Which statement describes the comparative degree?

• A. Compares three or more things.
• B. Compares two people, places, or things.
• C. Describes a quality with no comparison.
• D. Indicates the highest degree.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how the comparative degree works. It’s used when you compare two people, places, or things, showing that one has a higher degree of a quality than the other. The comparative is usually formed by adding -er to the adjective (taller, bigger, faster) or by placing more/less before the adjective (more beautiful, less noisy). This is different from the positive degree, which just describes a quality without comparing (tall, beautiful), and from the superlative degree, which indicates the highest degree among three or more (tallest, most beautiful). So, describing a comparison between two items fits the comparative degree best.