What Are Double Comparatives?

A double comparative happens when you incorrectly use two comparative forms in the same sentence, which can sound awkward or incorrect. Comparative forms are used to show a comparison between two things, usually by adding -er to adjectives (e.g., smaller, bigger) or using more or less before an adjective (e.g., more beautiful).

Incorrect Example (Double Comparative):

• This car is more faster than that one.

In this example, both more and faster are comparative forms, which is unnecessary. You only need one!

Correct Version:

• This car is faster than that one.

How to Avoid Double Comparatives

1. Choose One Comparative Form
   For short adjectives (usually one syllable), add -er:
   • fast → faster
   • big → bigger

   For longer adjectives (two syllables or more), use more or less before the adjective:

   • interesting → more interesting
   • expensive → more expensive
2. Don’t Use “More” or “Less” with Comparatives Ending in -er
   Avoid using more or less if the adjective already ends with -er. For example:
   • ❌ Incorrect: He is more taller than me.
   • ✅ Correct: He is taller than me.
3. Use “More” or “Less” for Longer Adjectives
   When using adjectives that are more than one syllable, use more or less and never add -er:
   • ❌ Incorrect: She is beautifuller than her sister.
   • ✅ Correct: She is more beautiful than her sister.

Examples of Common Double Comparative Mistakes

1. Incorrect: This book is more better than that one.
   Correct: This book is better than that one.
2. Incorrect: He runs more faster than I do.
   Correct: He runs faster than I do.

Quick Practice: Avoid Double Comparatives!

Fill in the blanks with the correct comparative form:

1. She is ______ (more/less/taller) than her brother.
2. The red car is ______ (faster/more faster) than the blue one.
3. This recipe is ______ (more delicious/deliciouser) than the one I tried last week.

Answers:

1. She is taller than her brother.
2. The red car is faster than the blue one.
3. This recipe is more delicious than the one I tried last week.

Learning Tip:

Pro Tip: If the adjective has just one syllable, use -er (e.g., smaller). If it’s longer, use more (e.g., more beautiful).

Key Difference

The word “none” can be tricky because it can mean not one (singular) or not any (plural). So, both “none is” and “none are” can be correct depending on what you’re referring to!

Let’s explore this with examples.

1. When to Use “None Is” (Singular)

If you’re talking about a single item or something uncountable, you should use “is” because “none” refers to not one.

Examples:

• “None of the cake is left.” (Refers to a singular thing: cake 🍰)
• “None of the information is accurate.” (Information is uncountable)

Think of “none” as not one here. If you could replace “none” with “not one,” and the sentence makes sense, you’ll want to use is:

• “Not one of the cake is left.” ✅

2. When to Use “None Are” (Plural)

If you’re referring to multiple items, “none” means not any, so you should use are. This happens when you’re talking about countable nouns.

Examples:

• “None of the students are present.” (Students = countable, plural 👩‍🎓👨‍🎓)
• “None of the books are on the shelf.” (Books = plural 📚)

Here, “none” refers to not any. If you could replace “none” with “not any” and it makes sense, then you should use are:

• “Not any of the students are present.” ✅

Common Confusions

Sometimes, both singular and plural could technically work depending on your focus.

• “None of the team is here.” (If you see the team as a single unit 🏆)
• “None of the team are here.” (If you’re thinking about the individual members 👥)

Both can be correct!

Quick Tip

If the noun after “none” is uncountable or singular (cake, information), use is.
If the noun is countable and plural (students, books), use are.

Practice Time! 📝

Fill in the blanks with “is” or “are”:

1. None of the water ___ safe to drink.
2. None of my friends ___ coming to the party.
3. None of the money ___ missing from the drawer.
4. None of the chairs ___ comfortable.

Answers:

1. None of the water is safe to drink. (Uncountable)
2. None of my friends are coming to the party. (Plural)
3. None of the money is missing from the drawer. (Uncountable)
4. None of the chairs are comfortable. (Plural)

Learning Tip! 🌟

To remember, think:

• Singular things like cake, money, or water = None is.
• Plural things like friends, students, or chairs = None are.

The Origins of “Alcohol”

The word alcohol has an interesting journey through languages and cultures. It originally comes from Arabic: the word “al-kuḥl” (الكحل). In ancient Arabic, kuḥl referred to a fine powder of antimony, which was used as an eyeliner (a type of cosmetic still used today in many cultures).

• “Al” in Arabic is the definite article, meaning “the.”
• “Kuḥl” was this specific cosmetic powder.

From Cosmetics to Chemistry

So, how did this cosmetic term become associated with alcoholic drinks? Over time, al-kuḥl took on a broader meaning. As medieval European alchemists adopted Arabic scientific knowledge, they began to use alcohol to describe substances produced through distillation, a key technique in alchemy. Since the distillation process was often used to purify or extract the essence of a substance, the word started to refer to pure, refined materials.

