Degree of comparison is a grammar concept that refers to how words are used to compare and contrast things. There are three types of degree of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

  1. Positive degree: The positive degree is used to describe something without comparing it to anything else. For example, “The dog is big.”
  2. Comparative degree: The comparative degree is used to compare two things. For example, “The dog is bigger than the cat.” In this sentence, “bigger” is the comparative form of the adjective “big,” and it is used to compare the size of the dog to the size of the cat.
  3. Superlative degree: The superlative degree is used to compare three or more things. For example, “The dog is the biggest animal in the zoo.” In this sentence, “biggest” is the superlative form of the adjective “big,” and it is used to compare the size of the dog to all the other animals in the zoo.

It’s important to note that not all words can be compared, some are called absolute, that cannot be graded, like the word dead.

A simple way to teach this concept to 3rd grade students is by using examples of common adjectives and nouns and by giving them a chance to practice forming comparative and superlative forms of those words. For example, you can ask them to compare the sizes of different objects in the classroom, or to compare the heights of different students. Also, you can use pictures, flashcards, and other visual aids to help students understand the concept.

You can also give them simple sentence completion exercise to reinforce the concept like: “The tree is _ than the bush” ( taller) “The cloud is _ than the bird” ( higher)

By focusing on the basics of degree of comparison and providing plenty of opportunities for practice, 3rd grade students can develop a solid foundation in this grammar concept and be well on their way to becoming skilled writers and communicators.

Sample Test Questions

  1. What is the comparative form of the adjective “hot”?
  2. What is the superlative form of the adjective “long”?
  3. Complete the following sentence: “The bicycle is ____ than the scooter.”
  4. Complete the following sentence: “The house is ____ than the apartment.”
  5. Complete the following sentence: “The apple is ____ than the pear.”
  6. Complete the following sentence: “The car goes ____ than the bicycle.”
  7. Complete the following sentence: “The tiger is ____ than the leopard.”
  8. Complete the following sentence: “The book is ____ than the e-book.”
  9. Complete the following sentence: “The puppy is ____ than the adult dog.”
  10. Complete the following sentence: “The toy is ____ than the game.”

Answer

  1. hotter
  2. longest
  3. faster
  4. bigger
  5. sweeter
  6. faster
  7. stronger
  8. thicker
  9. cuter
  10. newer

Degree Of Comparison Worksheet