Comparative Adjectives Lesson: Definition, Examples, and Usage

Lesson Overview

• What Are Comparative Adjectives?
• How to Form Comparative Adjectives
• Rules for Using Comparative Adjectives
• Difference between Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives 
• Examples of Comparative Adjectives in Sentences
• Comparative Adjectives Assessment

From everyday conversations to academic writing, comparative adjectives are essential for expressing comparisons and making our language more vivid and informative. They allow us to go beyond basic descriptions and explore the relationships between things in a more meaningful way.

What Are Comparative Adjectives?

Comparative adjectives are adjectives that modify a noun by indicating how its quality or quantity compares to that of another noun. They are used to express a higher or lower degree of a characteristic in one thing compared to another. 

Key Features:

• Relative Comparison: They establish a relationship between two nouns, highlighting a difference or similarity in a specific attribute.
  
• Gradation: They show a gradation or degree of a quality, indicating that one noun possesses the quality to a greater or lesser extent than the other. 
  
• Two Entities: Comparative adjectives are specifically used to compare two things or groups of things. 
  

Example:

• "The blue whale is larger than the elephant."

Here, "larger" is the comparative adjective, indicating that the blue whale possesses the quality of size to a greater degree than the elephant. 

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How to Form Comparative Adjectives

The formation of comparative adjectives follows specific rules based on the adjective's structure and number of syllables. 

1. One-Syllable Adjectives

• For most one-syllable adjectives, simply add "-er" to the end.

Examples:

tall → taller

old → older

fast → faster

• If the adjective already ends in "-e," just add "-r."

Examples:

wide → wider

fine → finer

large → larger

• If the adjective has a single vowel before a single consonant at the end then double the final consonant and then add "-er."

Examples:

big → bigger

thin → thinner

hot → hotter

2. Two-Syllable Adjectives

• For adjectives ending in -y change the "y" to "i" and then add "-er."

Examples:

happy → happier

easy → easier

funny → funnier

• For most other two-syllable adjectives use "more" before the adjective.

Examples:

peaceful → more peaceful

modern → more modern

careful → more careful

• Some two-syllable adjectives can use either "-er" or "more." There's no strict rule for these, so you might see both forms.

Examples:

clever → cleverer / more clever

simple → simpler / more simple

gentle → gentler / more gentle

3. Three or More Syllable Adjectives

• For longer adjectives, always use "more" before the adjective.

Examples:

beautiful → more beautiful

expensive → more expensive

intelligent → more intelligent

4. Exceptions:

• Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms that don't follow the usual patterns. These need to be memorized.

Examples:

good → better

bad → worse

far → farther/further

little → less

many/much → more

• To compare and show something has a lower degree of a quality, use "less" before the adjective.

Examples:

important → less important

interesting → less interesting

• To show two things are equal in a quality, use "as + adjective + as."
  

Example:

"The cat is as black as night."

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Rules for Using Comparative Adjectives

Using comparative adjectives correctly involves understanding their grammatical rules and stylistic considerations.

• Structure and Formation

The basic structure for using comparative adjectives is:

Noun (subject) + verb + comparative adjective + than + noun (object).  

Example: "My car is faster than your car."

• Comparing Two Entities

Comparative adjectives are specifically used to compare two things or groups of things. Avoid using them to compare more than two.  

• Using "Than"

The word "than" is typically used after the comparative adjective to introduce the second entity in the comparison. In some cases, "than" can be omitted if the comparison is clear from the context.

Example: "This route is quicker." (Implied comparison to another route)

• Parallel Structure

When comparing two things, ensure that the qualities being compared are parallel in structure.

Example: "This book is more interesting and more informative than that one." (Both adjectives are in the comparative form)

• Avoiding Double Comparatives

Do not use two comparative forms together.

Incorrect: "This is more better than that."

Correct: "This is better than that."

• Using "Much," "Far," "Slightly," etc.

Use words like "much," "far," "slightly," "a lot," "a little," etc., to indicate the degree of difference between the two things being compared.

Example: "This house is much larger than the previous one."

• Comparative Adjectives with Superlatives

Comparative adjectives are used to compare two things, while superlatives are used to compare three or more things. Understand the relationship between these two forms to use them correctly.

Example: "This is the tallest tree in the forest, taller than any other tree.

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Difference between Comparative Adjectives and Superlative Adjectives 

While both comparative and superlative adjectives express degrees of comparison, they have distinct functions and grammatical structures.

Feature	Comparative Adjectives	Superlative Adjectives
Function	Compare two nouns or groups of nouns.	Identify the noun with the highest or lowest degree of a quality among three or more nouns.
Degree	Indicate a greater or lesser degree of a quality in one noun compared to another.	Indicate the greatest or least degree of a quality among all nouns being compared.
Number of Nouns Compared	Two	Three or more
Structure	- Add "-er" or "more" (depending on the number of syllables).- Often followed by "than."	- Add "-est" or "most" (depending on the number of syllables). - Often preceded by "the."
Example	"This car is faster than that one."	"This is the fastest car in the race."

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Examples of Comparative Adjectives in Sentences

Adjective	Comparative	Superlative	Example Sentence (Comparative)
One-Syllable Adjectives
safe	safer	safest	This neighborhood is safer than the last one.
brave	braver	bravest	The firefighter was braver than anyone else.
Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y
angry	angrier	angriest	He was angrier yesterday than he is today.
busy	busier	busiest	This week is busier than last week.
Two-Syllable Adjectives (General Rule)
modern	more modern	most modern	This building is more modern than that one.
recent	more recent	most recent	This news article is more recent than that one.
Three-Syllable Adjectives
intelligent	more intelligent	most intelligent	Dolphins are more intelligent than many other animals.
comfortable	more comfortable	most comfortable	This chair is more comfortable than the sofa.
Irregular Adjectives
little	less	least	I have less time to study this week.
many/much	more	most	There are more students in this class than the other one.

Comparative Adjectives Assessment

Exercise 1: Underline the comparative adjective in each sentence.

1. This book is more interesting than the last one I read.
2. The cheetah is faster than the lion.
3. My house is smaller than yours.
4. This winter is colder than last year's.
5. She is taller than her sister.
6. This cake is sweeter than the pie.
7. The blue whale is larger than the elephant.

Answers:

1. more interesting
2. faster
3. smaller
4. colder
5. taller
6. sweeter
7. larger
   

Exercise 2: Write the comparative form of the adjective in parentheses.

1. This car is (expensive) than that one.
2. The elephant is (big) than the horse.
3. This movie is (funny) than the last one we saw.
4. The weather is (warm) today.
5. This test was (difficult) than I expected.
6. She is a (careful) driver than he is.
7. This problem is (simple) than it looks.
   

Answers:

1. more expensive
2. bigger
3. funnier
4. warmer
5. more difficult
6. more careful
7. Simpler
   

Exercise 3: Complete each sentence with the correct comparative form of the adjective in parentheses.

1. My brother is _______ (tall) than me.
2. This pizza is _______ (delicious) than the one we ordered last time.
3. The train is _______ (fast) than the bus.
4. This chair is _______ (comfortable) than that one.
5. The weather is _______ (bad) today than it was yesterday.
6. He is a _______ (good) student than his friend.
7. This road is _______ (narrow) than the highway.

Answers:

1. taller
2. more delicious
3. faster
4. more comfortable
5. worse
6. better
7. narrower

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