Match the word to its degree of comparison. 1. worst positive 2. bad superlative 3. worse comparative

The correct answers are:

1. worst - superlative;

2. bad - positive;

3. worse - comparative.

Explanation:

The term positive degree relates to adjectives and adverbs, and defines those adjectives or adverbs that does not compare nouns but define it somehow. So, we may say this is the normal form of an adjective, such as bad.

However, adjectives can also be used to compare two or more things. When we are comparing one noun to another -comparing two things- we use the comparative form of the adjective. The comparative form can be formed by adding -er to the adjective, by adding the word more or less or by using the comparative form already defined, such as worse.

Whenever we are comparing more than two things, we use the superlative form of the adjective, that is the one that ends with -est, or that includes the word most or least, or changes to worst, in the case of the adjective bad.

the sentence does not violate the phrase structure second rule (introduced by noam chomsky) because noun phrases consist of a determiner such as a, the or every, and a noun. in the sentence, the noun phrase the cake includes a determiner (the) and a noun (cake).

on the other hand, the first rule indicates that a sentence encloses a noun phrase, followed by a verb phrase. the example sentence can be analysed as follows:

john (n) + ate (v) + the (det) + cake (n).

pulling in the reader is important