A Guide to Forming Positive Degree Comparisons Using "as...as"
Introduction:
In English grammar, we often compare two things or people using degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative. The superlative degree is used to express the highest or most extreme degree of a quality. However, in certain cases, we may need to convert a superlative comparison to a positive degree comparison using the "as...as" structure. This tutorial will guide you on how to form positive degree comparisons using "as...as" effectively.
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| Superlative to Positive Degree: as.....as Structure |
1. Understand the Purpose:
The "as...as" structure is used to express equality or similarity between two things or people. It is commonly used when we want to state that two entities share the same level or degree of a particular quality. By converting a superlative comparison to a positive degree comparison, we emphasize the similarity rather than the extreme degree.
2. Identify the Superlative Comparison:
Before converting a superlative comparison, identify the original sentence that uses the superlative form. For example, consider the sentence, "She is the smartest person in the class." Here, "smartest" is the superlative form.
3. Remove the Superlative:
To form a positive degree comparison, remove the superlative form and the article preceding it. In our example sentence, we remove "the" and "smartest" to get, "She is smart in the class."
4. Introduce the "as...as" Structure:
Now that we have the positive degree comparison, introduce the "as...as" structure to indicate the similarity or equality between two entities. In our example, the modified sentence becomes, "She is as smart as anyone in the class."
5. Practice with Different Examples:
To strengthen your understanding, practice converting various superlative comparisons to positive degree comparisons using the "as...as" structure. Here are a few examples:
a) Superlative Comparison: "He is the tallest person in the room."
Positive Degree Comparison: "He is as tall as anyone in the room."
b) Superlative Comparison: "It is the most beautiful painting in the gallery."
Positive Degree Comparison: "It is as beautiful as any painting in the gallery."
c) Superlative Comparison: "This is the best restaurant in town."
Positive Degree Comparison: "This is as good as any restaurant in town."
d) Superlative Comparison: "She is the fastest runner in the team."
Positive Degree Comparison: "She is as fast as anyone in the team."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Singapore is the cleanest city in the world."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Singapore is as clean as any other city."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Merlion is the most iconic symbol of Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Merlion is as iconic as any other symbol in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Chili crab is the most popular dish in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Chili crab is as popular as any other dish in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Gardens by the Bay is the most breathtaking attraction in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Gardens by the Bay is as breathtaking as any other attraction in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Singapore Botanic Gardens is the most serene place in the city."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Singapore Botanic Gardens is as serene as any other place in the city."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Singapore Airlines is the best airline in the world."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Singapore Airlines is as good as any other airline."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Marina Bay Sands is the most luxurious hotel in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Marina Bay Sands is as luxurious as any other hotel in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Sentosa Island is the most popular tourist destination in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Sentosa Island is as popular as any other tourist destination in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Singapore Zoo is the most family-friendly attraction in the city."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Singapore Zoo is as family-friendly as any other attraction in the city."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Hawker centers have the most delicious food in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Hawker centers have as delicious food as any other place in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Orchard Road has the most vibrant shopping scene in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Orchard Road has as vibrant a shopping scene as any other place in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Changi Airport is the most efficient airport in the world."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Changi Airport is as efficient as any other airport."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The National Day Parade is the grandest celebration in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The National Day Parade is as grand as any other celebration in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Marina Bay is the most picturesque area in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Marina Bay is as picturesque as any other area in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is the most prestigious orchestra in the country."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Singapore Symphony Orchestra is as prestigious as any other orchestra in the country."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Chinatown has the most vibrant cultural atmosphere in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Chinatown has as vibrant a cultural atmosphere as any other place in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Esplanade is the most iconic performing arts center in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Esplanade is as iconic as any other performing arts center in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Thian Hock Keng Temple is the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Thian Hock Keng Temple is as old as any other Chinese temple in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "The Singapore Flyer is the tallest Ferris wheel in Asia."
Positive Degree Comparison: "The Singapore Flyer is as tall as any other Ferris wheel in Asia.
a) Superlative Comparison: "Lee Kuan Yew is the most influential leader in Singapore's history."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Lee Kuan Yew is as influential as any other leader in Singapore's history."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Goh Chok Tong was the longest-serving Prime Minister in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Goh Chok Tong served as long as any other Prime Minister in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Lee Hsien Loong is the most experienced politician in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Lee Hsien Loong is as experienced as any other politician in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Halimah Yacob is the first female President of Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Halimah Yacob is as groundbreaking as any other President in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Tharman Shanmugaratnam is the most respected economist in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Tharman Shanmugaratnam is as respected as any other economist in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "K. Shanmugam is the most influential Minister in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "K. Shanmugam is as influential as any other Minister in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Grace Fu is the highest-ranking female politician in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Grace Fu is as high-ranking as any other female politician in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Heng Swee Keat is the most promising young leader in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Heng Swee Keat is as promising as any other young leader in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Teo Chee Hean has the most extensive military background among Singaporean leaders."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Teo Chee Hean has as extensive a military background as any other Singaporean leader."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Vivian Balakrishnan is the most adept diplomat in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Vivian Balakrishnan is as adept as any other diplomat in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Chan Chun Sing is the most prominent labor leader in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Chan Chun Sing is as prominent as any other labor leader in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Josephine Teo is the most influential female minister in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Josephine Teo is as influential as any other female minister in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Indranee Rajah is the most accomplished lawyer among Singaporean leaders."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Indranee Rajah is as accomplished as any other lawyer among Singaporean leaders."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Tan Chuan-Jin is the most compassionate leader in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Tan Chuan-Jin is as compassionate as any other leader in Singapore."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Ng Chee Meng has the most extensive military experience among Singaporean leaders."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Ng Chee Meng has as extensive a military experience as any other Singaporean leader."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Desmond Lee is the most dedicated environmental advocate among Singaporean leaders."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Desmond Lee is as dedicated as any other environmental advocate among Singaporean leaders."
a) Superlative Comparison: "Josephine Teo is the most influential female minister in Singapore."
Positive Degree Comparison: "Josephine Teo is as influential as any other female minister in Singapore."
6. Pay Attention to Sentence Structure:
When using the "as...as" structure, ensure that the sentence structure remains consistent. Maintain parallelism by using the same form of the adjective or adverb in both parts of the comparison. For example, "He is as fast as a cheetah" is incorrect, as "fast" and "cheetah" are not parallel. Instead, it should be "He runs as fast as a cheetah."
7. Proofread and Revise:
Once you have converted a superlative comparison to a positive degree comparison, review the sentence for clarity and accuracy. Make sure the comparison conveys the intended meaning and that the "as...as" structure is used correctly.
Conclusion:
Converting superlative comparisons to positive degree comparisons using the "as...as" structure is a useful skill in English grammar. By emphasizing equality or similarity rather than extreme degrees, we can convey comparisons effectively. With practice, you will become proficient in transforming superlative statements to positive degree comparisons using the "as...as" structure.
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