Comparatives in English

Introduction

Adjectives are used to describe people, things, or places. For example, we might say that a person is tall, or that a book is interesting. But we use a special form of adjectives called comparatives when we want to compare two things.

For example, if you want to say that one person is taller than another, or that one book is more interesting than another, you use comparatives.

In this post, we’ll focus on how to form and use comparatives correctly.

What Are Comparatives?

Comparatives are words that allow us to compare two things. They help us show that one thing has a greater or lesser degree of a quality than another.

For example:

• “She is taller than her brother.” (tall → taller)
• “This book is more interesting than that one.” (interesting → more interesting)

Comparatives are used to express that one person, place, or thing has a higher or lower quality in comparison to another.

How to Form Comparatives

There are simple rules for forming comparatives depending on the adjective’s length:

1. One-Syllable Adjectives

Add -er to the end of the word for short, one-syllable adjectives.

• Example:
  • tall → taller
  • fast → faster
  • small → smaller

2. Two-Syllable Adjectives Ending in -y

For adjectives with two syllables that end in -y, change the -y to -ier.

• Example:
  • happy → happier
  • funny → funnier
  • busy → busier

3. Longer Adjectives (Two or More Syllables)

For longer adjectives with two or more syllables, we use more or less before the adjective instead of adding “-er.”

• Example:
  • beautiful → more beautiful
  • expensive → more expensive
  • interesting → more interesting

4. Irregular Comparatives

Some adjectives don’t follow the regular rules and have irregular comparative forms.

• Example:
  • good → better
  • bad → worse
  • far → farther

Here’s a simple table for irregular comparatives:

Examples of Comparatives

Here are some examples of how comparatives can be used in sentences to compare two things:

• She is taller than her sister.
  • (tall → taller)
• This movie is funnier than the last one.
  • (funny → funnier)
• This painting is more beautiful than that one.
  • (beautiful → more beautiful)
• He is a better player than his teammate.
  • (good → better)
• Today is worse than yesterday.
  • (bad → worse)
• This road is longer than the previous one.
  • (long → longer)
• My bag is heavier than yours.
  • (heavy → heavier)
• The test was easier than I expected.
  • (easy → easier)
• This book is more interesting than the movie.
  • (interesting → more interesting)
• He is farther from the goal than anyone else.
  • (far → farther)

Common Mistakes

When learning comparatives, students often make a few common mistakes. Here are some errors to watch out for:

1. Using “More” with Short Adjectives

For one-syllable adjectives, you should add -er instead of using more.

• Incorrect: He is more tall than his brother.
• Correct: He is taller than his brother.

2. Forgetting to Change “Y” to “I”

For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, don’t forget to change -y to -ier.

• Incorrect: She is more happy than her friends.
• Correct: She is happier than her friends.

3. Not Using “More” or “Less” with Longer Adjectives

For longer adjectives (two syllables or more), remember to use more or less instead of adding -er.

• Incorrect: This book is interestinger than that one.
• Correct: This book is more interesting than that one.

4. Mixing Up Irregular Forms

Some comparatives don’t follow regular rules, so it’s important to memorize them.

• Incorrect: This game is gooder than the last one.
• Correct: This game is better than the last one.

List of Comparative Adjectives

Here is a table with 40 comparative adjectives:

Practice Activity

Now that you know how to use comparatives, let’s practice! Fill in the blanks with the correct comparative form of the adjective in parentheses:

Summary

Here’s a table summarizing the form and use of comparative adjectives with examples:

More about Comparisons in Grammar.

Conclusion

Comparatives are useful when we want to compare two things and show that one has more or less of a certain quality than the other.

Following the simple rules for forming comparatives discussed above can help you describe the differences between people, places, and things more effectively.

Make sure to pay attention to the length of the adjective and whether it follows regular or irregular rules!

Related Pages

• Grammar Exercise: Comparatives and Superlatives
• How to Use Adjectives in English
• Grammar Exercises: Comparatives or Superlatives?
• Comparatives and Superlatives