Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. The clock that we have in our town square is a big in the whole town
the biggest
Understanding Adjective Degrees of Comparison
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They can change their form to show comparison between things. There are three degrees of comparison:
- Positive Degree: Used when describing a single thing or when comparing things that are equal. (e.g., big, happy, beautiful)
- Comparative Degree: Used when comparing two things. (e.g., bigger, happier, more beautiful)
- Superlative Degree: Used when comparing one thing to a group of three or more things to show which one has the highest or lowest degree of the quality. (e.g., biggest, happiest, most beautiful)
Analyzing the Sentence and the Comparison Needed
The given sentence is: "The clock that we have in our town square is a big in the whole town".
The sentence is comparing the clock in the town square to all other things (implicitly other clocks or structures) in the entire town. This means we are comparing one item (the clock) to a group of many items (everything else in the town).
This type of comparison requires the use of the superlative degree of the adjective.
Evaluating the Underlined Segment and Options
The underlined segment is "a big". "Big" is the positive degree of the adjective, and "a" is an indefinite article. Using the positive degree here is incorrect because a comparison to a group is being made.
Let's examine the given options:
- 1. the bigger: "Bigger" is the comparative degree, used for comparing only two items. This does not fit the context of comparing the clock to everything in the whole town.
- 2. the big: "Big" is the positive degree. This is used for simple description or equal comparison, not for comparing one item to a group as the largest.
- 3. the biggest: "Biggest" is the superlative degree of "big". This is used for comparing one item to a group of three or more and indicating which is at the extreme end of the quality. The definite article "the" correctly precedes the superlative adjective here. This fits the context of describing the clock as having the highest degree of "bigness" among everything in the town.
- 4. a biggest: "Biggest" is the superlative degree. However, superlative adjectives are typically preceded by the definite article "the", not the indefinite article "a". This option is grammatically incorrect.
Selecting the Most Appropriate Substitution
Based on the analysis of the required degree of comparison and the correct usage of articles with superlative adjectives, the most appropriate option to substitute "a big" is "the biggest".
The corrected sentence should be: "The clock that we have in our town square is the biggest in the whole town".
Summary Table: Degrees of "Big"
| Degree | Adjective Form | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | big | It is a big clock. |
| Comparative | bigger | This clock is bigger than that one. |
| Superlative | biggest | This is the biggest clock in the town. |
Revision Table: Adjective Comparison Forms
| Concept | Usage Context | Adjective Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive Degree | Describing one item, or comparing items equally. | Base form of adjective. | She is tall. / He is as tall as her. |
| Comparative Degree | Comparing exactly two items. | Adjective + -er or "more" + adjective. | She is taller than him. / This book is more interesting than that one. |
| Superlative Degree | Comparing one item to a group of three or more. | The + adjective + -est or the + "most" + adjective. | She is the tallest in the class. / This is the most interesting book I have read. |
Additional Information on Superlative Adjectives
Superlative adjectives are crucial for indicating the highest or lowest degree of a quality within a set of items.
- Always use "the" before a superlative adjective when it modifies a noun, unless a possessive pronoun or noun in the possessive case is used (e.g., my biggest fear, John's best friend).
- Sometimes, the group being compared to is understood from the context and not explicitly stated (as in the given sentence, "in the whole town" specifies the group).
- Formation of superlatives: add "-est" to most one-syllable adjectives (e.g., small > smallest), use "most" for most adjectives with two or more syllables (e.g., expensive > most expensive), and remember irregular forms (e.g., good > best, bad > worst, far > farthest/furthest).
Important Questions from Miscellaneous
A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20 m high building with a speed of 12 m/s. It hits the ground at a distance R from the building. Taking g = 10 m/s2 and neglecting air resistance will give :
A sphere of volume V is made of a material with lower density than water. While on Earth, it floats on water with its volume f1V (f1 < 1) submerged. On the other hand, on a spaceship accelerating with acceleration a < g (g is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth) in outer space, its submerged volume in water is f2V. Then:
A railway wagon (open at the top) of mass M1 is moving with speed v1 along a straight track. As a result of rain, after some time it gets partially filled with water so that the mass of the wagon becomes M2 and speed becomes v2. Taking the rain to be falling vertically and the water stationery inside the wagon, the relation between the two speeds v1 and v2 is :
Consider the following statements:
1. Distance between the longitudes becomes zero on North Pole and South Pole.
2. Distance between the longitudes is maximum on the Equator.
3. Number of longitudes is more than number of latitudes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
One block of 2⋅0 kg mass is placed on top of another block of 3⋅0 kg mass. The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks is 0⋅2. The bottom block is pulled with a horizontal force F such that both the blocks move together without slipping. Taking acceleration due to gravity as 10 m/s2, the maximum value of the frictional force is :
