ENGLISH
REFERENCE

comparative

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //kəmˈpɛɹətɪv// UK //kəmpˈæɹətˌɪv// com·par·a·tive Archaic General-service

n. the form of an adjective or adverb that you use to compare two things. It usually ends in '-er' or uses the word 'more'.

n. the form of an adjective or adverb expressing a higher degree of a quality, but not the highest. Often formed by adding the suffix '-er' or the pre-modifier 'more'.


SIMPLE

The word 'faster' is the comparative of 'fast'.

CONTEXTUAL

When writing your essay, remember that the comparative of 'good' is 'better', not 'gooder'.

COMPLEX

While most short adjectives form the comparative by adding a suffix, longer words require a periphrastic construction using 'more' to maintain phonetic balance.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English comparatif, from Middle French comparatif, from Latin comparātīvus, equivalent to comparātus, from comparāre (“to compare”) + -ive, from Latin -īvus.

Usage

Commonly followed by the conjunction 'than' to introduce the second element of the comparison.

Pitfall

This car is more faster.This car is faster.Learners often use 'double comparatives' by combining the '-er' suffix with the word 'more', which is grammatically incorrect.

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