Degrees of Comparison (Advanced): HSC 12th Board English Grammar PYQs
Welcome to a highly scoring yet tricky grammar topic for your 12th Board Exams (HSC / ISC)! In the 12th grade, examiners rarely ask the basic "No other" type of Degree of Comparison. Instead, they test you on the "One of the..." model (Type 2). The biggest trap here is forgetting to make the noun and verb plural when using "Very few". Master our advanced Type-2 cheat sheet below, practice the top 20 Previous Year Questions (PYQs), and challenge yourself with the interactive Self-Test!
🔥 Exam Tip & The Advanced Type-2 Cheat Sheet:
- The Advanced 12th Level Formula (Type 2):
👉 Superlative: Subject + Verb + one of the + (est/most) + PLURAL Noun.
👉 Comparative: Subject + Verb + (er/more) + than most other + PLURAL Noun.
👉 Positive: Very few + PLURAL Noun + PLURAL Verb (are/were) + as ... as + Subject.- The Grammar Trap: After "Very few", always use a plural noun and a plural verb.
Wrong: Very few boy is... → Right: Very few boys are...- Type 3 Exception (Only 2 things compared): If only two people or things are compared, there is NO Superlative degree. Just swap the subjects and add/remove 'not'.
Example: Ram is taller than Ravi → Ravi is not as tall as Ram.
Top 20 Board Exam Questions: Degrees of Comparison
Part 1: Superlative to Comparative ("One of the" → "than most other")
- Question: Ashoka was one of the greatest kings of India. (Change into Comparative) - HSC March 2019
Answer: Ashoka was greater than most other kings of India. - Question: Gold is one of the most precious metals. (Change into Comparative)
Answer: Gold is more precious than most other metals. - Question: Mumbai is one of the most populated cities in the world. (HSC July 2022)
Answer: Mumbai is more populated than most other cities in the world. - Question: Shakespeare is one of the greatest playwrights in English.
Answer: Shakespeare is greater than most other playwrights in English. - Question: The cheetah is one of the fastest animals.
Answer: The cheetah is faster than most other animals.
Part 2: Superlative to Positive ("One of the" → "Very few")
Always remember the rule: Very few + Plural Noun + Plural Verb (are/were)!
- Question: India is one of the largest democracies in the world. (Change into Positive) - HSC March 2022
Answer: Very few democracies in the world are as large as India. - Question: Rose is one of the most beautiful flowers. (Change into Positive)
Answer: Very few flowers are as beautiful as rose. - Question: He was one of the smartest students in the class. (HSC March 2020)
Answer: Very few students in the class were as smart as he was. (Used 'were' because the original sentence was 'was'). - Question: English is one of the most widely spoken languages.
Answer: Very few languages are as widely spoken as English. - Question: The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous monuments.
Answer: Very few monuments are as famous as the Taj Mahal.
Part 3: Positive & Comparative → Superlative
- Question: Very few boys in the school are as talented as Rohan. (Change into Superlative) - HSC March 2023
Answer: Rohan is one of the most talented boys in the school. - Question: Australia is larger than most other islands in the world. (Change into Superlative)
Answer: Australia is one of the largest islands in the world. - Question: Very few subjects are as difficult as Physics. (Change into Comparative)
Answer: Physics is more difficult than most other subjects. - Question: Iron is more useful than most other metals. (Change into Superlative) - HSC March 2024 Pattern
Answer: Iron is one of the most useful metals. - Question: Very few Indian scientists were as brilliant as Dr. Kalam. (Change into Superlative)
Answer: Dr. Kalam was one of the most brilliant Indian scientists.
Part 4: The 2-Subject Exception (Positive ↔ Comparative Only)
When only two things are compared, swap the names and add/remove 'not'. Superlative is NOT possible!
- Question: The pen is mightier than the sword. (Change into Positive)
Answer: The sword is not as mighty as the pen. - Question: She is as intelligent as her brother. (Change into Comparative)
Answer: Her brother is not more intelligent than she is. - Question: A deer does not run as fast as a cheetah. (Change into Comparative)
Answer: A cheetah runs faster than a deer. - Question: Silver is not as expensive as gold. (Change into Comparative)
Answer: Gold is more expensive than silver. - Question: Prevention is better than cure. (Change into Positive)
Answer: Cure is not as good as prevention.
📝 Test Yourself: Guess the Transformation!
Have you mastered the "Very few" and "One of the" rules? Try transforming these 5 tricky 12th board-level sentences. Click on "Show Answer" to check your accuracy!
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Question: Change to Positive: Mt. Everest is the highest peak in the world.
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Answer: No other peak in the world is as high as Mt. Everest. (Note: This is Type 1, because it does NOT say "one of the").
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Question: Change to Positive: Jupiter is one of the heaviest planets.
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Answer: Very few planets are as heavy as Jupiter.
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Question: Change to Superlative: Very few leaders were as visionary as Nelson Mandela.
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Answer: Nelson Mandela was one of the most visionary leaders.
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Question: Change to Comparative: Your bag is as heavy as mine.
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Answer: My bag is not heavier than yours. (Only 2 things compared, so we swap and add 'not').
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Question: Spot the Error: Very few country is as rich as America.
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Answer: Very few countries are as rich as America. (Rule: Very few + Plural Noun + Plural Verb).
The secret to scoring full marks in Advanced Degrees of Comparison is memorizing the specific keywords for each degree (One of the / than most other / Very few). Bookmark this page, practice thoroughly, and secure your marks in the HSC / ISC English grammar section!