Academic Degree Degree Of Comparison: Grammar 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence demonstrates an incorrect use of 'fewer' vs. 'less'?
- She has fewer friends than him.
- There is less water in the glass.
- I have less books than you. (Correct answer)
- He spends less time studying.
Correct answer: I have less books than you.
'Fewer' is used with countable nouns like 'books', so 'fewer books' is correct.
Question 2: What is the comparative form of 'far' when referring to distance?
- more far
- farther (Correct answer)
- furthest
- farer
Correct answer: farther
'Farther' is the comparative of 'far' specifically when referring to physical distance.
Question 3: Identify the error: 'This is the most unique solution I've seen.'
- 'most' should be 'more'
- 'unique' cannot be modified by degree because it is absolute (Correct answer)
- 'solution' needs an article
- There is no error
Correct answer: 'unique' cannot be modified by degree because it is absolute
'Unique' is an absolute adjective meaning one-of-a-kind, so it cannot grammatically be 'most unique'.
Question 4: Choose the sentence with the correct comparative of 'good'.
- This pizza is gooder than that one.
- This pizza is more good than that one.
- This pizza is better than that one. (Correct answer)
- This pizza is the goodest of all.
Correct answer: This pizza is better than that one.
'Good' is irregular: good → better → best.
Question 5: Which of the following correctly negates a comparison using 'not as...as'?
- He is not as tall than she is.
- He is not so tall as she is. (Correct answer)
- He is not tall as she is.
- He is less tall than she is not.
Correct answer: He is not so tall as she is.
'Not so...as' is an accepted negative equal comparison structure meaning one thing is less than another.
Question 6: In 'She is by far the most talented singer,' what role does 'by far' play?
- It negates the superlative.
- It intensifies the superlative. (Correct answer)
- It converts the superlative to a comparative.
- It is a preposition phrase unrelated to degree.
Correct answer: It intensifies the superlative.
'By far' is an intensifier that emphasizes how much greater the superlative quality is.
Question 7: Which sentence uses a comparative adjective to suggest a preference?
- I prefer the hotter climate. (Correct answer)
- I prefer the most hot climate.
- I prefer the hot climate more.
- I prefer hot than cold.
Correct answer: I prefer the hotter climate.
Using the comparative 'hotter' before a noun correctly expresses a preference for one option over another.
Academic Degree Degree Of Comparison: Grammar 3
Which sentence demonstrates an incorrect use of 'fewer' vs. 'less'?