English 101 Academy

Comparative adjectives

Mastering Comparative Adjectives: A Guide

Are you familiar with using comparative adjectives like older, better, and more interesting? Test your knowledge with some interactive exercises and read on for helpful explanations!

Understanding Comparative Adjectives

Comparative adjectives help us compare two things or indicate a change. Here are some examples to illustrate their use:

  • The city is more interesting than the countryside.
  • This house is older than mine.
  • She’s better at cooking now than she was before.

Grammar Breakdown

Comparative adjectives depend on the number of syllables in the adjective. Let’s dive into how they work:

One-Syllable Adjectives

For one-syllable adjectives, we typically add -er:

  • old → older
  • clean → cleaner
  • slow → slower

If the adjective ends in -e, just add -r:

  • safe → safer
  • nice → nicer

For adjectives ending in a vowel followed by a consonant, we usually double the final consonant:

  • big → bigger
  • hot → hotter

Two or More Syllables

For two-syllable adjectives ending in a consonant and -y, change -y to -i and add -er:

  • noisy → noisier
  • happy → happier
  • easy → easier

For most other two-syllable adjectives, as well as all three-syllable adjectives, use more to form the comparative:

  • crowded → more crowded
  • stressful → more stressful
  • dangerous → more dangerous

Note: Some two-syllable adjectives, like common, gentle, and simple, can take either -er/-r or more:

  • Life in the countryside is simpler than in the city.
  • It’s more simple to live in the city since everything you need is nearby.

Irregular Adjectives

Some adjectives have irregular comparative forms:

  • good → better
  • bad → worse
  • far → further/farther

Using “Than”

To specify what or who you are comparing, use than:

  • Their house is cleaner than ours.
  • Traffic is slower in the city than in the countryside.
  • After the race, I was more tired than Anne.

By mastering these rules, you can enhance your descriptive language and make your comparisons clearer. Ready to practice? Dive into our interactive exercises and see how well you know comparative adjectives!

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