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Comparative Adjective Definition: A comparative adjective is an adjective that compares the traits of two nouns side-by-side.
What is a Comparative Adjective?
Adjectives are words used to describe nouns, and when a writer wishes to compare the descriptions of two nouns side-by-side, it requires the use of a comparative adjective.
Comparative Adjective Examples:
- The tree in the front yard is taller than the one in the backyard.
- Taller = comparative adjective that is used to compare the height of the two trees
- Christina often bragged that she was prettier than her classmates.
- Prettier = comparative adjective that is used to compare the looks of Christina and her classmates.
Forming Comparatives
One-syllable words: you simply add –er to the end of the word in order to form a comparative adjective.
- Tall becomes taller
- Smart becomes smarter
Two syllable words not ending in “y”: include the word “more” before the adjective
- Anxious = more anxious
- Charming = more charming
Two syllable words that end in “y”: drop the “y” and add –ier
- Pretty = prettier
- Clumsy = clumsier
With three or more syllable words: include the word “more” before the adjective
- Mysterious = more mysterious
- Disgusting = more disgusting
Ending in consonant-vowel-consonant: If your word ends with the pattern of consonant-vowel-consonant, you will want to double up the ending consonant before you add –er to the end.
- Big = bigger
- Sad = sadder
- Fat = fatter
Irregular Comparatives
Examples of Irregular Comparative Adjectives:
- good = better
- bad = worse
- little = less
- much = more
What is the Difference Between Comparative and Superlative Adjectives?
Comparative vs. Superlative Adjectives: While comparative adjectives are used to make comparisons between two nouns, superlative adjectives are used for comparisons of three or more nouns.
Superlative adjectives compare qualities of nouns from greatest to least degree.
Superlative Adjective Examples:
- I have the tallest tree in the neighborhood.
- tallest = superlative showing the tree is at the top of limits in comparison to the others.
- Lindsey is the least charming real estate agent.
- least charming = superlative showing that Lindsey is at the bottom of the limits in comparison to the other agents.
Beware of Double Comparatives
For example, here is a double comparative along with two options for fixing it.
- Jason was more smarter than the students in his class.
- More smarter = double comparative.
To fix this, delete “more” and only use the comparative adjective, smarter.
- Jason was smarter than the students in his class.
Or, use a superlative instead of a comparative adjective.
- Jason was the smartest student in the class.
Summary: What are Comparative Adjectives?
Define comparative adjective: In summary, comparative adjectives are used when the writer is showing the differences between a quality that two nouns possess.
- Michelle is more fashionable than her older sister.
- more fashionable = comparative adjective
When we talk about two things, we can "compare" them. We can see if they are the same or different. Perhaps they are the same in some ways and different in other ways. We can use comparative adjectives to describe the differences.
We use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or more things).
In the example below, "bigger" is the comparative form of the adjective "big":
A1 A2
A1 is bigger than A2.
Formation of Comparative Adjectives
There are two ways to make or to "form" a comparative adjective:
- short adjectives: add "-er"
- long adjectives: use "more"
1-syllable adjectives | old, fast |
2-syllable adjectives ending in -y | happy, easy |
RULE: add "-er" | old → older |
Variation: if the adjective ends in -e, just add -r | late → later |
Variation: if the adjective ends in consonant, vowel, consonant, double the last consonant | big → bigger |
Variation: if the adjective ends in -y, change the y to i | happy → happier |
2-syllable adjectives not ending in -y | modern, pleasant |
all adjectives of 3 or more syllables | expensive, intellectual |
RULE: use "more" | modern → more modern expensive → more expensive |
With some 2-syllable adjectives, we can use "-er" OR "more": quiet → quieter/more quiet clever → cleverer/more clever narrow → narrower/more narrow
simple → simpler/more simple
Exception: The following adjectives have irregular forms: good → better well (healthy) → better bad → worse
far → farther/further
Use of Comparative Adjectives
We use comparative adjectives when talking about 2 things (not 3 or 10 or 1,000,000 things, only 2 things).
Often, the comparative adjective is followed by "than".
Look at these examples:
- John is 1m80. He is tall. But Chris is 1m85. He is taller than John.
- America is big. But Russia is bigger.
- I want to have a more powerful computer.
- Is French more difficult than English?
If we talk about the two planets Earth and Mars, we can compare them as shown in the table below:
Diameter (km) | 12,760 | 6,790 | Mars is smaller than Earth. |
Distance from Sun (million km) | 150 | 228 | Mars is more distant from the Sun. |
Length of day (hours) | 24 | 25 | A day on Mars is slightly longer than a day on Earth. |
Moons | 1 | 2 | Mars has more moons than Earth. |
Surface temperature (degrees Celsius) | 22 | -23 | Mars is colder than Earth. |
Although we use comparative adjectives when talking about two things (not three or more things), in fact one or both of the things may be a group of things.
- Mt Everest is higher than all other mountains.