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Unit 07
Comparatives
bigger, more beautiful, better...
What are Comparatives?
We use comparative adjectives to compare two things, people, or places. We always use than after the comparative form.
Forming Comparatives
| Adjective type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Short (1 syllable) | add -er | tall → taller / fast → faster / cheap → cheaper |
| Ends in -e | add -r | nice → nicer / large → larger / wide → wider |
| Ends in consonant + -y | change y → i + -er | happy → happier / easy → easier / heavy → heavier |
| Short: 1 vowel + consonant | double consonant + -er | big → bigger / hot → hotter / thin → thinner |
| Long (2+ syllables) | more + adjective + than | expensive → more expensive / interesting → more interesting |
| Irregular | completely different forms | good → better / bad → worse / far → farther/further |
Two-Syllable Adjectives
- Two-syllable adjectives ending in -y take -ier: happy → happier, busy → busier, funny → funnier.
- Some two-syllable adjectives can take either form: quiet → quieter / more quiet, simple → simpler / more simple, narrow → narrower, clever → cleverer.
- Most other two-syllable adjectives use more: modern → more modern, careful → more careful, boring → more boring.
- To compare in the other direction, use less (with any adjective): This test is less difficult than the last one.
Useful Comparison Structures
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| adjective-er + than | My car is faster than yours. |
| more + adjective + than | This book is more interesting than that one. |
| much / a lot / far + comparative | She is much taller than her sister. |
| a bit / slightly + comparative | Today is a bit warmer than yesterday. |
| as + adjective + as | My car is as fast as yours. (= equal) |
| not as + adjective + as | This exam is not as easy as the last one. |
Irregular Comparatives
| Adjective | Comparative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | Her English is better than mine. |
| bad | worse | The traffic is worse than yesterday. |
| far | farther / further | The station is farther than I thought. |
| little | less | I have less time than you. |
| much / many | more | She has more experience than him. |
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
subjectIstanbulverbisadjectivebiggerthanobjectAnkara.
↳ Short adjective: big → bigger than.
subjectThis filmverbisadverbmoreadjectiveexcitingthanobjectthe last one.
↳ Long adjective: more + adjective + than.
subjectMy new jobverbisadverbmuchadjectivebetterthanobjectmy old one.
↳ Irregular: good → better. Much = modifier.
Common Mistakes
She is more taller than me.
→
She is taller than me.
Never use "more" with -er forms — double comparative.
He is more good than his brother.
→
He is better than his brother.
"Good" is irregular: good → better.
This is more easy than that.
→
This is easier than that.
Short adjective → -er, not more.
My car is fastest than yours.
→
My car is faster than yours.
Comparative uses -er/more, not -est/most.
She is taller than I. (in conversation)
→
She is taller than me. / She is taller than I am.
"Than I" sounds very formal. In everyday English say "than me" or "than I am".
Istanbul is bigger from Ankara.
→
Istanbul is bigger than Ankara.
After a comparative, use "than" (not "from").