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WHAT IS POSITIVE DEGREE

When adjectives and adverbs are used in comparisons, they take different forms. The form an adjective or adverb takes depends on how many things are being compared. The different forms of comparisons are called degrees of comparison.

The three degrees of comparison are the positive, the comparative and the superlative.

1. The positive degree is used when at least one thing is being described.

For example: That song is slow. [Slow is a positive degree adjective. It describes one song.]

2. The comparative degree is used when two things or groups of things are being compared.

For example: That song is slower than this one. [Slower is a comparative degree adverb. It compares one song to another.]

3. The superlative degree is used when three or more things or groups of things being compared.

For example: That song is the slowest one on the CD. [Slowest is a superlative degree adjective. It compares That song to all the other songs on the CD.]