comparatives
- 1Plural of comparative.
English forms most comparatives by adding the ending -er to short adjectives.
The grammar exercise asked her to circle all the comparatives in the sentence.
Note
The plural does more work than its grammar-book meaning suggests. Besides naming words like bigger, as big and less big (comparatives of superiority, equality and inferiority), it has a meaning that lives only in the plural: data gathered to make a comparison. Older English also used the form for rivals or equals, and for people given to witty comparisons. Both of those uses are now obsolete.
comparatives is a form of comparative
comparative, noun: The degree of an adjective or adverb used to compare two things, formed in English by adding -er or the word more, as in 'bigger' or 'more fully.' Full entry
- Forms
- comparativecomparatives plural
- Spelling
- comparative → comparatives: add -s
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /z/.
Use it in a sentence
Write your own sentence with comparatives, and AI will tell you whether it fits and which meaning you used.