Comparative Adverbs

Comparative adverbs. Pip and Koko just completed a round of their favourite game: Bigger, Better, Hero Adventure! The score screen uses comparative adverbs to describe how they did! Let's take a closer look. An adverb describes an action by answering questions such as: how? When? Where? How often? And in what way? A comparative adverb compares two actions or performances to one another. Regular comparative adverbs follow rules and patterns. If an adverb has one syllable or one single unbroken sound, add the suffix to the end. For example, 'fast' is a one-syllable adverb. We change it to the comparative form by adding the suffix , making it 'faster'. Pip collected the coins faster than Koko. If an adverb has two syllables, add 'more' or 'less' in front. For example, 'quickly' and 'often' are two-syllable adverbs. We change it to the comparative form by adding 'more' or 'less' in front, making them 'more quickly' and 'less often'. The score screen says: Koko finished the level more quickly than Pip, and ran into the cacti less often. Irregular comparative adverbs don't follow any of these rules, so we need to memorise how to make each of these adverbs comparative! Such as changing the adverb badly to worse, well to better, far to further or farther, little to less, much to more and early to earlier. The score screen says: Koko and Pip finished the level earlier than the last attempt. Informal comparative adverbs have a formal version with the ending suffix and an informal version without it. Informal comparative adverbs are usually used in speech. Formal comparative adverbs are usually used in writing. Let's take a look at some examples: To make the adverb cheap or cheaply informal comparative we add the suffix , making it cheaper. To make it formal comparative, we add the suffix and 'more' to the front making it 'more cheaply'. To make the adverb slow or slowly informal comparative we add the suffix , making it slow-er. To make it formal comparative, we add the suffix and 'more' to the front making it 'more slowly'. The score screen says: If Pip and Koko move more slowly next time, they may collect more coins than in today's game. Before Koko and Pip start the next level, let's summarise. Remember, a comparative adverb compares two actions or performances to one another. Regular comparative adverbs follow rules and patterns while irregular comparative adverbs don't follow any rules, so we need to memorise how to make each of these adverbs comparative! Informal comparative adverbs are usually used in speech and formal comparative adverbs are usually used in writing. "Oh! I got it Koko! I'm going to choose this option more quickly than you!" "Pi, no! That was my highest score!" "Well it looks like we get a rematch!"