Comparative facts for kids
Have you ever wanted to compare two things? Like saying one dog is bigger than another, or one story is more interesting? In English, we use special words called comparatives to do this. Comparatives help us show differences between two nouns (people, places, things) or two actions.
For example:
- John is tall, but Mark is taller.
- An hour is longer than a minute.
Contents
What are Comparatives?
Comparatives are special forms of adjectives and adverbs. They help us compare two things or actions. We use them to show which one has more of a certain quality.
How to Form Comparatives
There are a few ways to turn a regular word into a comparative.
Adding "-er"
Many words become comparative by simply adding -er to the end.
- cool - cooler
- big - bigger
- wet - wetter
- dark - darker
Words Ending in "Y"
If a word ends with the letter 'Y', you usually change the 'Y' to an 'I' before adding -er.
- happy - happier
- fluffy - fluffier
- angry - angrier
- costly - costlier
Using "More"
Some words cannot have -er added to them. Instead, we put the word more in front of them. This often happens with longer words that have three or more syllables.
- beautiful - more beautiful
- reliable - more reliable
- expensive - more expensive
If you are not sure whether to add -er or use "more," it is usually safe to use "more." For example, "more happy" is perfectly fine, even though "happier" is also correct.
Important Rule: No Double Comparatives!
You should never use both the -er ending and the word "more" together. This is called a "double comparative" and it is incorrect.
- I am happier than you. - Correct.
- I am more happy than you. - Correct.
- I am more happier than you. - WRONG!
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