The Degree Of Comparison

                                  THE DEGREE OF COMPARISON

In English grammar the degree of comparison of anadjective or adverbthat describes the relational value of one thing with something in another clause of a sentence. An adjective may simply describe a quality, (the positive); it may compare the quality with that of another of its kind (comparative degree); and it may compare the quality with many or all others (superlative degree). In other languages it may describe a very large degree of a particular quality (in Semitic linguistics, called an elative).

The degree of comparison may be expressed morphologically, or syntactically. In English, for example, most monosyllabic and some disyllabic Positive have morphological degrees of comparison: green (positive), greener (comparative), greenest (superlative); pretty, prettier, prettiest; while most polysyllabic Positive use syntax: complex, more complex, most complex.

Qualitative adjective adalah suatu adjective yang menerangkan bentuk atau keadaan suatu benda.Qualitative adjective mempunyai tiga tingkatan yang disebut degree of comparison.

1.      positive degree

2.      comparative degree

3.      superlative degree

Positive degree menunjukkan kesamaan mutu, banyaknya, tingkatan atau derajat, dan lain-lainnya antara satu benda lainnya.

Example: 

 The man is as old as my father.

             She is as tall as my sister.

             Their house is as big as ours.

Jika kita ingin menunjukkan ketidaksamaan antara satu benda dengan benda lainnya kita bisa menambahkan “not” sesudah to be.

Example:

The man is as old as my father

                        The man is not as old as my father

                        The man isn’t so old as my father

Comparative and superlative degree

Comparative degree digunakan jika kita ingin menunjukkan dengan jelas bahwa terdapat ketidaksamaan antara satu benda dengan benda lainnya. Misalnya kita mengatakan “Jack is not so tall as my brother.”

Jika kita membandingkan seseorang atau suatu benda yang melebihi orang-orang atau benda-benda lainnya kita menggunakan superlative degree. Misalnya, “John is taller than any other students in his class.” Kalimat ini bisa dinyatakan dengan cara lain, yaitu “John is the tallest in his class.”

Kita menambahkan “er” dan “est” pada kata sifat untuk membentuk comparative dan superlative.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Clean	Cleaner	Cleanest
Cold	Colder	Coldest
Old	Older	Oldest
High	Higher	Highest
Young	Younger	Youngest

Kata sifat yang terdiri dari satu suku kata dan huruf terakhirnya dibaca pendek, huruf terakhir digandakan lalu ditambah “er” untuk membentuk comparative dan “est” untuk membentuk superlative.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Hot	Hotter	Hottest
Fat	Fatter	Fattest
Big	Bigger	Biggest
Sad	Sadder	Saddest
Wet	Wetter	Wettest

Kata yang huruf akhirnya “y”, “y” ditukar dengan “i” lalu ditambahkan dengan “er” untuk comparative dan “est” untuk superlative.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Heavy	Heavier	Heaviest
Busy	Busier	Busiest
Happy	Happier	Happiest
Lazy	Lazier	Laziest
Lucky	Luckier	Luckiest

Kata sifat yang terdiri dari dua suku kata atau lebih diberi tambahan “more” di depannya untuk membentuk comparative dan “most” untuk superlative.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Beautiful	More beautiful	Most beautiful
Careless	More careless	Most careless
Stupid	More stupid	Most stupid
Expensive	More expensive	Most expensive

Beberapa kata sifat mempunyai bentuk tersendiri untuk comparative dan superlative-nya.

Good	Better	Best
Far	Further	Furthest
Little	Less	Least
Bad	Worse	Worst
Evil	Worse	Worst
Much/ many	More	Most

English usage is Traditional English grammar uses the comparative form when comparing exactly two things, and the superlative when comparing three or more, but in informal usage this may not hold.

Positive	Superlative
Good	Best
Beautiful	Most Beautiful
Big	Biggest