Comparatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things, people, or actions. The comparative degree is the second of three degrees of comparison in English — positive (tall), comparative (taller), superlative (tallest). Mastering comparatives involves two dimensions: how to form them (3 formation choices) and how to use them (4 key patterns).

3 Formation Choices: -er | more | irregular form

4 Usage Patterns: comparative + than | as...as (equal) | with modifiers | double comparatives

Comparatives vs superlatives: Comparatives compare two things (taller, more interesting). Superlatives compare one thing to a whole group (the tallest, the most interesting). This lesson covers comparatives. For the full picture, see Comparatives & Superlatives.

Forming Comparatives: -er or more?

The first step is always to decide which formation to use. The rule is based on syllable count — but there is an important gray zone for two-syllable adjectives.

The Core Decision

⚠️ Never combine -er and more. These are both wrong:

• ❌ more taller — "tall" is 1 syllable; use taller
• ❌ expensiver — "expensive" is 3 syllables; use more expensive

Two-Syllable Adjectives: The Gray Zone

Two-syllable adjectives are the trickiest group. The ending tells you which form to use:

Some two-syllable adjectives are flexible — more quiet and quieter are both acceptable. When in doubt, use more.

Spelling Changes for -er Forms

When adding -er to one-syllable adjectives, two spelling rules apply:

Rule 1 — CVC doubling: If the adjective ends in a single vowel + single consonant (CVC), double the final consonant before adding -er:

Rule 2 — Silent -e: If the adjective already ends in -e, just add -r:

• late → later | nice → nicer | large → larger | fine → finer

The Basic Sentence Pattern

Once you have the comparative form, the sentence pattern is:

Subject + verb + comparative + than + second item

• My brother is taller than me.
• This book is more interesting than that one.
• The exam was easier than I expected.

⚠️ Always use "than", never "as" or "that" after a comparative:

• ✅ She is taller than her sister.
• ❌ She is taller as her sister. / ❌ She is taller that her sister.

👉 Practice Forming Comparatives →

Irregular Comparatives

Some of the most common adjectives in English have completely irregular comparative forms — they do not follow the -er or more pattern. You must memorise these.

Core Irregular Forms

⚠️ The two most common mistakes with irregular forms:

• ❌ gooder / more good → ✅ better
• ❌ badder / more bad → ✅ worse

⚠️ farther vs further

Both are comparative forms of far, but they are used differently:

Rule: For abstract meanings (further information, further investigation, without further delay), only further is correct — never farther.

⚠️ elder vs older

Elder cannot be used after the verb be: ❌ She is elder than me. → ✅ She is older than me.

Two-Syllable Adjectives That Take -er

Some two-syllable adjectives accept -er even though they don't end in -y/-er/-ow/-le. These are worth memorising:

👉 Practice Irregular Comparatives →

as...as: Equal Comparisons

The as...as structure is used to say that two things are equal in some quality. It is as important as the comparative + than pattern.

The Basic Structure

Note: The as...as pattern works with both adjectives and adverbs: She is as tall as me (adjective). She can run as fast as her brother (adverb).

⚠️ Common as...as errors:

• ❌ as tall than — use as, not than, after the adjective
• ❌ so tall as — use as, not so, before the adjective
• ❌ as taller as — use the base adjective inside as...as, never the comparative form

Modifiers with as...as

You can add modifiers before as...as to express how close to equal the comparison is:

as much / as many

When comparing quantities, match the noun type:

not as...as ≈ less...than

These two structures often express the same idea. Not as...as is generally considered softer and more polite:

• English is not as difficult as Chinese. ≈ Chinese is more difficult than English.
• This novel is not as engaging. ≈ This novel is less engaging.

👉 Practice as...as Equal Comparisons →

Modifiers & less...than

Once you can form comparatives, you can fine-tune them with modifiers that express how large or small the difference is.

