Ch 8
Comparatives
-er than · more ... than · as ... as
Comparatives describe differences between two things. English has two main patterns depending on the number of syllables in the adjective.
Short adjective + -er
big → bigger · fast → faster · old → older
Long adjective: more +
expensive → more expensive · interesting → more interesting
Always followed by
... + than: She is taller than me.
Most: +er
tall → taller · old → older · cheap → cheaper
Ends in -e: +r
nice → nicer · late → later · safe → safer
CVC: double consonant
big → bigger · hot → hotter · thin → thinner
Ends in -y: +ier
happy → happier · easy → easier · funny → funnier
She is taller than her brother.
This road is safer than the motorway.
Today is hotter than yesterday.
3+ syllables
expensive → more expensive
-ful, -less, -ous, -ing, -ed
useful → more useful · boring → more boring
Never both
NEVER "more bigger" or "more faster"
This car is more expensive than that one.
The film was more interesting than the book.
Two-syllable adjectives can go either way: clever → cleverer OR more clever. When in doubt, use more for 2-syllable adjectives.
good
→ better (NOT gooder or more good)
bad
→ worse (NOT badder or more bad)
This is better than that.
My English is getting worse!
subject + verb + as + adjective + as + noun/pronoun
Positive
She is as tall as her sister.
Negative
He is not as tall as me. (= he is shorter)
This hotel is as good as the one we stayed in last year.
The bus is not as fast as the train.
She is more tall than me.
→
She is taller than me.
short adjective → +er (not more)
This is more better.
→
This is better.
better is already comparative — no "more"
She is as taller as me.
→
She is as tall as me.
as...as uses the base adjective
It is gooder than the last one.
→
It is better than the last one.
good → better (irregular)
Compare things with -er / more … than / as … as.
1
Compare two cities you know.
2
Compare yourself with a friend or someone in your family.
3
Which is better: summer or winter? Why?
4
Compare two films or series: which is more interesting?
Recap
Short + -er
tall → taller · big → bigger · happy → happier
taller than, bigger than
Long: more
more expensive · more interesting
more expensive than
Irregular
good→better · bad→worse · far→farther
must memorise
Equality
as + adjective + as
as tall as / not as fast as