Supercharge Your Sentences: A Guide to Comparing Things!
Hello! Have you ever wanted to explain which superhero is stronger, which food is tastier, or which day was the best day ever? To do that, you need to know how to compare things in English. It's a super useful skill for everything from choosing a new phone to telling a great story.
In these notes, we'll learn how to give our describing words (adjectives) special powers to compare two things (using -er and more) or to find the number one in a group (using -est and most). Don't worry if this seems tricky at first, we'll break it down with lots of easy examples!
Quick Warm-up: What's an Adjective?
Before we start comparing, let's remember our main tool: the adjective. An adjective is simply a describing word. It tells us more about a noun (a person, place, or thing).
For example:
- a fast car
- a happy dog
- an interesting book
Think of adjectives like a filter on a photo – they add colour, detail, and emotion!
The First Power-Up: Comparing TWO Things (Comparatives)
When you want to compare just two things, you use the comparative form. It helps you say that one thing has 'more' of a quality than another. Think of it as a friendly competition between two items!
Rule 1: For short adjectives (one syllable), add '-er'.
This is the most common rule. Just add -er to the end of the adjective.
- tall -> taller
- strong -> stronger
- fast -> faster
Example sentence: A lion is stronger than a wolf.
Spelling Secrets for '-er' Words:
- If the adjective ends in -e, just add -r.
(nice -> nicer, large -> larger)
- If it ends in Consonant-Vowel-Consonant, double the last consonant before adding -er.
(big -> bigger, hot -> hotter)
- If it ends in -y, change the 'y' to an 'i' and add -er.
(happy -> happier, busy -> busier)
Rule 2: For long adjectives (two or more syllables), use 'more'.
For longer words, adding '-er' sounds strange. Instead, we put the word more in front of the adjective. Do not add '-er'!
- beautiful -> more beautiful
- difficult -> more difficult
- exciting -> more exciting
Example sentence: The maths test was more difficult than the history test.
Rule 3: The Rebels! (Irregular Adjectives)
Some words love to break the rules! You just have to memorise them. Luckily, there are only a few common ones.
- good -> better
- bad -> worse
- far -> farther or further
Example sentence: Eating vegetables is better for your health than eating sweets.
Important: Don't Forget 'than'!
When you are making a comparison sentence, you must use the word than to connect the two things.
The magic formula: [Thing 1] + is/are + [Comparative Adjective] + than + [Thing 2].
Example: Jupiter is bigger than Earth.
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
- Mistake: Using 'more' and '-er' together.
Incorrect: He is more taller than his sister.
Correct: He is taller than his sister.
- Mistake: Spelling 'than' as 'then'. 'Then' means 'next'.
Incorrect: I am faster then you.
Correct: I am faster than you.
Key Takeaway
To compare two things, use -er for short adjectives or more for long adjectives. Always use the word than to connect them!
The Ultimate Power-Up: Comparing THREE or More (Superlatives)
What if you want to find the #1 in a whole group? That's when you need the superlative form. Think of it like giving out a gold medal – there's only one winner!
Rule 1: For short adjectives, add '-est'.
This is just like the '-er' rule, but for finding the top one.
- tall -> tallest
- strong -> strongest
- fast -> fastest
Example sentence: He is the tallest student in the class.
Spelling Secrets for '-est' Words:
The spelling rules are the same as for comparatives!
- Ends in -e? Add -st. (nice -> nicest)
- C-V-C? Double the last letter. (big -> biggest)
- Ends in -y? Change to 'i'. (happy -> happiest)
Rule 2: For long adjectives, use 'most'.
Instead of 'more', we use the word most in front of long adjectives.
- beautiful -> most beautiful
- difficult -> most difficult
- exciting -> most exciting
Example sentence: That was the most exciting movie I have ever seen.
Rule 3: The Irregular Superlatives
Our rule-breakers are back! Here are their superlative forms.
- good -> best
- bad -> worst
- far -> farthest or furthest
Example sentence: This is the best pizza in town!
The Golden Rule: Always Use 'the'!
Because there is only one "number one", we almost always put the word the before a superlative adjective.
Example: The cheetah is the fastest land animal.
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
- Mistake: Forgetting to use 'the'.
Incorrect: She is smartest person I know.
Correct: She is the smartest person I know.
- Mistake: Using 'most' and '-est' together.
Incorrect: It was the most biggest cake!
Correct: It was the biggest cake!
Key Takeaway
To find the #1 in a group, use the ... -est for short adjectives or the most ... for long adjectives.
Looking at the Other Side: 'Less' and 'Least'
Sometimes you want to say something has less of a quality. It's easy!
Less is the opposite of 'more'. We use it for comparing two things.
Example: This book is less interesting than the last one.
The least is the opposite of 'the most'. We use it for comparing three or more things.
Example: Monday is the least favourite day of the week for many people.
Let's Review! A Quick Summary
Here is a handy table to help you remember everything.
Adjective Type
Short (fast)
Short ending in 'y' (happy)
Long (expensive)
Irregular (good)
Irregular (bad)
Comparative (2 things)
faster
happier
more expensive
better
worse
Superlative (3+ things)
the fastest
the happiest
the most expensive
the best
the worst
Challenge Yourself! Can you find the mistakes?
1. My drawing is more better than yours.
2. She is happiest girl in the world.
3. The final boss was the most hardest part of the game.
(Answers: 1. "better", not "more better" | 2. "the happiest", not "happiest" | 3. "the hardest", not "the most hardest")
Great job! Keep practising and soon you'll be a master of comparisons. You'll be able to describe the world around you with amazing detail!