big

Everyday

1. Big means large in size or amount: a big dog. tree →
2. Big means important or serious: a big day, a big mistake. tree →
3. Big means older: my big sister. tree →
4. Bigger means larger than another; biggest means larger than all the others. tree →

In the lessons

how large a difference is; the larger of two numbers («subtract the smaller from the bigger one»); in everyday life «big brother», «a big deal», «think big»; in science comparing sizes of animals and planets

Examples

• Here the word «more» does not mean adding: it asks how big the difference is. tree →
• We always subtract the smaller number from the bigger one. tree →
• A big box holds 24 crayons and a small box holds 8. tree →
• An elephant is bigger than a horse. tree →
• Jupiter is the biggest planet. tree →
• Tomorrow is a big day: the school play! tree →
• My big brother helps me with homework. tree →
• Which number is bigger, 45 or 54? tree →
• "Was he as big as this?" tree →

Note

In subtraction start from the bigger number and take the smaller one away. Trap: a «big box» describes size, not an operation. Spelling: double g in bigger, biggest. Opposite: small, little.