Comparatives

We use comparative adjectives to compare two things, two people, two places etc.

There are three types of adjectives when making comparatives:

1. One-syllable adjectives and two-syllable adjectives ending in "y"

In order to make the comparative forms of these adjectives, we add the suffix "-er" to the adjective.

Examples:

tall + ertaller

happy + erhappier

In one-syllable adjectives that end with a "consonant-vowel-consonant" (CVC) pattern, such as "big", we double the final consonant before adding "-er" to form the comparative.

Examples:

big + erbigger

hot + erhotter

If a one-syllable adjective ends with "e", we only add "-r".

Examples:

fine + erfiner

nice + ernicer

In one-syllable and two-syllable adjectives that end in "y", such as "happy", we change the final "y" to "i" before adding "-er" to form the comparative.

Examples:

easy + ereasier

dry + erdrier

2.Two-syllable and longer adjectives

For most adjectives with two (except those ending in "y") or more syllables , we use: "more" + adjective.

Examples:

modernmore modern

beautifulmore beautiful

3.Irregular adjectives

Some adjectives have completely different comparative forms.

Examples:

goodbetter

badworse

farfarther / further

littleless

We often use the preposition "than" after comparatives.

Examples:

She's taller than her sister.

Our city is more polluted than other cities in our country.

The comparative form of adjectives ending in "ed" is made with "more".

Example:

Today, I feel more bored than I was yesterday.

The comparative form of adverbs ending in "ly" is made with "more".

Example:

He drives more slowly than his brother.

We can use less + adjective as the opposite of more + adjective.

Example:

This book is less interesting than the one I read last month.

We use the structure: as + adjective/adverb + as to show that two things are the same in terms of a quality.

Examples:

She's as tall as her brother.

This book isn't as interesting as that one. (= That book is more interesting than this one.)

Exercises

Choose the correct word(s) in italics.

1.He doesn't work as hard / harder as his brother.

He doesn't work as hard as his brother.

2.Madrid is less expensive as / than New York.

Madrid is less expensive than New York.

3.I feel more tired this week as / than last week.

I feel more tired this week than last week.

4.The city centre is more busy / busier / busyer than the suburbs.

The city centre is busier than the suburbs.

5.His new album wasn't as / more popular as the previous one.

His new album wasn't as popular as the previous one.