) Place, Reason, Affirmation
   B) Manner, Degree, Time
   C) Time, Place, Frequency
   D) Degree, Negation, Conjunction
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: It will be noticed that only Adverbs of Manner, Degree, and Time admit of comparison.
8. What is the comparative form of the irregular adverb "ill" or "badly"?
   A) Iller
   B) More badly
   C) Worse
   D) Worst
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: "Ill" and "badly" are irregular adverbs. Their comparative form is "worse".
9. What is the superlative form of "much"?
   A) Mucher
   B) More
   C) Most
   D) Many
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: "Much" is an irregular adverb. Its forms are much, more, most.
10. Fill in the blank correctly: Hari writes _______ of all.
    A) well
    B) better
    C) best
    D) more well
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The sentence compares Hari to "all", so it requires the superlative form of "well", which is "best".
11. What are the comparative and superlative forms of "little"?
    A) Littler, littlest
    B) Less, least
    C) More little, most little
    D) Lesser, lessest
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: "Little" is irregular. Its comparative is "less" and its superlative is "least".
12. What is a valid superlative form of the adverb "near"?
    A) Nearer
    B) More near
    C) Next
    D) Most near
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The irregular adverb "(Nigh), near" has the superlative forms "nearest" or "next".
13. What is the comparative form of "far"?
    A) Farrer
    B) More far
    C) Farther / further
    D) Farthest / furthest
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: "Far" is irregular. Its comparative forms are "farther" or "further".
14. Which of the following sentences uses the comparative degree correctly?
    A) Karim played most skilfully than Abdul.
    B) Karim played more skilfully than Abdul.
    C) Karim played skilfully than Abdul.
    D) Karim played skilfullier than Abdul.
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: "Skilfully" ends in -ly, so its comparative takes "more".
15. What is the positive degree of the adverb "longest"?
    A) Longer
    B) Long
    C) Length
    D) Longly
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: The positive form of the one-syllable adverb "longest" is "long".
16. Which of the following adverbs CAN be compared?
    A) Where
    B) Once
    C) There
    D) Soon
    Correct Answer: D
    Explanation: "Soon" is an adverb of time that can be compared (soon, sooner, soonest). The others cannot be compared.
17. What is the superlative form of "late"?
    A) Later
    B) Latest
    C) Last
    D) Both B and C
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: According to the text's table of irregular adverbs, the superlative form of "late" is "last".
18. Fill in the blank: "Arjun writes _______ than Rama."
    A) well
    B) better
    C) best
    D) more well
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: The sentence compares two people, so it requires the comparative degree of "well", which is "better".
19. What rule applies to the adverb "patiently"?
    A) Add -er and -est
    B) It is irregular
    C) Add more and most
    D) It cannot be compared
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: "Patiently" ends in -ly, so we form the Comparative by adding more and the Superlative by adding most.
20. How would you compare the adverb "hard"?
    A) Hard, harder, hardest
    B) Hard, more hard, most hard
    C) Hard, hardly, most hardly
    D) Hard, less hard, least hard
    Correct Answer: A
    Explanation: "Hard" is a one-syllable adverb, so we add -er for comparative and -est for superlative.