Grammar Hunches: Comparatives (Practice)
Prompt
Now that you have worked through a lot of material that includes these basic patterns, and you have compared grammatically correct and incorrect sentences, write down what you think is a rule that could explain what makes a sentence grammatically correct or not. For example, you might write something like: “verbs always match nouns in number, and they usually come before the noun.” In other words, make your best guess for the grammar rule that makes sense out of the pattern(s) you see in the phrases you have been working with. Review if you need to, and you might briefly check your hunches against the sentences you have been working with in this or previous modules. Keep in mind that what you’re after is your hunch, not a grammar rule from a text book. Now check your hunch with the explanation of this principle in the following pattern.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Grammar Hunch: Rule for Comparatives
Hunch: “In comparative sentences, the form of the adjective changes to reflect the degree of comparison, and the structure typically involves a comparison between two nouns with the appropriate conjunction.”
Explanation
Comparative adjectives are used to compare differences between two entities, indicating that one has more or less of a quality than the other. The basic structure of a comparative sentence often involves a subject, a verb, a comparative adjective, and a conjunction, typically “than,” linking the two nouns being compared. For example, in the sentence “Sarah is taller than Lucy,” “taller” is the comparative form of the adjective “tall,” indicating a difference in height between the two subjects.
Adjectives generally form their comparative and superlative degrees in two main ways: through the addition of the suffix “-er” (for shorter adjectives) and by using “more” or “less” before the adjective (for longer adjectives). For instance, “big” becomes “bigger,” while “beautiful” becomes “more beautiful.” This pattern is crucial to constructing grammatically correct comparative sentences.
It’s also essential that the nouns being compared are clearly defined to avoid ambiguity. A common error in comparative sentences arises when the comparison is not explicit or when incorrect forms are used. For example, saying “This book is more better than that one” is incorrect because “better” is already a comparative form, and “more” is unnecessary.
Moreover, when creating a comparative, the context should guide the choice of the adjective. For instance, “The test was easier than the last one” implies a direct comparison of difficulty, making it clear that “easier” is used appropriately.
Ultimately, maintaining clarity, using the correct forms, and structuring the sentence properly are critical for ensuring that comparative sentences are grammatically correct and convey the intended meaning.