Academic Degree Degree Of Comparison: Grammar 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses 'elder' vs. 'older'?
- My elder sister is taller than me. (Correct answer)
- My elder car is faster.
- The older building is elder than the new one.
- She is older than her elder.
Correct answer: My elder sister is taller than me.
'Elder' is used only with people (often family members), while 'older' is used for both people and things.
Question 2: In formal academic writing, which comparative sentence is preferred?
- Results were better than what we expected.
- Results were better than expected. (Correct answer)
- Results were more better than expected.
- Results were the best than expected.
Correct answer: Results were better than expected.
Concise comparatives drop redundant words; 'better than expected' is the preferred formal form.
Question 3: Which of the following is a correct use of 'the' before a comparative?
- She is the taller of the three.
- She is the taller of the two. (Correct answer)
- She is the most taller of the two.
- She is most tall of the two.
Correct answer: She is the taller of the two.
When comparing exactly two items, 'the + comparative' (the taller of the two) is standard formal usage.
Question 4: Which sentence correctly applies a comparative to an adverb of manner?
- He spoke more loudly than usual. (Correct answer)
- He spoke most loudly than usual.
- He spoke louder than usual more.
- He spoke the most loud than usual.
Correct answer: He spoke more loudly than usual.
Multi-syllable adverbs like 'loudly' use 'more' to form the comparative.
Question 5: Identify the sentence that correctly uses a superlative with 'one of'.
- He is one of the greater athletes in history.
- He is one of the greatest athletes in history. (Correct answer)
- He is one of the most greatest athletes.
- He is one of greatest athletes in history.
Correct answer: He is one of the greatest athletes in history.
The construction 'one of the + superlative + plural noun' is the correct standard form.
Question 6: Which sentence uses 'much' correctly as a comparative intensifier?
- This book is much interesting than that one.
- This book is much more interesting than that one. (Correct answer)
- This book is much most interesting than that one.
- This book is much interesting of all.
Correct answer: This book is much more interesting than that one.
'Much' intensifies a comparative adjective formed with 'more', giving 'much more interesting'.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT an absolute adjective (one that resists comparison)?
- perfect
- infinite
- dead
- expensive (Correct answer)
Correct answer: expensive
'Expensive' exists on a scale and can be compared (more expensive, most expensive), unlike absolute adjectives.
Academic Degree Degree Of Comparison: Grammar 5
Which sentence correctly uses 'elder' vs. 'older'?