When alchemists distilled wine, they produced a concentrated substance known as “spirits of wine,” which was essentially pure alcohol. This led to the modern association of the word with ethanol, the type of alcohol found in beverages like wine, beer, and spirits.

Recap

So, alcohol originally described an ancient cosmetic, but through the process of alchemy and distillation, it evolved into the word we use today for the intoxicating substance found in drinks.

What is a Sentence Fragment?

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. It usually lacks a subject, verb, or doesn’t express a complete thought. While fragments can sometimes be used for style or emphasis, they’re usually considered errors in formal writing.

For example:

• Fragment: Because I was tired.
  (This doesn’t form a complete thought. What happened because you were tired?)
• Corrected: I went to bed early because I was tired.

How to Avoid Sentence Fragments

Here are a few steps you can follow to ensure your sentences are complete:

1. Check for a Subject and Verb

A complete sentence needs both a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (the action or state).

• Fragment: Running through the park. (No subject)
• Complete: She was running through the park. (Subject: She, Verb: was running)

1. Make Sure It Expresses a Complete Thought

Even with a subject and a verb, some sentences are incomplete because they depend on more information to make sense.

• Fragment: When I arrived at the party. (What happened when you arrived?)
• Complete: When I arrived at the party, everyone was dancing.

1. Be Careful with Dependent Clauses

Dependent clauses start with words like because, if, when, which, and while. These clauses cannot stand alone as sentences.

• Fragment: If you want to succeed.
• Complete: If you want to succeed, you need to work hard.

1. Don’t Mistake -ing Words for Verbs

Words ending in -ing (running, swimming, etc.) are not complete verbs on their own. You’ll need to pair them with a helping verb (am, is, are, was, etc.).

• Fragment: The dog barking loudly.
• Complete: The dog was barking loudly.

Practice Time!

Let’s try fixing some sentence fragments:

Fragment: While waiting for the bus.
Correction: I read a book while waiting for the bus.

Fragment: The girl who loves to dance.
Correction: The girl who loves to dance is performing tonight.

Fragment: After the movie ended.
Correction: After the movie ended, we went out for ice cream.

Practice Exercise

Now it’s your turn! Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences:

1. _______ was raining heavily.
2. When we arrived at the beach, _______.
3. The car speeding down the road _______.

✅ Answers:

1. It was raining heavily.
2. When we arrived at the beach, we saw dolphins.
3. The car speeding down the road crashed into a tree.

Pro Tip:

Whenever you’re unsure if a sentence is a fragment, ask yourself:

• Does it have a subject?
• Does it have a verb?
• Does it make sense by itself?

If it passes all three, you’re good to go!

🔑 Key Difference

• Site refers to a place or location (either physical or digital).
• Cite means to mention or refer to something, especially when giving credit in research or arguments.

1. Site (noun)

“Site” is used to talk about a place, such as a location for a building, a website, or an area where something happens.

• When to use it:
  • For physical places: construction sites, historical sites, event locations.
  • For online locations: websites, online platforms.
• Examples:

1. “The construction site is very busy.” 🚧 (Physical location where a building is being made)
2. “Visit our company’s site for more information.” 🌐 (Online website)

1. Cite (verb)

“Cite” means to refer to a source of information, often in academic or formal writing. When you cite something, you give credit to the original author or source.

• When to use it:
  • To give credit in research or writing.
  • To refer to laws, rules, or historical examples.
• Examples:

1. “Make sure to cite your sources in the essay.” 📝 (Give credit to authors of the information you used)
2. “The lawyer cited several laws to support her argument.” ⚖️ (Mentioned or referred to laws)

🎭 Engaging Analogy

Think of site like a physical place or online space, where things happen—like a construction site where workers are building something. On the other hand, cite is like pointing to a book 📚 or website to prove your point in an essay!

✨ Common Mistakes and Tips:

• ❌ Incorrect: “You need to site your sources.”
  • ✅ Correct: “You need to cite your sources.”
• ❌ Incorrect: “I visited the cite yesterday.”
  • ✅ Correct: “I visited the site yesterday.”

📝 Practice Time!

Fill in the blanks with site or cite:

1. “You must always ______ your sources in a research paper.”
2. “They’re building a new shopping mall on that ______.”
3. “The archaeologists discovered ancient artifacts at the excavation ______.”
4. “She forgot to ______ the author in her article.”

✅ Answers:

1. “You must always cite your sources in a research paper.”
2. “They’re building a new shopping mall on that site.”
3. “The archaeologists discovered ancient artifacts at the excavation site.”
4. “She forgot to cite the author in her article.”

🌟 Pro Tip:

Think of site as a place where something happens, and cite as crediting or mentioning a source. Easy to remember if you think: site = place and cite = credit!