Big-Difference Modifiers

Use these when the difference is large:

Small-Difference Modifiers

Use these when the difference is small:

even, no, not much

⚠️ The double comparative trap: never use "very" or "more" before a comparative

• ❌ very bigger → ✅ much bigger
• ❌ more better → ✅ even better / much better
• ❌ even more better → ✅ even better

Very intensifies adjectives and adverbs, but not comparative forms. Use much, far, a lot, or even before comparatives.

less...than: Downward Comparisons

Less + adjective + than is the downward equivalent of more + adjective + than:

⚠️ lesser is not the comparative of little in this context. Use less, not lesser:

• ❌ lesser dangerous than → ✅ less dangerous than

No + comparative + than

No + comparative + than means "equally (bad/difficult/expensive)" — there is no improvement:

• This exercise is no harder than the previous one. (= same difficulty)
• This solution is no better than the last one. (= still just as bad)

👉 Practice Modifiers & less...than →

Double Comparatives & Progressive Change

At B2 level, two advanced comparative structures express how things change over time or how two factors are linked.

the...the...: Double Comparatives

The the + comparative, the + comparative structure links two related changes:

Structure: the + comparative [+ subject + verb], the + comparative [+ subject + verb]

⚠️ Word order inside the clause: The + comparative + subject + verb (not subject + comparative + verb):

• ✅ The more confident you become.
• ❌ The more you become confident.

⚠️ less vs fewer in double comparatives:

• less + uncountable: The less time you waste, ...
• fewer + countable plural: The fewer mistakes you make, ...

Fixed Expressions

Some double comparatives have become fixed sayings:

Progressive Change: more and more / -er and -er

To describe a continuing change in one direction, use:

More examples:

• It's getting harder and harder to find affordable housing. (1-syllable: harder + and + harder)
• Life is becoming more and more convenient. (3 syllables: more and more + comfortable)
• The competition is becoming more and more intense. (2 syllables taking more)

Both parts of a progressive comparative must match: harder and harder ✅ / hard and harder ❌

👉 Practice Double Comparatives & Progressive Change →

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Quick Summary

Formation Flowchart

Step 1 — Is it irregular? → good → better | bad → worse | far → farther/further | much/many → more | little → less

Step 2 — Count the syllables:

• 1 syllable → add -er (fast → faster, cold → colder)
• 3+ syllables → use more (expensive → more expensive)
• 2 syllables → check the ending:
  • ends in -y → -ier (easy → easier)
  • ends in -er / -ow / -le → -er (clever → cleverer, narrow → narrower, simple → simpler)
  • all others → more (complex → more complex)

Step 3 — Spelling changes (for -er forms):

• CVC pattern → double the consonant: big → bigger, hot → hotter
• Ends in -e → just add -r: late → later, nice → nicer

The 4 Usage Patterns

Key Rules at a Glance

Practice Tips

1. Learn the syllable rule as a decision habit: Before writing any comparative, count syllables — hold up a finger per syllable. One finger: -er. Three or more: more. Two: check the ending.
2. Memorise the six core irregulars cold: good → better, bad → worse, far → farther/further, much/many → more, little → less, old (family) → elder. Write one sentence for each in your notebook.
3. Practise modifiers with real comparisons: Take two things you know well (your city vs another city, two phones, two films) and describe them using much bigger, slightly more interesting, far less expensive.
4. Build double comparatives from everyday observations: Write three the...the... sentences about your own life — The more I sleep, the better I feel. The less I exercise, the worse my mood gets.
5. Use progressive comparatives to describe trends: Pick a topic (technology, house prices, city life) and write two sentences with more and more and -er and -er to describe how it is changing.

Practice All Exercises

Ready to practise making comparisons in English? These comparatives exercises online come with answers and explanations for every question. Printable PDF worksheets are also available for offline practice. Work through all 5 sets covering comparative adjective formation and comparison exercises at every level — from basic -er and more comparatives at A1, through irregular comparatives and as...as comparisons at A2, to comparative modifiers and double comparatives at B1 and B2:

Now try the exercises to practise what you've learned!