Heavy: weight or intensity

The idea

Use a heavy bag or the bag is heavy. Compare two things with heavier than: the final y changes to i before -er.

Examples

• This suitcase is heavy.
• She carried a heavy box to the car.
• The bag of books is heavier than the empty bag.
• How heavy is the table?
• We waited inside during heavy rain.
• The traffic was heavy this morning.

Watch out

Heavy rain means intense rain and heavy traffic means many vehicles; neither expression describes physical weight.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the comparative spelling. The bag weighs more than the empty bag: it is ___. (heavier / heavyer)

   Show answer or example answer

   heavier

   Heavier is the comparative form before than.

2. Choose what heavy describes in this phrase. In heavy rain, heavy describes ___. (intensity / physical weight)

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   intensity

   Heavy rain describes intensity, not weight.

3. Choose the opposite for weight. For weight, the opposite of heavy is ___. (light / dark)

   Show answer or example answer

   light

   Light is the opposite of heavy for weight.

Use it today

Describe something heavy and compare its weight with another object.