What is the difference between older and elder in English language?
Here you can find out the difference between the words older and elder.
Many words in English are similar in spelling, but have completely different meanings. different meanings. It is much more difficult when the word is similar in both spelling and meaning. Then the question arises, what word is applicable to different situations. The same applies to the words older and elder.
It would seem that both words are translated as "senior, older", but are used differently. Let's look at a few examples:
Jane is older than me. - Jane is older than me.
My elder sister is coming to see us on Friday. - My older sister will come to us on Friday.
Is her mother older than her father? -Is her mother older than her father?
Jim's elder brother is an engineer. - Jim's older brother is an engineer.
As you can see from the examples, the word older is comparative adjective old. Therefore, it is usually used with comparative word than. Although there are also shortened sentences. For example:
Is he older? - Is he older?
The older you get, the wiser you become. - The older you are, the wiser you are.
And the word elder is an adjective in its original form. It is not used comparatively, but only before a noun in order to characterize it. For example:
My elder sister finished her homework very quickly. - My older sister completed her homework very quickly.
IN colloquial speech Increasingly, the word elder is being replaced by the word older:
His elder brother is cute.= His older brother is cute. - His older brother is cute.
The word elder in sentences can also serve as a noun meaning “old man, elderly person.” For example:
So the elders gave me some very sound and profound advice. - And then the elders gave me very good and wise advice.
If you were looking for a word to describe someone who is more advanced in age than someone else, what word would you choose?
Would you pick elder or older? Is someone older or elder than someone else? Or would you settle on a different word entirely?
Well, for those writers stuck picking between elder and older, have no fear. In this post, I will clear up any confusion between these words, their differences, and their uses. After reading this post, you shouldn’t ever mix up elder vs. older again.
What is the Difference Between Elder and Older?
Broadly speaking, these two words have the same meanings and can be used interchangeably in most settings. For example,
- He is my elder brother.
- He is my older brother.
- She is the elder of the two.
- She is the older of the two.
In cases like those above, elder is simply a more formal version of the word older, and when comparing two persons, elder has no implication of advanced age, just more advanced than its comparison.
So, the elder brother in the first example isn’t necessarily old in the sense of the later years of his life; he is just older than his comparison.
When to Use Elder
While these words can broadly be used to mean the same things, there are some circumstances that call for one over the other, depending on the context of your sentence.
Elder can be used to denote relatively old age, and when it does, it adds a component of respect for a person’s position or achievement.
- He is an elder member of the Supreme Court.
- Senator Smith is an elder statesman, having served over 30 years.
- The elder officer was honored by his younger counterparts.
As you can see elder, in all of the above cases, signals a level of respect that is not signaled when using older.
And, of course, you cannot forget the age-old saying, “Respect your elders.”
Elder, Eldest Refer to People, Not Objects
The two words elder and eldest are used only when referring to people. They are not used when writing about animals or inanimate objects, such as clothing, furniture, etc.
Elder adds a level of respect that older does not. Elder also cannot be used when referring to animals or objects.
Older is the better word choice in most situations. It’s used simply to refer to people or things far advanced in years of life.
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6.1. 6.2. 6.3. 6.4. 6.5. 6.6. 6.7.
old- elder, eldest- applied to family members for comparison by birth
By the way, these forms of comparison in English are considered obsolete
They are used less and less
old- older, oldest- in other cases
And also with inanimate objects
Translate into Russian
Instead of gaps in sentences, correctly insert the words:
older oldest
elder eldest
1. What is your...brother?
2. My sister is two years…than I.
3. He is the... boy in our group.
4. Moscow is one of the... towns in our country.
5. Her...sister is five years...than she.
6. She is the… of the two of them.
7. He is the… of the two brothers.
8. This is the… oak-tree in the whole park.
9. It is ... than any of the trees in the wood.
10. My father is...than yours.
11. Uncle Billy was the… man in the village.
12. Children are supposed to be always polite to them….
13. You see, she is my ..., so I’ll have to consult her first.
14. Though I am… than he, still he is my….
Ready-made offers
1. What is your older brother?
2. My sister is two years older than I.
3. He is the
oldest boy in our group.
4. Moscow is one of the
oldest towns in our country.
5. Her older sister is five years older than she.
6. She is the
eldest of the two of them.
7. He is the
eldest of the two brothers.
8. This is the
oldest oak-tree in the whole park.
9. It is older than any of the trees in the wood.
10. My father is older than yours.
11.Uncle Billy was the
oldest man in the village.
12. Children are supposed to be always polite to their older.
13. You see, she is my elder, so I’ll have to consult her first.
14. Though I am older than he, still he is my older.
Find unfamiliar words and add them to your dictionary
Come up with 7 their offers from:
An elderly man and an old chest. Or an old man and an old chest. In Russian, the second option is also acceptable, although the first is richer and allows you to convey more nuances. If we want to explain the difference in age between people or, for example, show that one object was made earlier than another, we can easily make do with the word “older.” But in English you have to use at least two variants - older and elder - each of which has its own meaning.
Despite their similar spelling and sound, these words in some cases even refer to different parts speech. Older and elder are adjectives formed from the word old, but sometimes elder is also used as an independent noun, which is impossible for older. In such situations it means “senior (person)”, “sergeant major”. What is important is that the use of elder is only possible in relation to people.
But what to do with adjectives when we use one or another option? Older – comparative adjective, which is used when you need to show that someone or something is older/more ancient than another. My brother is older than me. My brother is older than me. Elder we say if we want to indicate absolute precedence. My elder son is doing his homework. My eldest son is doing his homework.
Please note that if a woman has two sons, then this sentence is correct, but if there are more, the “eldest” form must be used.
Conclusions website
- Older is comparative form adjective, elder is used as both an adjective and a noun.
- Older = “older”, elder = “elder/elder”.
- Older applies to people, animals, and inanimate objects, elder applies only to people.
You should understand the difference and be able to use the comparative and superlative degrees of the adjective old (old) in speech. So, older or elder? To avoid mistakes, study the table below, which gives examples and translations of the older and elder forms,
and do exercises to consolidate grammatical material.
Older or elder. Degrees of comparison of adjectives.
1. Please note that comparative designs Withthan (than)Only the older form should be used.
2. Compare:
- Gregory is the eldest son. (He was born before everyone else.)
- Gregory is the oldest child. (He is the oldest.)
3. The comparative and superlative degrees of the adjective old - elder - the eldest are considered obsolete in modern English. Instead, you can use the forms older - the oldest.
4. Synonym of the word old is elderly [ʹeldəlı]- elderly, advanced age. For example: an elderly aged man - a venerable old man.
What to choose: older or elder? Check out theoretical material, study the examples and do the exercises to better understand the difference between the degrees of comparison of the adjective old - older and elder.
Exercises for older, the oldest, elder, the eldest.