Adjectives Comparative

We generally tend to compare two things whenever we talk about them. To check whether they are different and the same, we compare them. It also tells us about the degree of difference or similarity between two objects. Perhaps they are different in some ways and the same in other parts. To describe the differences between them better, we can use comparative adjectives. For example, the word “bigger” is the comparative adjective used for “big". When we say, BMW has bigger cars than Audi means we are comparing the car sizes of two companies, BMW and Audi, separately. Such adjectives of comparative form are used only when we are comparing two things and not three or more objects.

How To Form Comparative Adjectives?

There are specifically two types of comparative adjectives, short adjectives and long adjectives. So basically, there are two ways to form such words. If we add “-er” to the original word, then we will get short adjectives. While, just by adding “more” to the word, you can make long adjectives.

Short Comparative Adjectives 

Let’s first talk about short comparatives and superlatives. For this, you have one-syllable adjectives like fast and old. You also have two-syllable adjectives ending in y, such as easy and happy. The basic rule is to add “-er” to the original word. You can make older from old by adding “er". There are certain variations, like if the original word already ends in e, then add just “-r". For example, late becomes later.

Double the last consonant if the adjective ends in a consonant, vowel, and consonant format. For example, big will become bigger. Again, if an adjective ends in y, then change the y to I and then add “-er". For example, happier is derived from the adjective happy. Now, consider the word cold. The comparative adjective is colder, while the superlative is the coldest. Similarly, for bigger, it becomes biggest, hotter becomes hottest, and so on for superlative adjectives.

Long Comparative Adjectives

As you know, one can make long comparative and superlative simply by adding more to the original word. For example, words like expensive and modern become more expensive and more modern, respectively. The comparative format of two-syllable adjectives not ending in y like pleasant and modern usually form long comparative adjectives.

Other adjectives having three or more syllables, such as intellectual and expensive, all form long comparative adjectives. Regarding the superlative adjectives, more becomes most. For example, more famous becomes the most famous or more fascinating becomes the most fascinating and so on.

Exceptions Related To Comparative Adjectives

You can use both “-er” and “more", particularly with certain two-syllable adjectives. For example, quiet becomes quieter or more quiet. Similarly, there are three more, which are given below:

• Narrow can become narrower or more narrow.

• Clever can become cleverer or more clever. 

• Simple can become simpler or more simple.

But certain adjectives are there who have irregular forms like good becomes better while bad becomes worse in their comparative form. In fact, well or health becomes better and far becomes further or farther. 

Why Do We Use Comparative Adjectives?

The first question that often comes to our mind is what is a comparative adjective whose answer is the same as what are their uses. These words are used simply to compare two things, objects or persons specifically. They are not used to compare three or more subjects but only two particular subjects. Many times, a comparative adjective is followed by the word “then.” For example, Chris is taller than Hussain. Other examples include:

• Russia is somewhat bigger than America.

• Is learning Spanish more difficult than English?

• I think I have a right to have a more powerful personal computer.

Let us now compare two planets and try to understand the use of the comparative form of certain adjectives.

• Earth is hotter than Mars.

• Earth is much bigger than Mars.

• The time of a day on Mars is longer than one day on Earth. 

• Earth has fewer moons than Mars.

• Earth is closer to the Sun as compared to Mars.

Generally, we use comparative adjectives to compare two things, but either one or both things can be a particular group of things. For example, Mount Everest is taller than all other mountains in India. We are comparing a single thing like Mount Everest with another single portion like all other mountains. Whereas, here we are talking of hundreds of mountain ranges. 

Did You Know?

• Comparative adjectives can be used both as a subject complement as well as before pronoun or noun. 

• To describe the same noun or pronoun, multiple comparative adjectives can be easily used. 

• While comparing more than two things or people, you should use superlative adjectives.