Chapter 17: Word Pairs and Comparisions

Understanding commonly tested word pairs and comparisons is crucial for SAT grammar questions. Review these flashcards to improve your skills.

Used to compare two things, add "er" to short adjectives and use "more" with longer adjectives. Example: John is taller than Mark. The painting is more beautiful than the sculpture.

Used to compare three or more things, add "est" to short adjectives and use "most" with longer adjectives. Example: Sarah is the tallest girl in the class. That is the most interesting book I've ever read.

Use "-er" or "more" to form the comparative degree of adverbs. Example: She runs faster than him. He speaks more fluently than his sister.

Use "-est" or "most" to form the superlative degree of adverbs. Example: She runs the fastest in the race. He speaks the most fluently among all the contestants.

Certain adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Example: Good - better - best, Bad - worse - worst, Well - better - best

Avoid using both comparative and superlative forms in the same sentence. Example: Incorrect: She is taller than all the girls and the tallest in the class. Correct: She is taller than all the girls in the class.

"Than" is used for comparisons, while "Then" indicates time or sequence. Example: He is taller than his brother. Finish your homework, then you can go play.

"Affect" is a verb meaning to influence, while "Effect" is a noun meaning result or consequence. Example: The rain affected the game. The effect of the storm was widespread damage.

"Its" is a possessive pronoun, while "It's" is a contraction of "it is" or "it has." Example: The dog wagged its tail. It's raining ou